Story courtesy of UNC Greensboro sports information
Florida 2, UNC Greensboro 1
GAINESVILLE, FL ? The UNC Greensboro pitching staff allowed just five hits, but managed only one run as the Spartans fell 2-1 to 16th-ranked Florida Tuesday evening at McKethan Stadium.
Florida, which improved to 10-6 overall, scored an unearned run in the third inning and answered UNCG’s sixth inning run with one of their own to claim a one run victory.
Gator starting pitcher Chas Spottswood (1-0) earned the win in his first career start after allowing one run on three hits in six innings on the hill. Josh Edmondson came on in the ninth and erased a one out error with a double play to end the game and earn his first save of his career.
Patrick Currin (1-2) suffered the loss despite one of his best outings of the season. The Chapel Hill, NC native allowed just the one run on two hits in three innings of mound duty. UNCG starting pitcher Jonathan Nichols allowed just one hit in two innings of work.
The Gators picked up a run in the bottom of the third to take a 1-0 lead on an RBI from first baseman Austin Pride. Chris Woods led off the inning by reaching base on an error on the Spartan infield and Adam Davis followed with a single to left to put runners on first and second. After Stephen Barton moved both runners up one base with a sacrifice bunt, UNCG intentionally walked Brian Leclerc, the Gators’ leading hitter with a .321 batting average, to load the bases and set up the double play. Pride, however, was uncooperative as he drove home the run with a dribbler to shortstop, leaving David Adams with only one play.
Guy Welsh collected his team-leading 10th RBI and tied the game at one run apiece in the process when he drove home Greg Feltes in the top of the sixth inning. Feltes led off the frame with a double off the rightfield wall and advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Jermaine Mitchell before Welsh grounded out to shortstop.
Brandon McArthur provided the Gators with a huge two-out RBI in the home half of the sixth to give UF a 2-1 lead. Currin nearly pitched around a lead off double by Brian Jeroloman to leave the game knotted at one. After the two-bagger, Currin snared a comeback line drive off the bat of Gavin Dickey for the first our before retiring Matt Gaski on a line drive to leftfield. McArthur then connected on a 3-1 pitch in the hole off the glove of UNCG shortstop David Adams, allowing Jeroloman to score from second with the go ahead run.
Feltes led the Spartans at the plate going 2-for-4 while Mitchell and Matson collected UNCG’s other two hits.
The Spartans and Gators continue their two-game series Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m. from McKethan Stadium. The game marks the final of 14 consecutive games away from UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Story courtesy of Wofford sports information
Georgia 11, Wofford 8
Athens, Ga. ---A seven-run sixth inning allowed Georgia to post an 11-8 win over Wofford Tuesday in front of a Foley Field crowd of 1,154.
The Bulldogs (8-2) scored seven runs on five hits in the sixth inning to erase a 4-1 deficit over the pesky Terriers (10-7). Junior reliever Adam McDaniel notched his second win on the year tossing 2.2 innings of scoreless relief while Wofford reliever Lance Player dropped to 1-1, surrendering four runs on four hits in an inning of work.
The Bulldogs pounded out 15 hits including a 3-for-4 night from junior center fielder Joey Side who batted leadoff for the first time in his Georgia career.
Junior Josh Morris went 2-for-5 with a run-scoring triple and a solo home run, his fourth of the year to key the Bulldog comeback. Georgia surged ahead 5-4 in the sixth when junior Jonathan Wyatt delivered a pinch-hit two run single.
Wofford took a 1-0 lead in the third. Eric Sturkie reached on a fielder’s choice, moved to second on a Bradford Eaves single, and scored on a single by Shane Kirkley.
The Terriers extended their lead to 4-0 in the fourth. Brandon Waring was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame, and John Brandt followed with a single. Then, Stephen Johnson reached on fielder’s choice while an error by Georgia shortstop Gordon Beckham loaded the bases. Keith Munns then singled in a run, and Zach Pittman added a two-run single ending Georgia starter Nathan’s Moreau day.
Georgia got on the board in the fifth. Ryan Peisel (2-for-4, 3R, 1 RBI) walked and moved around to third on singles by Matt Robbins (2-for-3, 2 RBI) and Side. Peisel came into score on wild pitch by Terrier starter Whit Kennedy that made it 4-1. The Terrier freshman pitched four scoreless innings before the Bulldogs got on the board and then chased him in the sixth.
In the sixth, the Bulldogs scored seven runs on five hits to take an 8-4 lead. Jason Jacobs lead off the frame with a walk. Morris followed with a RBI triple to left field. Bobby Felmy then drew a walk to put two men aboard. Peisel grounded into a fielder’s choice that brought in Morris. Kyle Keen (3-for-4) then singled and Robbins was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Georgia then sent up Wyatt who singled to center bringing in two runs. Next, Side took the first pitch he saw and delivered a two-run double down the left field line. A groundout by Beckham advanced Side
to third and later came into score on a wild pitch by Player.
In the top of the seventh, Wofford’s Waring hit a sacrifice fly to left bringing in Eaves, who had
reached on a single, to cut the lead to 8-5. However, in the bottom of the frame, the Bulldogs answered by adding three runs on four hits to extend their advantage to 11-5. Morris blasted a solo home run to left center and Robbins delivered a two-run double to left center as well. Peisel and Keen were both on base via singles to right field.
Wofford put up two more runs in the eighth. Johnson walked to start the frame and later score on a passed ball. Pittman added an RBI single that made it 11-7.
In the ninth, Georgia turned to sophomore right-hander Joshua Fields, and the Terriers managed an unearned run on one hit and two Bulldog miscues for the final.
Up next, the Terriers will open Southern Conference play on Friday at Davidson at 6:00 p.m.
Story courtesy of Davidson sports information
Gardner-Webb 6, Davidson 5
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. ? With the scored tied in the bottom of the ninth, Mike Maloney provided a sacrifice fly to give host Gardner-Webb a 6-5 victory over the Davidson Wildcats on Tuesday afternoon at Varsity Field. The Bulldogs drew eight walks in the game, two with the bases loaded, improving to 8-6 on the season. Davidson had its second four-game winning streak of the season snapped to fall to 9-4.
Pinch hitter Brock Miller lined a single to center to lead off the ninth against Davidson closer Jay Heafner (0-1) to start the winning rally. After a bunt attempt was popped up for the first out, Matt Higginson executed a hit-and-run with a single to center, putting runners on the corners. Maloney wasted no time to bring the game to a close, lofting a fly ball to right to easily score Miller with the winning run.
Gardner-Webb tied the score in the eighth at five with a pair of runs off reliever Alden Crissey, who was summoned to pitch from his third-base position. Higginson smacked a one-out double before the next two batters walked to load the bases. Crissey got the second out on a pop to second, but then walked in two runs to even the score at five apiece.
Davidson cruised through the first five and a half innings, taking a 4-0 lead behind the pitching of senior Michael Making his first career start after 37 relief appearances, the right-hander mowed down the Bulldogs in the first five frames, yielding just one hit and a pair of walks with a strikeout. The defense got him out of his only trouble when the relay to the plate on a bloop double in the first gunned down a runner at the plate.
With one out in the second, senior catcher Alex Entrekin came to the plate when the wind blowing in from center subsided. He took advantage of the calm by belting a 3-1 fastball deep over the fence in center for his third home run of the season and a 1-0 Wildcat lead.
In the fifth, Davidson scored twice without hitting a ball more than 90 feet. Crissey was hit by a pitch and Blake Osborn sacrificed him to second for the first out. Freshman Pat Brady walked before fellow freshman Brett Shore reached base when the throw to first on his bunt was wild. The error allowed Crissey to score and Brady to scamper to third. Shore’s older brother Ronnie followed with a safety squeeze for the Wildcats’ third run.
Entrekin doubled with two outs in the sixth and scored on a Crissey single to right, giving Davidson a 4-0 lead.
Gardner-Webb began its comeback in the bottom half when two of the first three batters drew walks, ending Kaufman’s afternoon. Sophomore Brian Packey got the second out on a foul pop, but Jeremy McCann touched him for a three-run homer, cutting the deficit to one.
The ’Cats added an insurance run in the eighth against reliever Kyle Kamppi on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Osborn. But it was not enough to hold off the Bulldogs as they completed their comeback for the victory, giving the freshman Kamppi (1-0) his first collegiate win. He hurled 2.2 innings while allowing a run on two hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts.
Entrekin and Ronnie Shore accounted for five of Davidson’s seven hits as the former had three singles in four trips to the plate while Entrekin was 2-for-4 with his double and home run.
The Bulldogs managed just five hits in addition to the eight walks, three of which scored.
Davidson begins its conference slate this weekend when it hosts Wofford for a three-game series at Wilson Field beginning on Friday at 6 p.m. Gardner-Webb plays its first Atlantic Sun games starting on Friday at Kennesaw State at 5 p.m.
Story courtesy of Western Carolina sports information
UNC Wilmington 3, Western Carolina 2
Wilmington, N.C. ? A two-run home run by Justin Barefoot in the fourth inning proved to be enough as UNC Wilmington held on for a 3-2 victory over Western Carolina Tuesday afternoon at Brooks Field. The Seahawks, who entered the game with a team batting average of .389, were only held to six hits in improving to 11-3 on the year, while the Catamounts drop to 5-5.
The Catamounts took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first. With two outs, Barrett Shaft singled to left, advanced to second on Trey McDaniel walk and scored on Jonathan Greene’s RBI single to left.
The Seahawks tied the game at 1-1 in the third, and a solid defensive play by WCU second baseman Grey Gregory ensured the game remained tied. Steve Halford had a leadoff single and Daniel Hargrave walked. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, Chris Hatcher had an infield, RBI single to shortstop and runners were on first and second with one out. Mike Mabry looked to plate another run, but Gregory made a leaping catch on a line drive, followed by a ground out to second to end the threat.
In the fourth, UNCW overtook the Catamounts with a two-run home run by Barefoot. Jonathan Batts set the table with a one-out walk, then Barefoot delivered a two-strike pitch over the left field wall, his fourth blast of the season.
Western trimmed its deficit to one (3-2) in the top of the seventh. Ryan Wilson, who reached on a fielder’s choice, moved to second on an Andy John single and then scored on Donnie Wilson’s RBI single down the left field line.
Allen Flood came out the UNCW bullpen to pitch the final 2.2 innings, allowing no hits, runs or walks while striking out four to earn the save. Starter Brett Braxton improved to 3-0, pitching 6.1 innings. He allowed four hits, two runs and a walk with six strikeouts.
Brandon McDowell, getting his first start, pitched well, but fell to 0-1. The Franklin senior allowed five hits and three runs over 5.0 innings. Tyler Johnson pitched the final three innings, allowing just one hit.
Western Carolina and UNC Wilmington will play the second of their two-game series on Wednesday with first pitch set for 3 pm.