Auburn's upset of Texas Tech tops the SEC's baseball Saturday

Two games in, the Tigers are showing they can pitch. 

Photo courtesy of Mario Terrana.

Auburn’s Gonzalez throws five scoreless to beat Texas Tech

After two games, Auburn’s pitching looks improved and on Saturday, Joseph Gonzalez fired five innings, striking out five and walking three, as Auburn beat No. 12 Texas Tech. Each team had just three hits while Blake Burkhalter added a two-scoreless-inning save. 

Smith has huge debut for ‘Hawgs

Arkansas freshman Hagen Smith—one of the league’s more highly-regarded freshmen—threw six scoreless innings, striking out five, as Arkansas evened its series with Illinois State with a 5-1 win. All-American second baseman Robert Moore banged a home run and three RBIs. 

Dallas shines in first start as an Aggie

Texas Tech transfer Micah Dallas—a regular in the Red Raider rotation last year—scattered seven hits and allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings as Texas A&M topped Fordham, 5-3, to take the series. Third baseman Trevor Werner smacked a homer for the Aggies. 

Pitching fails Mississippi State in loss to Long Beach State

Yesterday, State’s offense managed one hit in a loss to the 49ers. Saturday, it managed nine, but its pitching gave up 14 in a 13-3 loss. The Bulldogs threw four arms and all gave up runs, with starter KC Hunt allowing five in three innings of work. 

Oklahoma State solves Vanderbilt, Maldonado

Right-hander Nick Maldonado was Vandy’s closer last year, but the Commodores used him to start on Saturday and it didn’t go well. Oklahoma State scored all its runs in a 4-0 victory over Vandy off Maldonado, who pitched four innings. In Maldonado’s defense, two were unearned, but the Cowboys hit the ball hard off Vandy’s star, who we pegged as a preseason third-team All-SEC player. Outfielder Spencer Jones had four hits and reached base five times for Vandy. 

Flames burn Gators

Liberty evened the series at a game apiece with a 6-4 win over Florida in Gainesville. Florida’s Timmy Manning had a tough start, allowing four runs in three innings. Florida managed just six hits, none for extra bases. 

Berry, LSU bludgeon Maine

Arizona transfer Jacob Berry blasted two home runs and Cade Doughty drove in five runs and finished a triple shy of the cycle as LSU beat Maine, 17-8, to take the series. Dylan Crews added three hits and reached base five times. 

Three homers in two days for Elko

Ole Miss first baseman Tim Elko homered for Ole Miss, which run-ruled Charleston Southern to take home a win after seven innings. Elko knocked in three runs, giving him seven this season. Unfortunately, outfielder Kevin Graham’s 61-game on-base streak came to an end. 

Georgia walks off Albany

Georgia rallied for six runs in the final three innings, with Cole Tate adding a walk-off single in the ninth to give the Bulldogs a 7-6 win. Tate and his brother Connor Tate each added a home run, as did Corey Collins. Will Pearson added three scoreless relief innings as the Bulldogs won the series. 

Vols turn seven hits into 10 runs

How does a team do that? For starters, Tennessee reached base 10 times via walk and twice more by hit batsmen in a 10-3, series-clinching win over Georgia Southern. Drew Gilbert drove in four runs and had one of Tennessee’s two home runs, the other going to Jorel Ortega. 

Veterans lead the way in Alabama’s clinching win over Xavier

Experience is big in the SEC, and Alabama’s returnees pitched in in a big way in a 5-4 win over Xavier. Returning starters Zane Denton and Caden Rose led the Crimson Tide with three hits and returning starters Drew Williamson and William Hamiter each chipped in with two, with Williamson bombing the ‘Tide’s lone home run. Wake Forest transfer Hunter Furtado pitched three scoreless innings for the win for a pitching staff that struggled with control (10 walks). 

Too little, too late for South Carolina

South Carolina trailed 5-1 heading into the ninth against UNC Greensboro, and the Gamecocks had the winning run on second in the ninth but couldn’t finish in a series-evening, 5-4 loss. Carolina had high hopes for JUCO transfer James Hicks, who started but allowed four runs (all earned) on nine hits (but with five strikeouts) over four innings. 

Missouri pounds Nichols State, again

Offense was an issue for Missouri against everyone last year, but the Tigers have scored 27 runs in 14 innings to start this season. Josh Day and Florida State transfer Nander De Sedas each homered while Nathan Landry fired three scoreless relief innings. 

Six players register multiple hits in Kentucky’s win at Jacksonville State

The Wildcats improved to 2-0 as Ryan Ritter, Hunter Jump, Jacob Plastiak, Oraj Anu, Alonzo Rupalcaba and John Thrasher each had two of UK’s 14 hits in a 6-2 win. The only Kentucky starter without a hit was Chase Estep, who had a big day for the ‘Cats in Friday’s win.