TheState.com: Sports

Amazing run for Braves rookie catcher continues with grand slam against Twins

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:09 EDT

Evan Gattis no longer seems amazed by his improbable rookie season.

Yet, there are times when it’s a bit of an adjustment for the Atlanta Braves catcher. Like when someone recognizes him in the grocery store.

“It’s a little weird,” the 26-year-old Gattis said. “I’m not used to that yet.”

Gattis did it again Wednesday, hitting his first grand slam. B.J. Upton and Ramiro Pena also homered for the Braves, who finished off a sweep of the woeful Minnesota Twins with an 8-3 rout.

The Braves stretched their winning streak to six games with a second straight series sweep, making things easy for starter Paul Maholm (6-4). The left-hander held the Twins to an unearned run in 71/3 innings.

NC State tops Clemson 6-3 in ACC tournament

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:19 EDT

Brett Austin drove in two runs during a four-run seventh inning to help North Carolina State beat Clemson 6-3 on Wednesday night in pool play at the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.

Jake Fincher had an RBI single before Austin's two-run double in the seventh snapped a 2-2 tie for the fourth-seeded Wolfpack (43-13).

Grant Clyde also had a solo homer in the second for N.C. State, while reliever Josh Easley (5-2) earned the win by allowing a run and two hits in four innings.

Garrett Boulware had three hits and a solo homer in the ninth for the fifth-seeded Tigers (39-18), while starter Daniel Gossett (9-4) took the loss by allowing six runs - five earned - and six hits in 6 1-3 innings.

N.C. State and Clemson are off until Friday, with the Wolfpack facing No. 8 seed Miami and the Tigers facing top-seeded North Carolina in Pool A.

Parker leads Texas A&M past Vanderbilt, 5-0

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:19 EDT

Ray Parker pitched eight-plus innings to lead Texas A&M to a 5-0 victory over top-seeded Vanderbilt on Wednesday in the second round of the Southeastern Conference baseball tournament.

The Aggies (32-25) produced three solo homers and Parker made sure it was plenty in the double-elimination tournament.

Making his fifth start of the season, Parker (1-1) allowed three hits and walked three while throwing 110 pitches. He left after walking the leadoff batter in the ninth.

Vandy (48-8), which had lost only three SEC games, didn't manage an extra base hit and was shut out for the first time this season. The Commodores came in leading the league in hitting.

Cole Langford, Hunter Melton and Troy Stein homered for Texas A&M while Daniel Mengden had three hits and Krey Bratsen added two. Melton also homered in the opening win over Florida.

Virginia Tech beats Virginia 10-1 in ACC tourney

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:40 EDT

Chad Pinder hit two home runs - including a sixth-inning grand slam - and drove in six runs to help Virginia Tech beat Virginia 10-1 on Wednesday in pool play of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.

Pinder and Tyler Horan each had three hits for the sixth-seeded Hokies (36-19), who had a six-run second inning against the third-seeded Cavaliers (45-10). Pinder hit a two-run shot in the second, then blew the game open with a blast over the left-field wall in the sixth.

Chad Morgan and Brendon Hayden added consecutive RBI doubles in the second for Virginia Tech, while Joe Mantiply (6-0) earned the win by allowing one run in seven innings.

Virginia starter Brandon Waddell (5-2) allowed six runs and 10 hits in four innings.

Virginia will face seventh-seeded Georgia Tech on Thursday in Pool B, while Virginia Tech will face No. 2 seed Florida State.

Georgia Tech tops Florida State 4-3 in ACC tourney

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:14 EDT

A.J. Murray and Mott Hyde hit back-to-back homers in the top of the ninth inning to help reigning champion Georgia Tech beat Florida State 4-3 on Wednesday in pool play at the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.

The seventh-seeded Yellow Jackets (34-23) led off the ninth with a pair of groundouts before Murray hit a solo shot to left against reliever Robby Coles to tie the game. Then Hyde followed with another shot to left to stun the second-seeded Seminoles (44-13).

Giovanny Alfonzo flied out to left in the bottom of the ninth to end the game for Florida State, with Coles (4-2) taking the loss.

Hyde had three hits and two RBIs for Georgia Tech, while reliever Daniel Palka (2-1) took the win with two scoreless innings of work.

Florida State will face sixth-seeded Virginia Tech on Thursday in Pool B, while Georgia Tech will face No. 3 seed Virginia.

Bulldogs outlast Missouri 2-1 in 17 innings

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:49 EDT

Mitch Slauter's two-out single scored Kyle Hann in the 17th inning, giving Mississippi State a 2-1 victory over Missouri Tuesday night in the opening round of the SEC baseball tournament.

The game lasted more than 4 1/2 hours and ended at 12:25 a.m. The 17 innings matched the longest game in tournament history with Auburn-Arkansas in 1994.

Slauter's RBI ended a streak of 11 scoreless innings. Mississippi State (41-16) left a total of 17 runners on base, while Missouri (18-32) stranded 10.

MSU starter Trevor Fitts threw wild pitches to two consecutive batters in the third inning, enabling Brannon Champagne to advance to third.

Champagne then scored on a groundout to give Missouri a 1-0 lead.

San Francisco, Houston to host Super Bowls in 2016, 2017

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:06 EDT

In one of the least suspenseful Super Bowl votes in recent years, NFL owners awarded Super Bowl L, in 2016, to the San Francisco/Santa Clara area and Super Bowl LI, in 2017, to Houston on Tuesday, shutting out Miami, which until a few weeks ago was a heavy favorite to host the 50th game.

Miami has hosted 10 Super Bowls and remains a favorite site for them, but the twin defeats were an indication of the NFL’s dissatisfaction with the condition of Sun Life Stadium and with the Miami Dolphins’ inability to secure financing for renovations the team and the league feel are necessary to make it competitive with state-of-the-art stadiums such as the one under construction in Santa Clara and Reliant Stadium in Houston.

The NFL had hoped to put the 50th Super Bowl in Miami. And Miami would almost certainly have won the bidding for it had a referendum on use of tax dollars and rebates to pay for stadium renovations passed — an iffy proposition in an area still seething over the public financing of the ballpark for the Miami Marlins, whose payroll since has been slashed by ownership.

Stephen Ross, the Dolphins owner, has said he will not foot the entire $350 million bill for upgrades to the stadium, which opened in 1987. When the Florida legislature did not allow the controversial referendum to be held, the planned renovations stalled, perhaps indefinitely.

It is unclear what the Dolphins’ plan for renovations is now, and without them it seems likely that Miami could join San Diego as beloved Super Bowl destinations undermined by outdated stadiums.

Bill would force SC schools to be more careful with athletes’ concussions

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:47 EDT

A high school athlete who suffers a concussion will have to get approval from a physician before returning to sports activities, according to a bill being considered by the state Senate.

The bill, H.3061, has passed the House, but it was amended by a Senate committee. If the full Senate approves the bill, the House must approve the amended version before it goes to Gov. Nikki Haley.

The bill has the backing of the S.C. Medical Association, the S.C. Athletic Trainers’ Association and the Brain Injury Association of South Carolina, all of which contributed to its content.

“All of the players have done a fantastic job of listening to us on this,” said Craig Clark, head athletics trainer at Furman University and president-elect of the state athletics trainers association. “It’s going to help take care of the athletes in South Carolina.”

Concussions have drawn more scrutiny in recent years as researchers have detailed an increase in the diagnosis of traumatic brain injuries among all athletes — from the National Football League to high school players. While football gets the most attention, concussions are common among basketball, hockey and soccer players.

Golf’s governing bodies outlaw anchored putting strokes

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:22 EDT

Golf’s two governing bodies outlawed the anchored putting stroke used by four of the past six major champions, approving a new rule that starts in 2016 and urging the PGA Tour to follow along so the 600-year-old sport is still played under one set of rules.

The Royal & Ancient Golf Club and the U.S. Golf Association adopted Rule 14-1b, which prohibits players from anchoring a club against their bodies.

“We strongly believe that this rule is for the betterment of the game,” USGA President Glen Nager said. “Rule 14-1b protects one of the important challenges in the game — the free swing of the entire club.”

The decision Tuesday ends six months of sometimes rancorous debate. The rule was opposed by the PGA Tour and the PGA of America, which contended the stroke commonly used for long putters was not hurting the game and there was no statistical proof that it was an advantage.

“We recognize this has been a divisive issue, but after thorough consideration, we remain convinced that this is the right decision for golf,” R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said at European Tour headquarters outside London.

Melton powers Texas A&M past Florida, 6-3

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:40 EDT

Hunter Melton hit a three-run homer and had an RBI single to help Texas A&M defeat Florida 6-3 on Tuesday in the Aggies' first appearance in the SEC baseball tournament.

A&M starter Daniel Mengden (8-3) overcame two balks and a wild pitch to go the distance, throwing 117 pitches.

The Aggies (31-25) took a 3-2 lead in the fourth on Melton's two-out home run off Florida starter Johnny Magliozzi (4-2).

After Florida (29-28) tied the game in the fifth, Melton gave A&M a 4-3 lead in the sixth on a single that scored Blake Allemand.

Two A&M errors and a Mengden balk helped Florida take a 2-0 lead in the second. Mengden also had a wild pitch in the fifth that allowed Josh Tobias to score from third base.