June 5, 2009

Ole Miss Walks Off With 4-3 Win Over Virginia in 12

OXFORD, Miss. – Matt Smith hit a walk-off home run on the first pitch of the 12th inning as Ole Miss notched a 4-3 win over the Virginia baseball team Friday in the first game of the NCAA Oxford Super Regional at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field. The loss snapped an eight-game winning streak for the Cavaliers.

The game drew 9,213 fans – the fifth-largest crowd in stadium history. It also was Virginia’s longest game in time (4:17) and innings this season.

Smith jumped on a first-pitch fastball from Kevin Arico (So., Flemington, N.J.) in the 12th inning and hit it into the crowd in left-center field. It marked the first point in this NCAA tournament that UVa has trailed.

Danny Hultzen (Fr., Bethesda, Md.) started on the mound for Virginia and worked 5.1 innings, allowing two earned runs, five hits and one walk while striking out five. Tyler Wilson (So., Midlothian, Va.) pitched two innings of relief, and Matt Packer (Jr., Germantown, Tenn.) fired an inning before Arico (2-3) tossed 2.2 innings – a career high.

Jarrett Parker (So., Stafford, Va.) had two hits for the Cavaliers as he tied the school record for hits in a season with 92. He tied Ryan Zimmerman, who had 92 hits in 2005. Phil Gosselin (So., West Chester, Pa.) and Steven Proscia (Fr., Suffern, N.Y.) each had a pair of hits.

Florida State Falls To Arkansas In Game One Of Super Regional

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida State (45-17) fell to Arkansas (38-22) 7-2 Friday evening in game one of the Tallahassee Super Regional on Mike Martin Field inside Dick Howser Stadium. Despite out hitting the Razorbacks 10-5 in game one, the Seminoles struggled with runners on base leaving 14 runners stranded.

The loss snapped an 18-game home winning streak for the Seminoles as it was their first loss on their home turf since falling to Florida 10-2 back on April 14. It also marked the seventh consecutive time that the Garnet and Gold has lost the opening round game of the Super Regional.

For the second straight weekend in Tallahassee, rain was a factor on opening day of the NCAA Tournament as this Friday inclement weather interrupted play on three different occasions delaying the game for over six hours.

Arkansas broke open a 2-2 tie scoring three runs in the seventh and two in the eighth all on just one hit. The Razorbacks took advantage of three walks and two hit by pitches in the seventh driving in the go ahead run off Geoff Parker (6-2) on a bases loaded walk to Scott Eibner. The next two runs crossed the plate on a sac-fly to center and a sacrifice bunt.

Three Seminole errors led to a pair of Arkansas runs in the eighth as the Razorbacks increased their lead to 7-2.

Tyler Holt led the Seminoles on Friday going 3-for-4 with two singles and a double. Stuart Tapley was the only other Seminole to register multiple hits going 2-for-5 in the loss.