Story courtesy of Furman sports information
Furman 9, Coastal Carolina 6
CONWAY, S.C. -- Will Feemster pitched two innings of scoreless relief and Furman struck for six runs in the fifth inning en route to a 9-6 come-from-behind win over Coastal Carolina in college baseball action Wednesday afternoon at Waston Stadium.
Feemster, a freshman righthander from Greenville, came on with one out in the fourth inning after Costal Carolina erupted for five runs against Paladin starter Mason Smith to take 6-1 lead. The former J.L. Mann standout recorded the final two outs in the fourth and was the beneficiary of a six-run Furman fifth inning that gave the Paladins a 7-6 lead.
Feemster (1-0), who pitched into the sixth inning, struck out two and walked none to earn the victory. Ryan Hudson followed with 2 2/3 innings of one-hit relief before giving way to Nick Hollstegge, who pitched the ninth to record his second save of the season. In all Furman's bullpen pitched 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball and allowed only three hits while striking out three.
A.J. Davidiuk and Tony Maccani paced Furman's 12-hit attack with three hits each. Joe Daysh had two hits and drove in three runs.
Maccani's second home run of the season, a solo blast to left center off Costal Carolina starter and losing pitcher Bobby Gagg (0-1), ignited Furman's six-run fifth inning. With two outs Case Cassedy's RBI double scored Ben Terry, and an error led to the Paladins' third run of the frame. A.J. Davidiuk singled in Cassedy and later scored, along with Jay Jackson, on Daysh's RBI double off Chanticleer reliever Mike Valter.
Winners of three of its last four games, Furman now stands 4-4 on the year. Coastal Carolina, the defending Big South Conference champion, falls to 3-7 on the campaign.
Furman will remain in Conway and on Friday will take on West Virginia at Noon before facing Coastal Carolina again at 4:00 p.m.
Story courtesy of The Citadel sports information
The Citadel 4, Le Moyne 3
Charleston, S.C. ? Senior shortstop Matt Matulia’s three-run home run proved to be the game-winner as The Citadel slipped past Le Moyne, 4-3, Wednesday afternoon in Riley Park. Junior starter Zach Brown earned his first win of the season as Citadel closer Link Saunders registered his fifth save.
The Dolphins pulled within one in the seventh, but Saunders came on to wrap it up for the Bulldogs in the ninth. After hitting the first batter, Saunders settled in to strike out two and force shortstop Michael Affronti to fly out to right to earn his fifth save of the season. The Irmo, S.C. native now has nine career saves, which ties him with Jon Hinkle for 10th all-time.
Second baseman Andy Parrino paced the Dolphins as he went 2-for-4, including a home run and a double.
Le Moyne (1-4) took the early lead in the second as designated hitter Brian Hansen hit a solo home run over the fence in left center to put the Dolphins up 1-0. Hansen’s dinger was his first of the season and the fifth for the Dolphins.
The Citadel (6-3) scored four runs in the third as senior catcher Brady Mashak singled through the left side to lead off the inning. Senior second baseman Tripp Cappelmann moved Mashak over to second with a base hit to right center. Senior right fielder Matt Covington grounded into a fielder’s choice for an RBI to knot the game at one. Sophomore left fielder Chris Swauger worked the count for a walk before Matulia stepped in to blast a three-run shot over the right field fence, his second homer of the year.
Parrino ripped another solo home run for the Dolphins in the fifth to cut the Bulldog lead in half. Parrino smashed a 2-2 offering from Citadel starter Zach Brown for his second of the season.
Le Moyne added another run in the seventh as Parrino doubled to right with one out and advanced to second on a groundout. First baseman Keith Connors walked on four straight balls to put runners on the corners. Affronti then singled to right to plate Parrino and make it 4-3.
Brown picked up his first win of the season as he went seven frames, giving up three runs on eight hits and fanning four. Le Moyne starter Adam Leduc suffered the loss in his first outing of the year as he tossed five innings, allowing four runs on four hits and striking out one.
Next up, the Bulldogs will face Princeton for a four-game, weekend series beginning Friday, March 3 at 4 p.m. in Riley Park. The Dolphins will continue on the road as they travel to play Georgia Southern for a three-game set.
Story courtesy of Davidson sports information
Xavier 12, Davidson 9
DAVIDSON, N.C. ? The Xavier Musketeers sent 13 men to the plate in the first inning, scoring eight runs, then held off the host Davidson Wildcats on Wednesday afternoon at Wilson Field, 12-9. Adam Lipski was 3-for-5 with a two-run double and what turned out to be the game-winning three-run homer in the seventh to help Xavier (3-6) end a four-game skid. Davidson (5-3) lost its second straight after stringing together four consecutive wins for the first time since the beginning of the 2001 season.
The Musketeers’ Adam Pasono hit the second pitch of the game just over the 320 sign down the left-field line for his first home run of the year, and it was an omen of things to come. Freshman hurler Zach Kayne (1-1) then surrendered three singles, a walk and a double before he was replaced by sophomore Bobby DeMuro. Lipski greeted him with a two-run two-bagger before the first out was recorded. After a walk, Pasono and Jordan Wof ripped RBI singles for their second hits in the inning. DeMuro finally restored order by retiring the next two hitters to bring an end to the offensive assault.
The Wildcats did not roll over, though, scoring three in the second to start clawing their way back in the game.
Senior Alex Entrekin led off the frame with his first home run of the season, just clearing the fence in left-center. A one-out walk to freshman Pat Brady, a bunt single by freshman Brett Shore and three throwing errors allowed two unearned runs to cross the plate.
Junior Gregory Zage launched a two-run homer off the scoreboard in the fourth, his third of the season, getting Davidson to within three at 8-5.
In the sixth, the Wildcats greeted reliever Matt Lucas with a single by senior Ronnie Shore, a double by junior Rob Wilson and an RBI single off the bat of senior Jay Heafner. Zage then lofted a sacrifice fly to right, cutting the lead to one, 8-7. But that would be as close as Davidson got.
The Xavier bats, after collecting eight hits in the first, were held to just one safety for the next five innings by three Wildcat pitchers. Then with one out in the seventh, Dan Hayden got the Musketeers going with a one-out double and went to third on a Chris Lozan single. Lipski then sent a 1-1 offering deep over the center-field fence for a three-run homer, his first of the year, and an 11-7 Musketeer lead.
Still the ’Cats had an answer. Brett Shore beat out an infield hit with runners at second and third and one out to score a run, and his brother Ronnie followed with an RBI bunt single. The rally was killed, however, when Lucas got a double-play grounder to short.
Michael Lucas pitched the final two innings for Xavier to earn his first save, allowing two hits while fanning a pair. The Musketeers also tacked on an insurance run in the ninth on a two-out RBI single by Wolf. Xavier rapped out 17 hits with four players collecting three apiece in Lipski, Pasono, Wolf and Sean Brewer.
Davidson one-upped the Musketeers in the hit column with a season-high 18 base hits with all but one starter getting at least one. The Shore brothers and Wilson led the attack with three each, while Zage drove in three runs.
Dan Graham (1-0) picked up the win in his first start of the season, hurling five innings and allowing 10 hits, five runs, three earned, with two walks and two strikeouts.
Davidson next plays host to Columbia over the weekend for a pair of doubleheaders on Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m. Xavier travels to Boiling Springs, N.C., for a three-game series with Gardner-Webb beginning on Friday at 3 p.m.
Story courtesy of Wofford sports information
Georgia State 11, Wofford 8
ATLANTA ? Georgia State built a 6-0 lead and held off a late Wofford rally to post an 11-8 win Wednesday afternoon at The Field at Panthersville.
Georgia State first baseman Charlie Pelt hit a three-run homer in the first inning off Wofford starter Ryan Beaton.
The Panthers scored again in the second by using a pair of infield singles and a two-run single by Dusty Bennett to score two runs for a 5-0 lead. GSU added a single run in the third on a double, a walk, and a hit batter before Chase Childers walked to drive in a run.
The Terriers cut the lead to 6-4 with a four-run fourth. A pair of walks and a single loaded the bases before Stephen Johnson drew a walk to force in Wofford’s first run. Chuck Eller then singled to right to drive in two runs and Ben Austin knocked in a run with an infield ground out. Shane Kirkley pulled the Terriers within 6-5 with a solo homer leading off the fifth, his third home run of the season.
Georgia State went up 8-5 with two runs in the fifth on a pair of doubles and an infield error.
Wofford again drew to within a run at 8-7 with two runs in the seventh. Johnson doubled in a run and Keith Munns drove in a run with a pinch single.
Wesley Wilson extended the Panthers’ lead to 9-7 when he tripled in a run in the seventh.
Bradford Eaves doubled with one out in the eighth and scored on a Kirley single to cut the GSU lead to 9-8. GSU scored twice in the bottom of the eighth when Pelt and Ryan Sterling each hit run-scoring doubles.
Kirkley and Johnson each had a pair of hits and two RBIs for the Terriers.
Beaton took the loss for the Terriers as Wofford’s record fell to 7-6. Georgia State’s Jeramy Compton improved to 2-0 with the win. The Panthers are 6-2 on the season.
The Terriers will return to action on Saturday, March 4, when they host Youngstown State in a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Russell C. King Field.
Story courtesy of Georgia Southern sports information
Georgia Southern 8, Mercer 3
MACON, Ga. ? Georgia Southern scored eight unanswered runs, rallying from down three runs, to defeat Mercer Wednesday night (March 1) at Claude Smith Field, 8-3. The Eagles (8-5 overall) won their fourth straight.
Mercer jumped on the board in the first when Josh Thompson hit a sacrifice fly. The Bears extended the lead to 3-0 in the next frame when Sean McCahill hit a double just inside the line down third base scoring two runs.
Will Southwell lined a RBI single with two outs in the fourth, scoring Derrick Smith. On the throw home, Southwell went to second base. Pitcher Blake Quarles attempted a pickoff at second, but his throw hit Southwell (who was sliding back into second) and went into right field allowing him to trim the deficit to 3-2.
The Eagles loaded the bases in the fifth with two outs. Justin Klinger lined a 2-run single through the left side. Greg Dowling avoided catcher Mike Armstrong’s tag for the go-ahead run. Derrick Smith followed with a run-scoring single putting GS ahead 5-3.
Klinger slammed a 2-run opposite field home run in the seventh, his team-leading third homer. Two batters later Southwell added a solo shot.
Starter A.J. Battisto, on a low pitch count, went 1.2 innings allowing three runs on four hits. He walked one and struck out two. From there the bullpen shut down the Bears. Aaron Eubanks (1-0) scattered four hits in 3.1 innings while Mike Chiciak equaled his career-high of three innings, allowing one hit and fanning a personal-best four batters. David Cogswell pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
Klinger and Southwell had three hits apiece while Smith and Miller added two each. The Eagles out-hit Mercer (9-5) 13-9 as both teams committed three errors.
McCahill and Armstrong led the Bears with three hits each. Josh Young (1-1) allowed two runs in two-thirds of an inning, suffering the loss.
Georgia Southern returns to J.I. Clements Stadium this weekend, hosting the GSU Invitational. The Eagles will play LeMoyne on Friday night (March 3) at 7 p.m., Michigan at 2 p.m. on Saturday and UNC-Asheville on Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m.