Angelina sweeps #2 San Jac

[baseball10]

If there were any opening-day jitters or an inkling of intimidation in playing the second-ranked team in the nation, the Angelina College Roadrunners didn’t show it.

The ‘Runners on Saturday swept the Gators by identical 4-1 scores, using late-inning offense, timely defense and solid pitching to start the season 2-0.

Freshman K.J. Semien made his AC debut a memorable one, throwing out a runner at the plate preserve a one-run deficit in Game 1, then ending the game with a three-run, walk-off homer off the left-field scoreboard in the ninth inning of a scheduled seven-inning affair.

AC pitchers Ian Gardek and Taylor Holt teamed up to no-hit the Gators through six innings, with San Jac’s only run occurring on a first-inning fielder’s choice. Gardek struck out four but walked six in his debut – one witnessed by a multitude of major league scouts on hand just to see Gardek work.

“Considering how many big league scouts were watching him, I thought Ian did a good job even though his location wasn’t always where he wanted it,” AC head coach Jeff Livin said. “But he battled through it and kept them off the board after the first inning.”

Gardek got plenty of defensive help: In that first inning, San Jacinto loaded the bases with one out; but ‘Runner shortstop Michael Ruiz made his first of several sparkling defensive plays, diving for a would-be single and making the flip to second to limit the Gators to a single run.

“We had some times where we looked a little wobbly, but it seems that every time that happened Ruiz made a play for us and settled us down,” Livin said.

Holt relieved Gardek in the fifth inning, and he, too, kept the Gator bats silent until Justin Byrd’s single in the seventh inning. In the bottom half of the inning, with AC still trailing1-0, Roadrunner catcher Tommy Henk drove in the game-tying run with a single in the bottom to score Ryan Gunhouse. And when AC right hander Jerin Spikes entered late, Semien made him a winner with a three-run blast to left.

“This team reminds me a lot of the one we had a few years ago that ended up winning 40 games,” Livin said. “We hung around, hung around, and won a lot of games in the late innings. I saw that same attitude today, with the guys just battling all the way through until they could make some good things happen.”

That late-inning theme reappeared in the nightcap, with the Roadrunners breaking open another 1-1 game with at three-run sixth inning after Zach Cordia tied the game with a solo homer in the second. Grant Clyde and Todd Wallace followed Semien’s single with back-to-back RBI doubles to give AC the only runs necessary for the 4-1 win and the sweep. Ryan Bonnot held the Gators to a single run before giving way to eventual winner Austin Robson.

The Roadrunners will travel to Wharton on Wednesday for a doubleheader scheduled to start at 2 p.m.

[baseball10]

http://www.angelina.edu/Baseball/index.html

[adminbaberuth]

[quote name="baseball10" post="958298" timestamp="1296525023"]
If there were any opening-day jitters or an inkling of intimidation in playing the second-ranked team in the nation, the Angelina College Roadrunners didn’t show it.

The ‘Runners on Saturday swept the Gators by identical 4-1 scores, using late-inning offense, timely defense and solid pitching to start the season 2-0.

Freshman K.J. Semien made his AC debut a memorable one, throwing out a runner at the plate preserve a one-run deficit in Game 1, then ending the game with a three-run, walk-off homer off the left-field scoreboard in the ninth inning of a scheduled seven-inning affair.

AC pitchers Ian Gardek and Taylor Holt teamed up to no-hit the Gators through six innings, with San Jac’s only run occurring on a first-inning fielder’s choice. Gardek struck out four but walked six in his debut – one witnessed by a multitude of major league scouts on hand just to see Gardek work.

“Considering how many big league scouts were watching him, I thought Ian did a good job even though his location wasn’t always where he wanted it,” AC head coach Jeff Livin said. “But he battled through it and kept them off the board after the first inning.”

Gardek got plenty of defensive help: In that first inning, San Jacinto loaded the bases with one out; but ‘Runner shortstop Michael Ruiz made his first of several sparkling defensive plays, diving for a would-be single and making the flip to second to limit the Gators to a single run.

“We had some times where we looked a little wobbly, but it seems that every time that happened Ruiz made a play for us and settled us down,” Livin said.

Holt relieved Gardek in the fifth inning, and he, too, kept the Gator bats silent until Justin Byrd’s single in the seventh inning. In the bottom half of the inning, with AC still trailing1-0, Roadrunner catcher [b]Tommy Henk[/b] drove in the game-tying run with a single in the bottom to score Ryan Gunhouse. And when AC right hander [b]Jerin Spikes[/b] entered late, Semien made him a winner with a three-run blast to left.

“This team reminds me a lot of the one we had a few years ago that ended up winning 40 games,” Livin said. “We hung around, hung around, and won a lot of games in the late innings. I saw that same attitude today, with the guys just battling all the way through until they could make some good things happen.”

That late-inning theme reappeared in the nightcap, with the Roadrunners breaking open another 1-1 game with at three-run sixth inning after Zach Cordia tied the game with a solo homer in the second. Grant Clyde and [b]Todd Wallace[/b] followed Semien’s single with back-to-back RBI doubles to give AC the only runs necessary for the 4-1 win and the sweep. Ryan Bonnot held the Gators to a single run before giving way to eventual winner Austin Robson.

The Roadrunners will travel to Wharton on Wednesday for a doubleheader scheduled to start at 2 p.m.


[/quote]

Someone help me with locals:

Todd Wallace (West Brook)
Tommy Henk ( Crosby or Huffman?)
Jerin Spikes (PNG)

Who did I leave off?

[AJ25]

Angelina has the [b]Number 1[/b] juco prospect in the country.. Guy throws 98. Man, am I so excited for us to play him or what. ;)

[baseball10]

Correct with the locals. Henk is from huffman.

[Tallboi]

[quote name="AJ25" post="958330" timestamp="1296528975"]
Angelina has the [b]Number 1[/b] juco prospect in the country.. Guy throws 98. Man, am I so excited for us to play him or what. ;)
[/quote]

What's his name AJ25? Freshman or soph.?

[AJ25]

[quote name="Stringer" post="958774" timestamp="1296586426"]
[quote author=AJ25 link=topic=79553.msg958330#msg958330 date=1296528975]
Angelina has the [b]Number 1[/b] juco prospect in the country.. Guy throws 98. Man, am I so excited for us to play him or what. ;)
[/quote]

What's his name AJ25? Freshman or soph.?
[/quote]

Ian Gardeck

He's a transfer from Dayton University in Ohio, he's a soph.

[EAGLE07]

[quote name="AJ25" post="958785" timestamp="1296587114"]
[quote author=Stringer link=topic=79553.msg958774#msg958774 date=1296586426]
[quote author=AJ25 link=topic=79553.msg958330#msg958330 date=1296528975]
Angelina has the [b]Number 1[/b] juco prospect in the country.. Guy throws 98. Man, am I so excited for us to play him or what. ;)
[/quote]

What's his name AJ25? Freshman or soph.?
[/quote]

Ian Gardeck

He's a transfer from Dayton University in Ohio, he's a soph.
[/quote]

He's already signed w/ Alabama...don't think he will see the campus.

[AJ25]

[quote name="EAGLE07" post="958904" timestamp="1296592328"]
[quote author=AJ25 link=topic=79553.msg958785#msg958785 date=1296587114]
[quote author=Stringer link=topic=79553.msg958774#msg958774 date=1296586426]
[quote author=AJ25 link=topic=79553.msg958330#msg958330 date=1296528975]
Angelina has the [b]Number 1[/b] juco prospect in the country.. Guy throws 98. Man, am I so excited for us to play him or what. ;)
[/quote]

What's his name AJ25? Freshman or soph.?
[/quote]

Ian Gardeck

He's a transfer from Dayton University in Ohio, he's a soph.
[/quote]

He's already signed w/ Alabama...don't think he will see the campus.
[/quote]

Probably won't even waste his time with a visit. lol.

[baseball10]

already went on a visit in the fall.