Story courtesy of Furman sports information
Furman 5, Clemson 4
CLEMSON, S.C. -- Case Cassedy’s two-out, two-run double capped a four-run seventh inning rally and propelled Furman to a 5-4 win over nationally sixth-ranked Clemson in baseball action Wednesday evening at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
Cassedy’s big hit helped Furman (24-11) erase a 4-1 deficit, and relievers David Mitchell and Nick Hollstegge continued the Paladins’ strong bullpen work by combining to shut down the Tigers over the final three innings to nail down the win ? the third for Furman in the last five meetings with Clemson (27-12) and 15th in the last 19 games for the Paladins. It also represented the fifth victory for Furman over a Top 20 team since 2005 and ninth win over a nationally-ranked opponent under head coach Ron Smith.
The come-from-behind triumph was the second straight for Furman, which erased a 7-1 deficit last Saturday en route to a 9-7 victory over Georgia Southern. Furman’s current 24-11 record is the best mark after 35 games in school baseball history, which dates back to 1896.
Jay Jackson opened the decisive seventh with a triple to center and scored on a Will Stembridge single up the middle. A pair of two-out infield singles by Ben Terry and Andrew Greene plated Stembridge, and Cassedy followed with a double down the right field line off Tiger reliever Steve Richard to drive home Terry and Greene for a 5-4 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh Paladin reliever David Mitchell worked out a bases loaded, two-out situation by inducing Travis Storrer into an inning ending groundout.
Stan Widmann and Marquez Smith opened the Clemson eighth with back-to-back singles off Mitchell, but Nick Hollstegge came on to quell the rally by striking out Adrian Casanova and Ben Hall and retiring Tyler Colvin on a line out to end the inning.
Hollstegge finished off the Tigers with a perfect ninth that included a pair of strikeouts to record his fifth save in his last five appearances and eighth save of the campaign. The Paladin junior righthander hasn’t allowed a hit his last five appearances, which now spans 6 1/3 innings.
Furman’s strong bullpen work made a winner of Patrick Arnett (2-5), who recorded the final out of the sixth inning.
The Paladins, who entered the contest as the Southern Conference’s top hitting team (.340), outhit the Tigers 10-9. Cassedy, Terry, and Stembridge led the attack with two hits each. Clemson got two hits each from Brad Chalk and Tyler Harbin, who also cracked a sixth inning home run to give Clemson a 4-1 lead.
Travis Storrer belted a three-run home run in the third off Paladin starting pitcher Jay Jackson to stake the Tigers to a 3-0 advantage.
Jackson allowed four runs on four hits and three walks in four innings of work.
Tiger starter P.J. Zocchi went six innings and allowed only one run on four hits while recording six strikeouts.
The loss went to Steve Richard (0-1), who was tagged for four runs on five hits in just 2/3 of an inning.
Furman returns to action this weekend when it opens a three-game Southern Conference series at Appalachian State beginning with a 3:00 p.m. Friday contest.
Story courtesy of Wofford sports information
Wofford 7, North Carolina A&T 6 (12 inn.)
SPARTANBURG, SC ? Bradford Eaves singled with the bases loaded to give Wofford a 7-6 win over North Carolina A&T in 12 innings Wednesday night at Russell C. King Field.
The win is the second straight for Wofford (17-24) which also beat Appalachian State on Saturday. North Carolina A&T is now 15-26 on the year.
Eaves’ single to center scored Chuck Eller who had led off the 12th inning with a walk. Shane Kirkley followed with a single to left and Adam Wood moved each up a base with a sacrifice bunt. Keith Munns was intentionally walked to set up a possible double play but Eaves hit the 1-0 pitch solidly to give the Terriers the win.
NCAT had taken a 4-0 lead in the fifth inning. The Aggies scored twice in the first on three straight doubles by Joe McIntyre, Charlie Gamble and Patrick Oates. They added a solo run in the third on an RBI single by William Sunderland. Sunderland added another run-scoring single in the fifth for a 4-0 advantage.
Wofford, which had just one hit through the first four innings against NCAT starter Erik Neal, scored its first run when Steven Fusaro led off the fifth with a solo homer.
Wofford pulled to within one in the seventh when J.D. Melton doubled with two outs. He moved to third on a single by Eric Sturkie before Ben Austin cleared the bases with a triple down the rightfield line.
The Terriers took a 6-4 lead with a 3-run eighth. Eller singled and Kirkley was hit by a pitch. A sac bunt by Wood again moved both players up a base. Munns’ bunt attempt was fielded by the Aggie catcher who mistakenly stepped on home plate believing a force play was in effect. With the bases loaded, Eaves hit a sac fly to center field to tie the game. Kirkley and Munns then scored on wild pitches.
The Aggies tied the game with two in the top of the ninth. McIntyre and Gamble singled before scoring on a two-run single by Sunderland who finished the game with three hits and four RBIs.
Melton got the win in relief for the Terriers, improving to 4-3 on the season. Ronald Phelps (0-1) took the loss for NCAT.
Austin led Wofford with three hits and two RBIs. Sturkie, Melton and Eller each added a pair of hits. Fusaro collected two hits including his first career home run.
For A&T, McIntyre and Gamble joined Sunderland with three hits apiece.
Wofford will play a three-game series at the College of Charleston starting Friday night at 8 p.m. Saturday’s game at 1 p.m. will be carried live by ETV.
Story courtesy of College of Charleston sports information
Charleston Southern 2, College of Charleston 1
Mt. Pleasant, S.C. -- Ryan Rowland blanked the Cougars on one hit through eight innings, and relief pitcher Ryan Sowers worked out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth as Charleston Southern downed 17th-ranked College of Charleston, 2-1, in college baseball action at Patriots Point Field on Wednesday.
With the win, Charleston Southern improved to 15-29. The Cougars fell to 30-9.
Rowland, who improved to 5-1 on the season, allowed only a Joey Friddle bunt single in the third inning and Chris Campbell's single with one out in the ninth. Rowland, who allowed a run on just two hits with three walks and one strikeout, induced the Cougars into 15 fly ball outs over 8 1/3 innings.
Ryan Sowers came on and gave up a hit to Alex Garabedian and an RBI single to Michael Harrington that cut the margin to 2-1. Sowers walked Graham Maiden with two outs to load the bases, but got Friddle on a grounder back to the mound to end the game.
CSU took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth on Neil Frock's RBI single in the second, and a run-producing grounder by Chris Krogmeier in the eighth.
Charleston sophomore pitcher Jake Goldberg (0-1) lost his first career start despite allowing only just two runs on five hits over seven innings.
Charleston opens a three-game SoCon series with Wofford at Patriots Point Field on Friday at 8:00. CSU opens a three-game Big South series with Lipscomb at Buccaneer Field on Friday at 2:30.
Story courtesy of The Citadel sports information
South Carolina 11, The Citadel 2
Columbia, S.C. ? The Citadel took the early lead over No. 13 South Carolina, but the
Gamecocks hammered out four home runs en route to an 11-2 victory over the Bulldogs in nonconference baseball action Wednesday night at Sarge Frye Field. Senior Brady Mashak paced the Bulldog offense as he went 2-for-3, including an RBI-double.
The Citadel (18-19) jumped on top 1-0 in the second thanks to Mashak’s RBI-double. Senior
Matt Matulia smacked a base hit through the left side and then came around to score as Mashak roped one down the right field line. South Carolina (30-8) answered back in their half of the frame as Reese Havens hit a solo shot over the wall in right center for his second four-bagger of the season to tie it up at one. Back-to-back-to-back home runs then gave the Gamecocks a 4-1 advantage in the fourth. With one out in the inning, Ian Paxton, Robbie Grinestaff and Jon Willard each recorded a solo round-tripper to put South Carolina up by three.
The Gamecocks exploded for six runs in the seventh. Michael Campbell bunted for a base hit before Justin Smoak earned a free pass. Havens then dribbled a bunt to the third base side for a single to load the bases with no outs. Citadel reliever Jamie Maxwell surrendered a walk to Paxton to send one across the dish. Senior Ken Egleton then came on in relief and forced
Grinestaff to foul out to third base for the first out. Willard then stepped in and cleared the bases with a double of the center field wall before coming in to score on a single off the bat of James Darnell. A sac fly to center by Campbell capped off the rally, giving South Carolina a 10-1 lead.
An RBI-groundout off the bat of pinch-hitter Cheyne Hurst added another run on the board for the Gamecocks, making it 11-1.
Freshman Sonny Meade ripped a double to the gap in left center to lead-off the ninth for The Citadel. Senior Mark Egleton then popped out to first before sophomore Matt Arnold was hit by a pitch. Senior Matt Matulia drew a free pass to load the bases with one out. Pinch-hitter Chance Smith was caught looking for the second out, but senior Matt Covington registered an RBI-single to plate Meade and give the Dogs one more run, making the final, 11-2.
Freshman starter Will Atwood (3-0) earned the win for the Gamecocks as he pitched 6.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits and striking out five.
The Dogs sent five hurlers to the mound with junior Zach Brown (1-4) suffering the loss as he went 3.0 innings, allowing four runs on six hits and striking out one. Junior Justin Smith was the only Bulldog to hold the nationally ranked Gamecocks scoreless as he tossed 3.0 frames, giving up four hits and fanning five.
The Citadel is now 1-4 against ranked opponents this season with the win coming over No.3 Nebraska on Feb. 18 at Riley Park. The Dogs will face South Carolina for the second time this season on Tuesday, May 9 at Riley Park.
Next up, the Bulldogs will play host to SoCon foe Western Carolina for a three-game set beginning Friday, April 21 at 5 p.m. in Riley Park.