FROM CBB NEWS SOURCES
MILLINGTON, Tenn. – The first day of the 2008 GSC Baseball Tournament went the opposite of last year’s opening day as the East Division teams took the early games and the West Division squads won the late contests.
East No. 3 Montevallo (34-23) opened the Tournament with the day’s biggest surprise, upsetting West No. 2 Southern Arkansas (41-9), 12-3. UM never trailed in the game, taking a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning, led by B.J. Holloway’s two-run single. The Falcons stretched their lead to 4-0 in the third, only to see SAU plate its first run in the bottom of the frame. Montevallo put the game on ice in the fifth inning, scoring five runs on five hits capped by Eric Moore’s RBI double. UM reliever Nate Russ recorded the victory, going 4.2 innings with five strikeouts, zero earned runs. Moore led the offense, going 3-for-6 with two doubles and three RBI.
East Division Champion Valdosta State (35-16) spoiled West No. 4 Harding’s (27-22) upset bid, scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, en route to a 4-3 triumph. VSU took a 1-0 edge in the bottom of the second frame when Kohata laced an RBI single. HU tied matters in the top of the fourth, only to see the Blazers answer with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning. The Bisons knotted the contest at two on Thompson’s RBI double in the sixth and the underdogs took a 3-2 lead on Rodriguez’s RBI single in the eighth. Valdosta State saved its best for last, tying the game on Jon Koenigsfeld’s single to left field and Blaine Wilson’s game-winning RBI single to left center. Five VSU pitchers took the mound in the game with reliever Justin Lamb recording his fourth victory of the season.
West Champion Delta State (41-8) scored early and often and rode the arm of starting pitcher Kenny Smalley, cruising past East No. 4 North Alabama (29-20), 6-2. DSU led 3-0 after five innings, plating one run in the first two frames and the fifth. The Statesmen took a 6-0 led heading into the top of ninth, but UNA spoiled the shutout with a pair of runs. Six Delta State players notched RBI’s on the day, led by Anthony Palasini‘s 3-for-4 effort. Smalley dominated on the mound, turning in 8.0 innings of work with nine strikeouts.
East No. 2 West Alabama (44-10) and West No. 3 Ouachita Baptist (43-12) completed Day One in the most anticipated game of the day. Dominate pitching ruled the first five innings, but in the end, OBU won the battle of the Tigers, thanks to a pair of big innings at the plate. UWA plated its first and only run of the game in the bottom of the third inning when Jake DeRoy‘s sacrifice bunt moved Chris Ransburgh to third and OBU pitcher Steve Smith’s throwing error allowed Ransburgh to score. After five innings, UWA pitcher Mike Schmitt was sailing with 10 strikeouts until a mistake to GSC West Division Co-Player of the Year Destan Makonnen sent a two-run shot over the right field wall and put OBU up for good. Makonnen would later drive in another pair on a two-run double off the wall in right-center, giving him four RBI on the night. Steve Smith tossed a complete game for OBU, scattering six hits, two walks and fanning nine batters. Schmitt threw seven frames and struck out a career-high 13.
