Story courtesy of Appalachian State sports information
College of Charleston 10, Appalachian State 3
BOONE, N.C. ? College of Charleston broke open a close game with eight runs over the final five innings of a 10-3 win over Appalachian State University baseball on Friday afternoon at Red Lackey Field.
Appalachian starter Jason Rook (1-2) held C of C to just two runs through the first four innings but ASU left six runners on base during that same span and trailed 2-0 heading into the fifth. From there, however, it was all Charleston, as the Cougars scored two runs in the fifth, one in the sixth, three in the seventh and two in the eighth to grab a commanding 10-0 lead.
Chris Baker’s first home run of the season, a three-run shot over the tall left field fence in the eighth, accounted for the Mountaineers’ only runs.
In all, Appalachian (9-8, 0-1 Southern Conference) was out-hit 15-5 en route to its seventh-straight loss in the series and third-straight overall following last weekend’s four-game sweep of Canisius. The Southern Conference’s top fielding team coming into the weekend, ASU committed a season high-tying three errors.
A bright spot for the Mountaineers was senior shortstop Joey Robinson, who upped his team-leading batting average to .381 with a 2-for-3 afternoon at the plate.
Shortstop Oliver Marmol went 4-for-5 and scored three runs to lead the offensive attack for College of Charleston (15-4, 1-0 SoCon). Starting pitcher Graham Godfrey (4-2) held the Apps scoreless on just three hits over seven innings to pick up the win.
The two teams continue their three-game conference series on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Red Lackey Field.
Story courtesy of Elon sports information
Elon 14, Kent State 8
ELON, N.C. -- The Elon Phoenix banged out 13 hits to 12 for the visiting Kent State Golden Flashes and scored eight runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to lead the Phoenix to a 14-8 decision in non-conference baseball action from Latham Park on Friday evening. With its victory, Elon has run its winning streak to a season-high four games and sits at 15-6 overall. Kent State dipped to 7-6 with the loss.
The Golden Flashes came out early, knocking solo homers in each of the first two innings from Drew Saylor and Todd Balduf, respectively, to grab a 2-0 lead.
Elon grabbed a 4-2 advantage in the bottom of the second using three hits. Chris Vasami ran his hitting streak to nine games as he started the inning with a single to right. After an out on a fly ball, Grant Rembert singled to put men on first and second. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch and Kent State starter Chad Wagler loaded the bases with a walk to Pat Irvine. Paul Bennett’s double down the rightfield line plated all three runners and Bennett ended up on third on the throw in from the outfield. A sacrifice fly from Ryan Addison delivered Bennett with the fourth and final run of the inning.
A two-out single to right off the bat of Andrew Davis plated Joe Tucker in the top of the third, and the Golden Flashes trimmed the margin to 4-3. Kent State regained the lead in the fourth, scoring four runs on three hits to hold a 7-4 edge. The inning began with a double to the gap in left from Will Vazquez. An attempted sacrifice bunt from Chris Tremblay saw Adam Weaver’s throw pull Vasami off the bag at first and the Golden Flashes had runners at the corners thanks to the error. Lance Cole Emmanuel Burriss on a line drive to first on a bunt attempt for the first out of the inning. A sac fly from Joe Tucker plated Vazquez to even the score at four. An infield single put two men on for Kurt Eichorn who drove a 1-1 pitch out of the park for a three-run homer.
The Phoenix got one back in the bottom of the fourth when Rembert scored on a Bennett single. Elon then struck for eight in the sixth to grab the lead for good. The inning began as Rembert singled up the middle. Irvine’s first career homer on a 2-2 pitch drove in the first two runs of the inning. Bennett then walked, stole second and advanced to third on Addison’s bunt single. After Addison stole second, Donny Jobe walked to load the bases for Weaver who hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Bennett with run number three of the frame. Chris Price’s double to center knocked in Addison to make the score 9-7. Vasami lifted a sac fly to right to score Jobe. Price would score on a single from Robert Rodebaugh to center before Rembert capped the scoring with a two-run shot to left, his second of the year.
Both teams pushed across single runs in the seventh inning to provide the final margin.
For Elon, Rembert finished the day 3-for-4 with four runs scored and two RBI while Bennett drove in four and scored twice as he posted a 2-for-3 day at the plate. Vasami and Price each added two hits for the Phoenix.
Eichorn knocked three hits in four at bats for Kent State, scoring twice and driving in three. Burriss, Saylor and Davis each had two-hit days.
Cole improved to 5-0 on the season, earning the victory for Elon. The senior lasted 6.0 innings and gave up seven runs (three earned) on 10 hits. He also struck out four.
Jon Miller suffered the loss for Kent State, falling to 1-1. He did not record an out and gave up four runs on three hits and a walk. Wagler left with the lead after throwing 5.0 innings. He allowed five runs on five hits while fanning six.
The two teams will play game two of the series at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon from Latham Park.
Story courtesy of UNC Greensboro sports information
UNC Greensboro 11, Albany 9
GREENSBORO, NC ? Jermaine Mitchell’s three-run triple in the bottom of the sixth lifted UNC Greensboro to a 10-5 victory over Albany Friday evening at UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Mitchell, a native of Daingerfield, TX, finished the night going 3-for-5 with three RBI and extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a double to right field in the bottom of the first.
After the Great Danes (3-11) scored three runs in the top of the sixth to take a 5-4 lead, the Spartans rallied for six runs in the bottom of the seventh to erase the deficit and take a five-run lead. Greg Feltes connected for a pinch hit double to load the bases before Mitchell smacked the third pitch he saw into the right field corner to score all three runners.
Senior right-hander Patrick Currin (2-2) picked up the win in relief of starter Nick Starnes after allowing just one hit in 2-1/3 innings of mound duty. Brandon Harvey came on in the ninth and recorded the final three outs to preserve the win for UNCG.
Matthew Herrick (0-1) took the loss for Albany after allowing three runs on two hits in just an inning on the hill. Great Dane starting pitcher Casey Walsh allowed four runs on eight hits in 5-1/3 innings of work.
Albany put a run on the board in the top of the first inning on an RBI single from designated hitter Tom Hill. Al Barbato led off the frame with a double down the right field line and advanced to third on a groundout from two-hole hitter Steve Wyland before Hill produced the game’s first run.
Steve Sayre put the Great Danes out in front 2-0 with an RBI on a fielder’s choice that scored Barbato who singled for his second hit in as many at-bats.
UNCG (5-13) finally got to Welsh in the bottom of the fourth as the Spartans scored four runs on four hits. Shane Thompson and Mitchell opened the inning with back-to-back walks before Guy Welsh loaded the bases with a bunt single to third base. Senior David Adams and junior Bradon Harvey added RBI singles to account for the latter two runs.
The Great Danes answered with three runs in the top of the sixth to regain a one run lead after five and a half innings. Zac Halloran reached base with a two-out double and later scampered home when UNCG attempted to throw out a stealing Rashad Barksdale at second base. Brad Daniels and Barbato also picked up RBIs in the inning.
Junior Brandon Harvey led UNCG at the plate after going 4-for-5 with two RBI while nine different Spartans recorded at least one hit.
The two teams continue a three game series Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. from UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Story courtesy of Davidson sports information
Yale 11, Davidson 9
DAVIDSON, N.C. ? The Davidson Wildcats scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, but it wasn't enough to overcome another strong offensive night by the Yale Bulldogs as the Wildcats dropped its second straight to Yale and fourth overall by the count of 11-9 on Friday night at Wilson Field. Davidson fell to 10-9 overall on the season and Yale moved to 7-6 overall.
The ninth inning proved to be the difference in the game for both teams. Yale, leading 8-4 heading into the final inning, started the frame off by adding three insurance runs on five hits, highlighted by an RBI triple from Marc Sawyer and an RBI single by center fielder Jake Doyle.
Davidson then stepped up in the bottom of the ninth and almost made the comeback from an 11-4 deficit. The Wildcats started the inning with a double from senior Ronnie Shore and a single by junior Rob Wilson, with both runners moving to second and third on a throwing error from the shortstop. Senior Jay Heafner then proceeded to find some green with a two-run double to left center, scoring both Shore and Wilson to move the 'Cats within five, 11-6. After a groundout by freshman Graham Chapman that moved Heafner to third, Entrekin followed with a run-scoring RBIgroundout for the Wildcats third run in the inning.
Alden Crissey then singled to start the rally back up, and junior Blake Osborn and pinch hitter Dan Obermeier followed with walks to load the bases. Yale went to its bullpen and brought in Brett Rosenthal, fresh off pitcher of the week honors in the Ivy League, who then allowed a two-run pinch-hit single to Will Ogden and the Wildcats were within two, 11-9. Shore came up for the second time in the inning, but grounded out to end the threat for the final score of 11-9. Rosenthal earned his third save of the year.
The game started off like the first game of the series as Yale struck first in the second inning with a two-run homer off the bat of right fielder Ryan Lavarnway to left-center field after John Janco led the inning off with a single and the Bulldogs had a 2-0 lead. It was Lavarnway's second jack of the series and third on the season.
The Wildcats got one of the runs back in the bottom half of the inning, when Gregory Zage hit a lead-off single and later advanced to third after Yale's shortstop Justin Ankney booted Alex Entrekin's ground ball. Zage dented the plate on an RBI sac fly by third baseman Alden Crissey and the Wildcats cut the Yale lead in half at 2-1.
Two defensive lapses in the third inning by the Wildcats helped the Bulldogs cross the plate two more times for a 4-1 lead. After a lead-off single P.J. Gorynski, Ankney hit a bloop single to left field that was misplayed by Jordan Mills as both runners advanced to second and third d base. A second error by Heafner on a ground ball allowed Gorynski to score. Jake Doyle finished the scoring off with a RBI sac fly that brought in Ankney, who had advanced to third on Heafner's error.
Davidson again answered back with a single run in the bottom half of the inning. Center fielder Hugh Eden laced his first triple of the year down the right field line and Shore drove him in with an RBI groundout for a 4-2 score.
Both teams each scored a run in the fourth inning with the Bulldogs Josh Cox lifting an RBI sac fly to score Lavarnway, who reached on Heafner's second error, and the Wildcats plated a run on a high chopper RBI single up the middle by Blake Osborn, scoring Entrekin.
Shore, Heafner and Eden paced the Wildcats offense with two hits each as Davidson came up with 11 knocks on the night. Wilson (3-1) suffered the loss, his first of the season, going six innings with six runs allowed on 11 hits and struck out seven batters.
Yale finished the evening with 16 hits, led by Gorynski and Ankney who each went 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Starter Chris Wietlispach (2-0) earned the win on the mound with six innings of six-hit ball and fours runs allowed.
Davidson and Yale will wrap up their three-game series tomorrow, Saturday, Mar. 18 at 1 p.m as the Wildcats look to salvage the third game of the series.
UNLV 22, The Citadel 6