Baseball Southern Conference

Tuesday's Baseball Results

Story courtesy of UNC Greensboro sports information

UNC Greensboro 7, #1 North Carolina 6

GREENSBORO, NC - Sophomore left-hander Clay Gibson pitched six strong innings and Patrick Currin pitched out of trouble twice to earn his seventh save of the season as UNC Greensboro knocked off No. 1 ranked North Carolina, 7-6, in baseball action at UNCG Baseball Stadium in baseball action Tuesday night. 

 

Currin, a native of Chapel Hill, NC, earned the save in dramatic fashion. Coming into the game in bottom of the eighth inning of a 5-4 game, Currin faced runners at second and third with one out. However he pitched out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts to keep it a one-run contest.

 

UNCG (17-22) scored twice in the bottom of the eighth to pad the lead on a two-run double to left by Guy Welsh. Welsh’s ball glanced just off the top of the outstretched glove off Tar Heel third baseman Reid Fronk into left field to make it a 7-4 game.

 

In the ninth, Currin faced trouble again. He hit Bryan Steed with a pitch to open the inning. Mike Cassavini followed with a pinch-hit double to put runners at second and third. He struck out the next two batters before walking pinch-hitter Matt Cox to load the bases. Chad Flack followed with a two-run single to right to cut it to 7-6. But Currin, facing Matt Spencer who had homered earlier in the game, coaxed a ground ball to first to end the game and give UNCG’s baseball program its first-ever win over a No. 1 ranked team.

 

“It was very exciting to play and beat a top team, especially a team from the town where I grew up,” Currin said.  “I thought it was a great game and I thought we hit the ball really well.  Gibson was terrific for us tonight and I can’t say enough about the way he battled for us out there.”

 

UNCG took a 2-0 lead with one out in the bottom of the first on a two-run single by Wes McCall. North Carolina (31-8) got one back in the top of the second with a sacrifice fly by Tim Federowicz.

 

UNCG broke out to a three-run lead in the fourth. Sean Snell drove in one run with an RBI ground out to make it 3-1 while extending his hitting streak to 15 games in the process. Adam Deleo followed three pitches later with an RBI single to make it a 4-1 game.

 

The Tar Heels tied it, however, in the seventh. Spencer led off with a line drive home run to right field on an 0-2 pitch to lead off the inning. That chased Gibson, but was nearly the only mistake Gibson made. He went six-plus innings and allowed just six hits and two runs with one walk allowed and two strikeouts.

 

“I told my roommate this morning that I thought something special was going to happen tonight,” Gibson said.  “We hadn’t played well against ACC teams all season and its feels great to be able to beat North Carolina tonight.  This is definitely the biggest win in my career.”

 

Reliever Clinton McKinney was rudely greeted after replacing Gibson. After striking out Federowciz to open his stint, Seth Williams doubled and McKinney hit Bryan Steed with a pitch. Ryan Falcon came on in relief of McKinney and got a shallow fly out to center for the second out. However, Shelton hit a sinking liner to right that fell just in front of right fielder Snell and the ball skipped by him as he dove for the catch. Shelton wound up at third and the game was tied.

 

However, UNCG broke the tie in the bottom of the seventh on back-to-back doubles by David Adams and Jermaine Mitchell.

 

Carolina committed a season-high five errors on the evening and has committed at least one error in 32 of 39 games this season. 

 

“Carolina had a few miscues in the field tonight and that is unusual for them, but we were able to capitalize on them,” head coach Mike Gaski said.  “Tonight was a great night for the UNCG Spartans and the entire university.”

 

Welsh led the Spartans with two hits and a pair of RBI.  Flack was 3-for-5 with two RBI for the Tar Heels. 

 

Tuesday night’s game was also Papa John’s night at the ballpark.  Each fan and student that shows their ticket stud at the Papa John’s on Spring Garden Street will receive a free pizza compliments on Papa John’s, a proud corporate sponsor of UNCG Athletics. 

 

UNCG will face Georgia Southern in Statesboro for a three-game series beginning Friday evening at 7 p.m.  The Tar Heels return home to begin a three-game series with rival North Carolina State Friday. 


Story courtesy of Davidson sports information

Davidson 9, #24 Wake Forest 5

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. ? Junior Rob Wilson laced a two-run double in the eighth to give Davidson its first lead of the game as the Wildcats went on to score five in the inning and upset the host Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Tuesday afternoon at Gene Hooks Stadium, 9-5. Davidson won for the first time when trailing after seven innings this season to improve to 14-23 on the season. Wake Forest had its four-game winning streak snapped as it fell to 28-13.

Trailing 4-3 entering the eighth, senior Jay Heafner, from
Linconton, N.C., greeted reliever Josh Ellis (3-3) with a lead-off single. Junior Gregory Zage also singled, and fellow junior Alden Crissey walked on four pitches to load the bases with nobody out. Wilson, a product of Myers Park in Charlotte, then lined a ball down the line in right for a two-run double, and when junior Blake Osborn delivered an RBI single, Ellis was lifted in favor of closer Ben Hunter.

Although the Wildcats failed on its squeeze attempt with Wilson thrown out at the plate, sophomore Hugh Eden made up for it with a double down the left-field line to score the final two runs in the inning for an 8-4 Davidson lead.

The ’Cats tacked on an insurance run in the ninth. Senior Alex Entrekin led off with his third single of the game, but was forced at second on a grounder off the bat of Heafner. After Heafner stole his second base of the game, Hunter fanned Zage for the second out. But Hunter balked Heafner to third, and a passed ball allowed him to score.

Heafner, who doubles as the Davidson closer, pitched the final two innings, allowing just a run in the ninth, to make a winner out of senior Michael Kaufman (1-2). In three innings of relief, Kaufman did not allow a hit, walked two and struck out three to earn his first collegiate victory in 52 career appearances. All but three of his appearances have come out of the bullpen.

Wake Forest got on the scoreboard first with an RBI single by Brett Linnenkohl in the first inning, plating Matt Antonelli who led off with a double.

In the fourth, the Wildcats tied the game at one, but could have had more. With runners at first and second and one out, Heafner and Zage pulled off a double steal, only to be sent back when Crissey was ruled out for interfering on the play.
Wilson stroked the next pitch back up the box, however, for an RBI single and a 1-1 tie.

The Demon Deacons responded in the bottom half, scoring three times. Austin Jones doubled with one out and moved to third on a grounder to short. Wildcat starter Matt Meade had difficulty getting the third out, however, beginning with Antonelli driving in a run with a single. After Dustin Hood was hit by a pitch, Allan Dykstra stroked a two-run double for a 4-1
Wake Forest lead.

Davidson answered in the top of the fifth, also with two outs. Entrekin poked a single back through the box to bring
Eden home from second, then Heafner ripped a double into the left-field corner and Entrekin scored all the way from first.

Entrekin led the 12-hit Wildcat attack with his three singles while
Wilson drove in three of the nine Davidson runs. Heafner, Wilson and Osborn each had two hits as well, and Heafner scored three times.

Antonelli had three of
Wake Forest’s eight hits, and Dykstra was 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

Davidson has now won two straight road games after starting the year 0-10 away from Wilson Field. The Wildcats also have won four of the last five against the Demon Deacons dating back to 2004.

Next up for Davidson is a three-game Southern Conference series against Elon, beginning with a game Friday night at 7 p.m. Wake Forest will host Maryland for a three-game ACC series starting Friday at 3 p.m.


Story courtesy of College of Charleston sports information

Coastal Carolina 10, #17 College of Charleston 3

Conway, S.C. -- Coastal Carolina scored scored nine times in the sixth inning to down No. 17 College of Charleston, 10-3, in college baseball action on Tuesday in Conway.

 

The Cougars fell to 30-8 with their second consecutive loss, while the Chanticleers improved to 16-20.

 

Coastal scored nine runs, three earned, on eight hits and two very costly CofC errors in the sixth inniing to take a 9-0 lead.

 

The Cougars scored three times in the seventh, including Chris Campbell's two-run double, for the final margin.

 

Kevin Salmon (3-2) picked up the win allowing three runs, two earned, over six innings. Jeff Beliveau (3-2), who took a one-hit shutout into the sixth, suffered the loss.

 

The Cougars play host to rival Charleston Southern in a 6:00 start on Wednesday.


Story courtesy of Appalachian State sports information

Appalachian State 16, North Carolina A&T 11

BOONE, N.C. ? Designated hitter Adam Beasley and catcher Kevin Butler both went 3-for-4 with three runs to lead Appalachian State University baseball to a 16-11 win over North Carolina A&T on Tuesday afternoon at Red Lackey Field.

 

Appalachian (16-20-1) scored in double figures for the seventh time in 10 games, thanks in large part to the top of its batting order. The one through four hitters (Nick DeRose, Ben Billingsley, Butler and Beasley) combined for nine of ASU’s 14 hits, nine RBI and 10 runs. Beasley drove in three runs and recorded a pair of doubles in his 3-for-4 effort to raise his team-leading batting average to .385 for the season. Over the past 10 games, the junior from Hendersonville, N.C. is hitting .567 (17-for-30) with seven doubles, 13 RBI and 14 runs.

 

North Carolina A&T (15-26) grabbed a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, but Appalachian answered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the inning to knot the score.

 

With the contest tied at 4-4, the Mountaineers exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the third to take a commanding 11-4 advantage. Butler and Beasley led off the frame with back-to-back doubles and Billingsley followed up a three-run double by DeRose with his eighth home run of the season to highlight the big inning.

 

The Aggies closed it to 16-11 with three runs in the eighth but Mountaineer reliever Calvin Teague stranded two runners on base with a strikeout to get the Apps out of the jam. Teague pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his second save of the season.

 

Zach Quate allowed three hits in 2.2 innings to move into a tie for the team lead with his third win of the season. A&T southpaw Joe McIntyre surrendered 11 earned runs in just 2.2 innings to suffer his second loss to Appalachian in a week.

 

The Mountaineers now turn their focus to a three-game home series versus Southern Conference-leader Furman this weekend. The set begins with a 3 p.m. contest on Friday at Red Lackey Field.


Story courtesy of Western Carolina sports information

Western Carolina 7, East Tennessee State 1

Cullowhee, N.C. ? Western Carolina scored two in the first and five in the seventh to hand former Southern Conference foe East Tennessee State a 7-1 loss Tuesday night before a crowd of 857 at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium. The Catamounts improve to 21-16, while the Buccaneers fall to 21-18.

 

Barrett Shaft and Jonathan Greene led Western with two hits each, while Blake Murphy had two RBI. Bryan Tupper (2-1) picked up the win, pitching a career-high five innings and striking out a season-high five batters. He only allowed two hits an unearned run and a walk. Brian McCullen pitched the final three innings to pick up his first save of the season. He allowed two hits with three strikeouts.

 

Western Carolina jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Tim Hallam started the home half getting hit by a pitch and Shaft followed with a bunt single. Steven Strausbaugh plated Hallam with a double and Jonathan Green brought home Shaft with a sacrifice fly to right.

 

The Bucs got on the board in the third. After Tupper retired the first seven batters, Michael Courtney, who had three of ETSU’s five hits on the evening, doubled and scored when Ben Allen reached on an error to make the score 2-1.

 

The Catamounts were held in check through the middle innings, having nine of 10 batters retired, before sending 10 men to the plate and scoring five runs in the bottom of the seventh. Donnie Wilson started things with a leadoff walk, moved to second on an ETSU error and scored on Shaft’s double. Later, with the bases loaded, Hallam scored when Trey McDaniel reached on an infield single off the umpire’s leg. Blake Murphy followed with a two-run single. With runners on first and third, Murphy stole second and, an error on the play, allowed McDaniel to score WCU’s fifth run of the frame.

 

Tony Lombardi was the tough-luck loser, falling to 1-7 on the season. He only allowed four hits over six innings and giving up those two runs in the first with two walks and four strikeouts.

 

Western Carolina will return to action with three games at The Citadel this weekend. Friday’s game at Charleston’s Riley Park, which is also the home of the SoCon Championship, will begin at 5:00 pm.


Story courtesy of Elon sports information

Elon 7, High Point 6 (11 inn.)

ELON, N.C. - For the third time in four games, the Elon Phoenix baseball team pulled out a victory in its final at bat. On Tuesday night, Grant Rembert lined a two-out single into the gap in left to drive in the winning run in the 11th inning of a 7-6 Phoenix victory over the High Point Panthers from Latham Park. Elon, who now sits at 30-11 on the year, ran its winning streak to eight games and 13 games at home. High Point fell to 19-22.

 

A Rembert homer to center put Elon out in front in the second inning. The solo shot was the fifth of the season for Rembert.

 

The Panthers answered in the third when Jeff Cowan hit a two-run shot to center, his second homer of the season. With one out, Chris Norwood tripled to the gap in right. High Point's lead was extended to 4-1 when Mark Shorey launched his 14th homer of the year which cleared the wall in right-center.

 

Norwood's two-run shot, his sixth on the season, cleared the wall in left in the fifth inning to push the Panther advantage to 6-1. Back-to-back singles from Shorey and Billy Aguiar followed to put runners on the corners with one out before the Phoenix got a double play to end the inning.

 

Elon began the bottom of the fifth with back to back walks before Donny Jobe singled home Pat Irvine to trim the deficit to 6-2. Jobe swiped second to give the Phoenix runners on the corners with no outs recorded. A two-out double to the gap in left off the bat of Chris Vasami delivered both Jordy Snyder and Jobe to pull the Phoenix within two at 6-4.

 

The Phoenix began the bottom of the eighth with a walk before Rembert singled into left-center with one out. Paul Bennett then doubled down the leftfield line, plating Chris Vasami with Elon's fifth run of the night and leaving runners on second and third. Pinch-hitter Adam Weaver drew a walk to load the bases, bringing Snyder to the plate. Snyder drew a four pitch walk that allowed Rembert to trot home with the game-tying run. The Panthers then set down the next two hitters to escape without any further damage being done.

 

With one down in the bottom of the 11th, Ryan Addison singled up the middle and moved to second when Chris Price was walked. A 3-2 pitch plunked Vasami in the head and loaded the bases. Panther reliever Zach Scott fanned Ryan Radford for the second out of the inning. Rembert's liner to the gap in left ended the game as Addison crossed the plate with the winning run.

 

Tom Porter improved to 2-2 after throwing a perfect 11th for the victory for Elon. Zach Scott fell to 0-1 with the loss. He threw 1.2 innings and allowed one run on two hits.

 

Offensively, Rembert went 3-for-6 with two runs scored and two driven in for the Phoenix. Vasami knocked in two while Jobe and Price each had two hits in the victory.

 

High Point's Cowan, Norwood and Shorey each connected for three hits and two RBI. Cowan and Norwood both scored twice.

 

The Phoenix travels to Davidson for a three-game series beginning Friday night at 7:00 p.m. High Point will host UNC Asheville that same day at 3:00 p.m.