Story courtesy of Appalachian State sports information
Appalachian State 12, Campbell 7
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Sparked by an eight-run seventh inning, Appalachian State University baseball notched its fourth-straight victory with a 12-7 win over Campbell on Tuesday afternoon at ErnieShore Field. With the triumph, Appalachian moved to 5-1 on the season, its best start since 1996.
Appalachian needed the seventh-inning outburst to rally from a 7-4 deficit. Campbell first baseman Mike Priest drilled a pair of home runs and drove in four to help stake the Camels to the lead.
A two-run single by senior shortstop Joey Robinson and a two-run homer off the bat of freshman second baseman Ben Billingsley highlighted the eight-run seventh for the Mountaineers.
In all, Robinson went 3-for-4 with three RBI and Billingsley, Wes Borden, Jason Rook, Chris Baker and Rand Smith added two hits apiece to the lead the Apps' 15-hit attack.
Senior Scott Clark picked up his first win of the season for Appalachian, while Campbell’s Brandon Scott surrendered six runs in just two-thirds of an inning to suffer his first loss of the campaign.
Appalachian faces its stiffest test of the season to date when it travels to Southeastern Conference-power Alabama for a three-game series this weekend. The series opens on Friday at 7:30 p.m. (EST).
Story courtesy of Western Carolina sports information
Western Carolina 16, UNC Asheville 5
Cullowhee, N.C. ? Of its 18 hits, Western Carolina had 11 extra base hits, including seven doubles, three home runs and a triple, to power past region rival UNC Asheville Tuesday afternoon at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium. Steven Strausbaugh, who hit his fourth blast in six games, Barrett Shaft and Trey McDaniel each homered as the trio combined for 10 of WCU’s 16 RBI in the game.
Western Carolina took an early 1-0 in the bottom of the first. Tim Hallam had a leadoff double, advanced on a ground out and scored on Strausbaugh’s sacrifice fly to center.
The Bulldogs answered in the top of the second. John Whited delivered a two out single and moved to second on the play on a throwing error. Kyle Smith followed with an RBI double to left. UNCA then took a 2-1 lead in the third. Johnny Martinez had a one-out single, while Elliott Arrington walked and Brett Robinson was hit by a pitch to load the bases and chase Catamount starter Corey Martin. Martinez would score on a passed ball, but WCU relief pitcher Mike Buda got a strikeout and a ground out to end the threat.
In the home half of the third, the Cats regained the advantage with a five spot in the frame, making the score 6-2. WCU strung together five straight hits to score four runs, including a single by Donnie Wilson, a triple by Hallam, a double by Shaft, a single by Strausbaugh and a double by Scott Ward, who was 3-for-4 on the day. After a strikeout, McDaniel got the Cats back on track with an RBI double to cap the scoring in the inning.
After avoiding a bases loaded jam without allowing a run in the top of the fourth, Western padded its advantage with five runs in the fourth. After a leadoff double by Wilson, Shaft, who had three hits, hit a two-run home run to right, his first blast of the season. Jonathan Greene welcomed new UNCA pitcher Andrew Alexander with an RBI single, followed by a two-run double by Blake Murphy.
In the fifth, UNCA cut into its deficit, scoring two runs to make the score 11-4. Robinson had a leadoff double and scored one batter later on Charles Pippitt’s two-run homer, his second of the season. However, the Catamounts used the long ball in the bottom of the fifth to take a 14-4 lead. Strausbaugh’s three-run blast marked his fourth home run of the season.
UNCA’s Anderson, the designated hitter, made it a 14-5 game in the top of the sixth on a one-out, solo home, marking his first round-tripper of the season. In the bottom of the seventh, McDaniel hit a WCU’s third home run of the game and his second of the season, putting the Cats up 16-5.
Junior college transfer Tyler Johnson (1-0) was credited with the win. He pitched 1.2 innings in relief, allowing a solo home run with two strikeouts. Brandon McDowell, Bryan Corbett and Greg Holland pitched the final three innings, allowing just one hit between the three.
Bulldog starter Ben Buchanan (0-3) suffered the loss. He pitched 3.1 innings and allowed 10 hits and 10 runs with two walks and a strikeout. Offensively, Anderson, Kyle Smith and Matt Henson each had two hits, while Pippitt drove in two.
Western Carolina will hit the road for a nine-game road swing, not returning to Cullowhee until hosting Princeton in a doubleheader on Mar. 18. The nine-game road swing starts Friday at Charleston Southern. After three games with the Buccaneers (Mar. 3-5), Western will travel up the coast to play at UNC Wilmington for two games (Mar. 7-8), then play at Elon (Mar. 10-12) in the teams' SoCon opener and conclude the swing with a game at Georgia on Mar. 15.
Story courtesy of Davidson sports information
Auburn 8, Davidson 6
AUBURN, Ala. -- Right fielder Russ Dixon blasted two home runs, the second being a three-run shot to break a 5-5 tie in the sixth, sending the host Auburn Tigers to an 8-6 victory over Davidson on Tuesday afternoon at Plainsman Park. Auburn wins its second straight to improve to 8-5 on the season, while the Wildcats four-game winning streak -- their longest in five years -- came to an end as they fell to 5-2.
After Tyler Johnstone led off the fifth with a bunt single, Dixon followed with a two-run blast to right to tie the game at five. The Tigers threatened to score more with a pair of two-out singles, but senior reliever Michael Kaufman stemmed the tide by inducing a comebacker to the mound.
Dixon came to the plate again in the sixth with one down and runners at first and second. Davidson head coach Dick Cooke summoned sophomore southpaw Brian Packey to face the left-handed hitter, but the strategy backfired when Dixon sent an 0-1 offering deep to right-center for his second homer of the game and third of the season.
It appeared the Wildcats would go quietly in the ninth, but they received new life when a ball was dropped in center with two outs for a two-base error. Senior Jay Heafner brought home the run with a single up the middle, and junior Gregory Zage sent him scampering to third with a single to center. But Peter Wiggins narrowly escaped with his first save when senior Alex Entrekin laced a shot to center, only to have it caught for the third out.
Auburn scored the first runs of the game with three in the second inning off junior Blake Osborn. A lead-off walk and two singles loaded the bases for Justin Bristow, who plated a run with a single of his own. Luke Greinke and Tyler Johnstone each contributed sacrifice flies to score the other two runs in the inning.
The Wildcats responded immediately with two runs in their half of the third. Osborn walked to start the inning, and senior Ronnie Shore bunted for a hit with one out. Junior Rob Wilson stroked an RBI single to right-center, and Heafner followed with a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to one.
Davidson took a 4-3 lead in the fourth with a pair of runs. Entrekin walked for the second time, and advanced to second on a wild pitch with one out. Freshman Pat Brady drew a walk as well before Osborn singled to right. Entrekin was thrown out at the plate trying to score, however, and the runners moved up to second and third on the throw. Now with two out, sophomore Hugh Eden tied the score with a bunt single, and shortly thereafter he and Osborn pulled off a double steal for the 4-3 lead.
In the fifth, Heafner doubled, Zage walked, and the pair advanced a base on a sacrifice by Entrekin. Junior Alden Crissey then hit a bounder to third that allowed Heafner to score, putting the 'Cats up, 5-3. But Dixon's home-run heroics would save the day for Auburn.
Johnny Thompson (1-0) earned the victory with three innings of one-hit relief, walking one and striking out three. He was the fourth of five Tiger pitchers on the afternoon and faced just one over the minimum in his three frames.
Taking the loss for Davidson was Kaufman (0-1), who surrendered two runs in two-thirds of an inning. Wildcat starter Osborn went 4.2 innings and allowed nine hits, five runs, four earned, while walking one and fanning three.
Besides Dixon, who was 3-for-5 with five RBIs, Mike Bianucci also had three hits including a double for Auburn. Johnstone had a pair of singles, scored twice and drove in one to bolster the Tigers' 11-hit attack.
Davidson managed eights hits in the game, with Heafner leading the way at 2-for-4 with a run and a pair of RBIs.
The Wildcats return home to play Xavier on Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m. Auburn flies to Tempe, Ariz., this weekend to play a three-game series against Arizona State, starting Friday evening at 7 p.m. (MST).