The Tribune-Star
AUBURN, Ala. —
The tournament-host Auburn Tigers held the Indiana State baseball team without a hit over the final seven innings of their matchup Sunday, picking a 6-5 victory over the Sycamores in the final game of the tournament at Plainsman Park and Hitchcock Field.
Indiana State (3-4) made three errors in the first inning on Sunday, allowing three unearned runs to cross the plate. The Sycamores responded with five runs in the top of the second inning to take a 5-3 lead, totaling five hits in the frame. Junior Tyler Wampler (hit by pitch), sophomore Landon Curry (groundout), redshirt sophomore Jacob Hayes (single), senior Robby Ort (fielder’s choice) and junior Mike Fitzgerald (single) tallied five consecutive RBIs for Indiana State in the inning.
Auburn (6-1) came back to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning on the strength of a two-run double by Ryan Tella. The Tigers took the lead for good in the fourth inning, as Tella brought home Dan Glevenyak with a single to center.
Indiana State touched up AU starter Rocky McCord for five runs and five hits in 1 2/3 innings of work, but the bullpen combination of Justin Camp and Conner Kendrick combined to allow just one hit in 7 1/3 shutout innings of work with six strikeouts. Camp (2-0) earned the victory on the mound, Kendrick picking up the save in relief.
Junior Jeff Degano (0-1) took the loss for Indiana State, allowing six runs (three earned) on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings on the mound.
• Rose-Hulman 8, Farmingdale State 6 — At Winter Haven, Fla., Rose-Hulman opened the 2013 baseball season with an 8-6 win over nationally ranked Farmingdale State to open the team's six-game Florida trip on Sunday.
Rose-Hulman received votes in the d3baseball.com preseason national poll, and Farmingdale State entered the game with a No. 25 national ranking.
The Engineers scored five runs in the fourth inning to propel the offensive effort, with freshman Patrick Klima providing the key hit with a three RBI, bases loaded triple.
Junior Andrew Benitez, sophomore Josh Hoeing and senior Bobby Newman slapped two hits each as part of Rose-Hulman's 11-hit attack. Freshman Evan Witsken added one single and one run scored.
The offense helped lift freshman Karson Nixon to a win in his college debut. Nixon came out of the bullpen to pitch three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits with one strikeout.
Sophomore Jake Althouse tossed a scoreless eighth inning, and junior Hank Akard pitched a scoreless ninth for his first save of the year and the 10th of his career.
Rose-Hulman continues its Florida trip with a matchup against Alma College on Monday at 11 a.m.
Rose-Hulman 010 502 000 — 8 11 5
Farmingdale State 011 310 000 — 6 5 3
Farley, Nixon (5), Althouse (8), Akard (9) and Turk, Pilipovich (4). Schwartz, Martinez (4), Cashman (4), Dragone (5), Weingarten (6) and Wiener. W — Nixon (1-0). L — Dragone (0-1)
Auto racing
• Hines, Stockon shine — At Ocala, Fla., Tracy Hines won the feature race on Saturday in the third day of U. S. Auto Club sprint car racing at Bubba Raceway Park.
Hines led all the way to win the 30-lap feature. He also won Friday’s feature, leading the last lap only to win, taking advantage of tire leak by Robert Ballou, who led the first 29 turns.
Sullivan native Chase Stockon had three good days of racing. He was fast qualifier twice, won his heats twice and had three top-10 finishes in the main events: third, fourth and seventh.
Stockon is second in the sprint point totals going into an April 6 race at Lawrenceburg Speedway. He trails points leader Hunter Schuerenberg by four points.
Saturday’s results
Fast qualifier — Chase Stockon
Heat winners — Stockon, Chris Windom, Landon Simon, Brady Bacon, Robert Ballou (semi)
Feature — Tracy Hines, Tyler Courtney, Stockon, Ballou, Hunter Schuerenberg, Levi Jones, Bacon, Dave Darland, C. J. Leary, Bryan Clauson, Windom, Scotty Weir, Justin Grant, Chris Gurley, Simon
Friday’s results
Fast qualifier — Clauson
Heat winners — Stockon, Brady Short, Shane Cottle, Bacon, Nick Drake (semi)
Feature — Hines, Clauson, Schuerenberg, Stockon, Darland, Bacon, Kevin Thomas Jr., Mark Smith, Leary, Short, Weir, Cottle, A. J. Hopkins, Ballou, Dallas Hewitt
