Story courtesy of Western Carolina sports information
Western Carolina 24-12, Hartford 11-0
Cullowhee, N.C. ? Western Carolina sophomore Blake Murphy went 5-for-7, including two home runs, with 10 RBI to lead the Catamounts to a Tuesday doubleheader sweep over Hartford at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium. Western (11-9) won game one, 24-12, while getting its first shutout of the year in game two, claiming an 11-0 victory over the Hawks (1-12) in seven innings.
Murphy was 4-for-4 with four runs scored and six RBI in game one, and followed that with a 1-for-1 performance in game two, adding two runs scored and four RBI. Tim Hallam also had five hits in the doubleheader, while Barrett Shaft, Grey Gregory and Steven Strausbaugh each added four hits in the twinbill.
While Western’s offense was productive in both games, it was the pitching of Waynesville senior Caleb McConnell which stole the headlines in game two. Coming off Tommy John surgery less than a year ago, McConnell (1-2) had struggled to find his rhythm in his first four outings. However, Tuesday night he pitched six innings, allowing just four hits with eight strikeouts and no walks. Jeremy Ellenburg (1-0) came out of the WCU bullpen and picked up the win for Western in game one.
In game one, Western Carolina jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. After a leadoff single by Gregory, Trey McDaniel hit a two-out, two-run home run, his fifth blast of the season. Then, after Murphy walked, he moved to second on a throwing error and scored when Jonathan Greene reached on an error. Western would eventually load the bases thanks to a double by Hallam and a walk to Ryan Wilson. However, starting pitcher Ben Sobocinski avoided further damage by getting a ground out.
With two outs in the second, the Cats extended their lead to 4-0. Strausbaugh belted his 10th home run of the season, clearing Western’s “Purple Monster” in left field. McDaniel followed with a double, but was thrown out at home by Hartford’s left fielder Erik Price on Murphy’s single to end the inning.
The Hawks tied the game at 4-4 on one swing of the bat in the top of the third. With two outs and the bases loaded, Sobocinski cleared the bases with a grand slam, his second round-tripper of the season.
Western regained the advantage in the bottom of the fourth. With two out and two on, Murphy hit his third home run of the season, giving the Cats a 7-4 cushion. One inning later, WCU once again led by four on a two-out, RBI double by Shaft.
In the sixth, Hartford scored four runs in an inning for the second time in the contest to tie the game. David Grossman got things started with a two-run home run, his second of the season. Brady Stouffer followed with a double and scored on a two-out triple by Frank Cipolla. Ryan Crowley capped the scoring in with an RBI bloop single down the right field line.
In the home half of the sixth Western scored four runs on four hits to take a 12-8 lead. After hits by Murphy and Greene, Wilson hit his first career home run, a three-run shot to left-center field. Thanks to a single by Haynes and a Hartford error, Shaft delivered a sacrifice fly to plate Haynes.
The Hawks trimmed its deficit to three (12-9), with a run in the top of the eighth. Bryan Propst had a one-out double and scored two batters later on Crowley’s double.
The Catamounts put the game out of reach by scoring 12 runs in the bottom of the eighth. The tally was one run shy of the WCU record of 13 runs in an inning, set twice versus VMI (1988 and ’91). The Hawks used four walks, a single and an error to push three runs across in the ninth and provide the 24-12 final.
Like it did in game one, Western scored in the bottom of the first courtesy of a home run. Hallam had a leadoff double and Shaft walked, setting the stage for Murphy’s second home run of the day and fourth of the season.
In the second inning, Western sent nine men to the plate and used five hits to score five runs to take an 8-0 lead. The Cats capped the scoring in the fifth with RBI singles by Shaft and Ward. Ward would later score on a wild pitch for the 11th and final run of the game.
For the Hawks, Sobocinski, Crowley and Cipolla each had three hits. Jon Casey (0-1) suffered the loss for Hartford in game one, allowing 10 hits and seven runs (six earned) in 3.1 innings pitched. In game two, starter Erik Price (0-1) was saddled with the loss, allowing seven hits and eight runs in 1.1 innings of work.
Western Carolina will return to action Wednesday (Mar. 22), hosting Gardner-Webb at 7 pm.
Story courtesy of College of Charleston sports information
College of Charleston 3, Coastal Carolina 1
Mt. Pleasant, S.C. -- Four College of Charleston pitchers scattered eight hits and Matt Kirkpatrick drove in what proved to be the game-winning run as the 28th-ranked Cougars edged Coastal Carolina, 3-1, before 277 at Patriots Point Field on Tuesday.
With the win, Charleston improved to 18-4 on the season, while the Chanticleers fell to 7-14.
Wes Braden started the game for CofC on the mound and blanked the Chants on just one hit over two innings. Freshman lefty Jeff Beliveau allowed a run on three hits over the next 2 2/3 and Quinn Monsma (3-0), who earned the win, shutout Coastal over the next 2 1/3 innings with four strikeouts.
Josh McLaughlin recorded his fourth save tossing the final two frames with two strikeouts. Andy DeLaGarza (0-5) was the starter and loser for the Chants allowing two runs on six hits over four innings.
CofC took a 1-0 third inning lead when Joey Friddle led off the frame with a single and eventually scored on Oliver Marmol's single to center.
Kirkpatrick game the Cougars a 2-0 lead when his two-out base hit to left field in the fourth scored Ben Lasater. Coastal Carolina cut the margin to 2-1 on Brant Peacher's two-out, RBI single to right in the fifth.
The Cougars added an insurance run in the fifth when Phillip Coker walked, moved to second on Marmol's sacrifice bunt and raced home on Larry Cobb's single to center.
The Cougars open a three-game Southern Conference series at UNC Greensboro on Friday, March 24th. The opener is slated to begin at 6:00.
Story courtesy of UNC Greensboro sports information
UNC Greensboro 3, Princeton 2
GREENSBORO, NC ? Senior Patrick Currin pitched five innings of no-hit baseball in relief as UNC Greensboro won its second consecutive game with a 3-2 win over Princeton Tuesday evening at UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Currin (3-2), a native of Chapel Hill, NC, entered the game in the top of the third inning in relief of starter Greg Martin with the bases loaded and nobody out. Currin then retired Micah Kaplan on a line out to third base and then induced Stephen Wendell into a double play to end the inning without any further damage.
Freshman Clinton McKinney earned his first career save after yielding just one hit in two inning of mound duty.
Princeton starter Christian Staehely (0-1) took the loss after allowing three runs on four hits in six innings on the hill.
The Tigers (3-8) took a first inning lead on an RBI single from catcher Zach Wendkos that plated Aaron Prince who singled to shortstop with one out.
UNCG (7-14) answered with a run in the home half of the first as Greg Feltes scored the equalizer on a wild pitch from Staehely. Feltes opened the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from David Adams and moved up 90 more feet on a groundout by Jermaine Mitchell before scoring minutes later.
Princeton regained the lead in the top of the third on a bases loaded walk to Wendkos. Prince, Andrew Salini and Sal Iacono each recorded singles to load the bases prior to the base on balls.
The Spartans struck for two runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead for good. Guy Welsh reached base with a one out single and Logan Smith then reached on a fielder’s choice to move Welsh to second. After Sean Snell drew a walk to load the bases, Wes McCall singled off the pitcher and into no man’s land to score Welsh from second. Brandon Harvey produced the second run with a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Smith with the game-winning run.
McCall led the Spartans at the plate with his 2-for-3 performance. Mitchell failed to get a hit for the first time in 15 games, snapping his 14-game hitting streak.
The Spartans and Tigers wrap up their two-game series Wednesday evening when the two clubs meet at 6 p.m. for game two from UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Story courtesy of Georgia Southern sports information
Georgia Southern 10, Coppin State 1
STATESBORO, Ga. ? Making his first start of the season, Mike Chiciak pitched seven strong innings as Georgia Southern snapped its losing streak following a 10-1 win over Coppin State Tuesday night at J.I. Clements Stadium. The Eagles (10-12 overall) out-hit CSU 13-5 and took advantage of four errors.
The junior right-hander (1-0) posted career-high numbers of seven innings pitched and nine strikeouts. Those nine Ks equaled a team season-high and he scattered four hits as the Eagles snapped a six-game skid ? their longest in four years.
In the second, Brett Pelfrey was hit by a pitch with one out. Chris Shehan got an infield single. David Richardson lined a run-scoring single then took second on the throw. Brian Pierce ripped a 2-run single followed by Matt Miller’s RBI groundout. It was the first career RBI for the freshman centerfielder as the Eagles jumped out to an early 4-0 lead.
Miller delivered a RBI in the fourth, singling to centerfield, then recorded another when he grounded out in the sixth for his career-high three RBI outing.
Brett Pelfrey plated one run off a single in the fifth then drove home two more thanks to a seventh inning double, his team-leading ninth double, which extended the lead to 9-1. Jeremy Beckham delivered a RBI pinch-hit double later that inning for the final margin.
“We got a strong effort from Mike (Chiciak) tonight. Overall we played pretty well. I thought we had good pitching, played solid defense and did some nice things offensively,” said head coach Rodney Hennon. “It was really good to see a lot of guys contribute.”
Andrew Berroth and Blake Nation each pitched a scoreless inning. Miller, Pelfrey and Richardson had two hits apiece as the bottom four hitters in the lineup combined for seven runs scored. Georgia Southern put a base runner on in each inning.
Five different Coppin State (4-19-1) batters got a hit. Amiel Traynum came through with the only RBI off a groundout in the fifth. Starter Jesus Melendez (0-1) was charged for six runs (four earned) off seven hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out three.
The two-game series concludes on Wednesday night (March 22) at 6 p.m.
Story courtesy of Elon sports information
Clemson 5, Elon 3
CLEMSON, S.C. ? The 10th-ranked Clemson Tigers scored four third inning runs and went on to defeat the Elon Phoenix 5-3 in baseball action from Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Tuesday night. Clemson improved to 12-6 while Elon dipped to 17-7.
The Phoenix threatened with two outs in the top of the first inning, using an error, a single and a walk to load the bases. A 3-2 pitch low and in to Grant Rembert forced in Elon’s first run as Chris Price crossed home. Clemson starter David Kopp then fanned the next hitter and the Phoenix stranded three runners.
Clemson evened the score at one in the bottom of the third when Tyler Colvin singled to center to drive home Brad Chalk with two outs. That was followed by a three-run homer from Andy D’Alessio to right-center to put the Tigers ahead 4-1 before Elon starter Steven Hensley got Marquez Smith to ground out to short to end the inning.
In the fourth, Elon got its first two men on when Robert Rodebaugh and Rembert each singled. Runners were on the corners with one out after Pat Irvine reached on a fielder’s choice to bring Paul Bennett to the plate. Bennett lifted a fly ball to left that was deep enough to plate Rodebaugh with Elon’s second run of the game.
The Phoenix began the fifth with back-to-back singles from Donny Jobe and Adam Weaver. With Price at the plate, Jobe was caught attempting to steal third. Price then lined a shot to right that Clemson’s D.J. Mitchell made a diving catch on to take a base hit away. Elon kept its threat alive when Vasami walked to put runners on first and second again. Reliever Ryan Hinson ended the Phoenix threat when he got Rodebaugh to bounce out to short.
Clemson tacked on another run in the sixth when Chalk doubled home Herman Demmink with two outs off of Phoenix reliever George Blystone.
Elon added a run in the ninth on a two-out homer from Ryan Addison, his second of the year.
Hinson moved to 1-0 on the year after going 5.0 innings and surrendering one run on two hits. He walked two and struck out six on the night in relief.
Hensley lasted 5.2 innings and allowed five runs on 10 hits. The freshman struck out one and walked two on the night. By taking the loss, Hensley now sits at 0-3 on the season.
Offensively for Elon, Vasami ran his hitting streak to 12 games with a 1-for-3 night while both Jobe and Weaver had two hits.
Elon and Clemson will battle again tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 p.m. from Doug Kingsmore Stadium.