Story courtesy of The Citadel sports information
The Citadel 6, Richmond 0
Charleston, S.C. - Freshman hurler Wes Wrenn made his collegiate debut as The Citadel shut out Richmond, 6-0, in game two of the Homewood Suites Shootout Friday afternoon at Riley Park. Wrenn tossed six innings and struck out six. Sophomore Chris Swauger and senior Matt Matulia led the Bulldog offense as they combined for five hits and four RBI.
The Citadel (1-1) and Richmond (0-1) had a tight defensive battle as both teams went scoreless through six innings before the Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead in the seventh. Swauger singled up the middle with one out before Matt Matulia stepped in and ripped a RBI-double to left center. Matulia advanced to third on a passed ball and then crossed the plate on a RBI-double off the bat of freshman designated hitter Sonny Meade.
The Bulldogs exploded for four runs in the eighth on a pair of RBI-doubles and a bases loaded walk. Senior Brady Mashak took a ball to the back to lead off the inning and then moved over to second thanks to a sacrifice bunt by senior second baseman Tripp Cappelmann. Swauger then pushed two across the plate as he doubled to the gap in left center. Matulia followed with another double to the opposite gap and scrambled to third on a wild pitch. The Spiders then allowed three walks in a row to let Matulia trot home and make the final 6-0.
Smith (1-0) picked up his first win of the season as he came on in relief in the seventh. Smith upheld his perfect ERA as he did not allow a Spider hit. Wrenn held Richmond scoreless through six innings of work in his collegiate debut, scattering four hits and striking out six. Sophomore Stephen Owens (0-1) suffered the loss as he tossed 6.1 frames, allowing two runs on four hits and fanning four. Junior Link Saunders earned his first save of the year as he went two innings, giving up two hits and tallying four strikeouts.
The Citadel fielded four freshmen as Wrenn, Sid Fallaw and Sonny Meade were in the starting lineup. Fallaw got the starting nod behind the plate and Meade made his second start as designated hitter. Graham Couch came in to replace senior right fielder Matt Covington in the fourth after Covington left the game due to injury. The freshmen accounted for two of The Citadel's six runs as Meade was 1 for 3 with an RBI and Couch went 1 for 2 and scored a run.
Next up, the Diamond Dogs will host No. 3 Nebraska on Saturday, Feb. 18 in game four of the Homewood Suites Shootout presented by Trademark Properties. First pitch is slated for 2:30 p.m. at Riley Park. Nebraska is coming off of a 4-3 victory over No. 19 N.C. State in game one of the shootout. N.C. State will face the Spiders tomorrow at 11 a.m.
Story courtesy of College of Charleston sports information
East Carolina 5, College of Charleston 0
Greenville, N.C. -- Ryan Tousley belted a solo homer and three East Carolina pitchers combined to shutout the College of Charleston, 5-0, in the opener of a three-game series at Clark-LeClair Stadium on Friday.
Both teams are 3-1 on the season with game two of the series slated for 2:00 on Saturday.
T.J. Hose (2-0) picked up the win by scattering seven hits over six innings and pitching out of trouble over the first couple of frames. Hose walked none and struck out six.
Jason Neitz and Josh Dowdy combined to blank the Cougars on two hits over the final three innings.
Tousley homer to right leading off the eighth gave the Pirates a 4-0 lead. Dean's RBI grounder in the second scored Tousley and gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead. His RBI single in the eighth closed out the scoring.
The Cougars were led by Alex Garabedian and Oliver Marmol who had two hits each. The Cougars left eight runners on base, including three in scoring position over the first two innings.
Graham Godfrey (1-1) suffered the loss allowing three runs on seven hits over six innings with three strikeouts.
Story courtesy of Georgia Southern sports information
Georgia Southern 12-23, Saint Joseph’s 5-1
STATESBORO, Ga. ? Georgia Southern used big innings during both games of a doubleheader sweep of Saint Joseph’s on Friday (Feb. 17) at J.I. Clements Stadium. The Eagles won the opener 12-5 and the nightcap 23-1.
Griffin Benedict finished the twinbill 6-for-8 with six RBI. Mike Economos hit a pair of home runs in game two, finishing the day 4-for-9 with six RBI and five runs scored. Greg Dowling totaled four hits and scored six times. Jeremy Beckham also tied for team-high honors totaling six runs batted in.
Will Southwell recorded his first career RBI in the third inning of game one, lining a RBI double over the head over right fielder Ben Wendle.
The Eagles loaded the bases during the fifth when Chris Hollis singled, Brett Pelfrey hit another double and Dowling was hit by a pitch. SJU turned a double play for two outs but Benedict lined a 2-run double to right. Consecutive errors brought home two additional runs for the Eagles, chasing starter Jason Hessler. Two batters later Beckham delivered a 2-run double as GS batted around, capping the 6-run frame.
Saint Joseph’s got RBI singles Matt Godusky and Greg Mason in the sixth but the Eagles scored a run in their half of the sixth and seventh. Pelfrey scored when Southwell hit into a double play. The next inning Cam Caldwell hit a RBI double. Southwell led off the eighth with a line shot over the centerfield fence, his first career home run, extending the lead to 12-5.
Chambliss (1-0) gave up two runs on three hits in 2.2 innings of relief. He struck out four. Five Eagles had multi-hit games. GS held a 14-10 edge in hits during the opener.
Hessler (0-1) allowed eight runs (five earned) on nine hits. He did not walk a batter and fanned four in 4.2 innings. Greg Mason had three of the Hawks’ 10 hits.
The Eagles chased Brian Anecharico (0-1) in the first inning of game two without him recording an out, scoring eight runs in all. Beckham hit his first collegiate home run, a 3-run blast.
Godusky hit the first pitch of the second inning over the fence but Economos responded with his first home run in two years, a solo shot making it 9-1.
When Everett Teaford (1-1) struck out his eighth batter to end the fourth inning, he overtook sole possession of 10th place on the career Ks list with 245. He allowed just the one run on three hits, walking one and fanning nine in all through six innings of work.
During the sixth inning, Georgia Southern plated 10 runs. Benedict picked up two more RBI on a single through the right side. Pinch-hitter Derrick Smith hit a two-out grand slam, his second homer this year and first grand slam. Two batters later pinch-hitter Justin Klinger ripped a 2-run shot.
Phillip Porter recorded his first career RBI in the eighth inning. Economos later followed with his second home run in the game, the first multi-HR game of his career.
The series concludes on Saturday (Feb. 18) with first-pitch scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
Story courtesy of UNC Greensboro sports information
Georgia 7, UNC Greensboro 6 (11 inn.)
ATHENS, GA ? Bobby Felmy’s two out RBI single in the bottom of the 11th lifted Georgia to a 7-6 extra inning, come-from-behind win over UNC Greensboro Friday evening at Foley Field.
The Bulldogs, who trailed 6-4 after seven and a half innings, scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the eight with two outs to tie the game at six, ultimately sending the game into extra frames where Georgia would eventually plate the winning run.
Right-hander Joshua Fields (1-0) recorded the win after allowing no runs on two hits in 3.0 innings of mound duty. Spartan southpaw Wes McCall (0-1) took the loss after the sophomore yielded one run on two hits in 2.2 innings on the hill. The Spartans used nine different pitchers throughout the course of the game.
Georgia tallied the first run of the game as the Bulldogs took an early first inning 1-0 lead after collecting three consecutive singles. Jonathan Wyatt singled through the ride side and centerfielder Joey Side followed with a single of his own to left to put runners on first and third with only one out. After Wyatt advanced to third on a wild pitch, designated hitter Matt Robbins drove him in with a single to left.
The Bulldogs scored another run in the second inning to take a 2-0 lead as Matthew Dunn plated Ryan Peisel, who doubled to start the inning, on a groundout to second. Georgia tacked on another run in the third inning when Wyatt scored his second run of the game on a double to left off the bat of Jason Jacobs.
UNCG roared back in the top of the fourth inning as the Spartans scored three runs on five hits to tie the game at 3-3. With the bases loaded following singles by Guy Welsh, Adam Deleo and Sean Snell, sophomore Wes McCall drove in the first two runs of the season as the Gastonia, NC native doubled to left field, scoring Welsh and Deleo. Greg Feltes added a single of his own thereafter to score Snell with UNCG’s third run of the inning.
Welsh put the Spartans out in front 5-3 in the top of the fifth when the junior cranked a two-run home run over the left centerfield wall. Senior David Adams led off the frame with a double off the centerfield wall that chased Bulldog starter Brooks Brown. Jermaine Mitchell followed with a sacrifice bunt to advance Adams to third before Walsh sent a no-doubter over the wall.
After Georgia scored a run in the bottom half of the fifth, UNCG regained its two-run lead as Mitchell manufactured a run for the Spartans in the top of the seventh. The Daingerfield, TX native led off the frame with a single to left, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. He then sprinted 90 feet to score UNCG’s sixth run of the game on a wild pitch by Ben Jeffers.
With two outs and runners on second and third, Georgia left fielder Kyle Keen smoked a single up the middle to score both runs, knotting the game a 6-6 after eight innings of play.
Welsh led UNCG at the plate as the junior went 3-for-6 with a pair of RBI. Adams, Clinton McKinney and Feltes each added two hits apiece for the visiting Spartans. Joey Side and Ryan Peisel each had two hits for the Bulldogs.
The Spartans and Bulldogs resume their three-game series Saturday with first pitch slated for 2 p.m.