Story courtesy of Davidson sports information
Davidson 13, Elon 8
DAVIDSON, N.C. ? Senior Alex Entrekin went 3-for-5 with a career-high six RBIs, plus collected his 200th career hit, as the Davidson Wildcats knocked off visiting Elon on Friday night at Wilson Field, 13-8. For the Wildcats, the victory was their third straight to improve to 15-23 on the season and 4-12 in the Southern Conference. The Phoenix fell to 30-12 overall and 12-4 in the league.
The final score belies the fact that the game was a pitchers’ duel at the outset as Davidson’s Rob Wilson and Elon’s Lance Cole each cruised through the first five innings, allowing just two hits apiece. Wilson even struck out four batters in the first inning alone, becoming the first known Wildcat to accomplish the feat.
From the sixth inning on, both offenses took over the game. The Phoenix broke up the scoreless duel in the sixth when Robert Rodebaugh ripped an RBI double to the gap in right-center to score Adam Weaver, who led off the inning with a base hit. The next hitter, Chris Vasami,lofted a towering fly to right-center that carried just over the fence for a two-run homer and a 3-0 Elon lead.
In the bottom half, the Wildcats got a two-run blast of their own from Entrekin followed one out later by a screaming liner over the fence in right from junior Gregory Zage for his eighth homer of the year to knot the score at three.
Elon took advantage of a pair of Davidson errors in the seventh to put three more on the board. Paul Bennett got things started by drawing a lead-off walk, then Donny Jobe reached on catcher’s interference and Weaver beat out a bunt to load the bases. A run came home on an infield error before Rodebaugh lined a two-run single to give the Phoenix another three-run lead at 6-3.
But the ’Cats had an answer once again, this time batting around and plating six runs. Wilson helped his own cause by stroking a lead-off double and knocking out Elon hurler Lance Cole. Reliever Kevin Regan (0-1) struck out the first batter he faced, but walked pinch hitter Brett Shore. A bunt single by sophomore Hugh Eden loaded the bases for senior Ronnie Shore, who delivered an RBI single. Entrekin greeted the next reliever with a two-run single to tie the game, then senior Jay Heafner ripped a two-run double. A grounder to first moved Heafner to third, and junior Alden Crissey reached on an infield hit for the sixth run of the inning.
In the eighth, Elon roared back with two more runs and had the tying run at third with one out. Heafner, who moved from shortstop to the mound after the first batter reached base in the inning, snuffed out the rally by getting the final two outs on strikes, with the last out coming with the bases loaded.
Davidson gave itself some breathing room with another four runs in its half of the eighth. Entrekin hit a double over the center fielder’s head with the bases loaded to bring home two, and Crissey delivered a two-out, two-run double to complete the scoring.
Wilson (4-5) got the win to end a personal four-game losing streak. The right-hander from Charlotte allowed six runs, four earned, on eight hits and a walk while striking out nine, one shy of his career high. Heafner earned his eighth save of the year by working the final two frames, allowing just one run while fanning three.
Entrekin’s game-tying single in the seventh made him the 11th Wildcat to reach 200 hits in a career, and the home run was his fifth of the season. Crissey pitched in three RBIs with two hits while junior Blake Osborn and Eden each contributed a pair of hits as well.
Rodebaugh was the offensive star for the Phoenix, going 3-for-4 with a walk, run and three RBIs. Weaver and Bennett both reached base three times with two hits and a walk, and Vasami had a pair of RBIs with his ninth homer.
Davidson and Elon will play the second game of the three-game series tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m.
Story courtesy of The Citadel sports information
The Citadel 5, Western Carolina 4
Charleston, S.C. ? The Citadel jumped out to a 5-2 lead early and held on late as the Bulldogs took the first game of the weekend’s three-game set over Western Carolina Friday night, 5-4, at Riley Park.
Designated hitter Sonny Meade paced the Bulldogs going 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI while the Catamounts were led by the 3-for-5 performance of center fielder Barrett Shaft who scored two runs and knocked in another. Closer Link Saunders came in late to record his Southern Conference leading 11th save.
The Citadel (19-19, 5-8 SoCon) ended a four-game skid as Link Saunders took sole possession of sixth on the all-time career charts in saves at The Citadel. Wes Wrenn (3-2) was credited with the win after going seven full innings, giving up only three runs off nine hits as he fanned seven. Caleb McConnell was credited with the Western Carolina (21-17, 8-8 SoCon) loss as he gave up all five of The Citadel’s runs on nine hits, striking out only three.
The Diamond Dogs struck quickly in the bottom of the first as left fielder Chris Swauger singled to short with two outs and advanced to second off a throwing error by WCU shortstop Tim Hallam. Meade then sent a 1-2 pitch up the middle, scoring Swauger and putting the Dogs up, 1-0. First baseman Zach Brown sent Meade to third with a single through the right side of the infield but Meade would be stranded in scoring position as shortstop Matt Matulia struck out on three straight pitches.
Western Carolina took the lead for the first and only time in the ballgame in the top of the third as leftfielder Donnie Wilson started things off with a single to left. Second baseman Jason Haynes sent Wilson to second with a sacrifice bunt. Hallam sent another single into leftfield as Wilson raced around third and was heading for home when The Citadel defense sent a long relay from left to third to second to first and finally throwing him out at the plate. With two outs, Shaft doubled to right field to put the Catamounts on the board as he scored Hallam. WCU right fielder Steven Strausbaugh followed that with a double of his own to right to plate Shaft as the Catamounts took the 2-1 lead. Wrenn finally closed out the inning with a full count strikeout on first baseman Trey McDaniel.
The Bulldogs answered in the bottom of the third as Swauger sent a one out pitch to left center for a single. Meade singled in left to send Swauger to second while Brown followed that with a third straight single as he sent a groundball up the middle to load the bases. Matulia avenged his earlier strikeout with a double to center to score both Swauger and Meade, putting the Dogs up, 3-2. The Citadel continued to roll as third baseman Matt Arnold singled through the left side, scoring Brown and sending Matulia to third. Catcher Sid Fallaw reached base on an error by WCU second baseman Jason Haynes, which allowed Arnold to scoot to second Matulia to score,
giving the Bulldogs the 5-2 lead. After a Tripp Cappelmann strikeout, the Catamounts replaced a struggling McConnell with Tyler Johnson, who immediately put Arnold on third and Fallaw on second with a wild pitch.
Johnson recovered by forcing center fielder Trent Weathers to ground out to second to end the inning. Western Carolina chipped away at the Bulldog lead in the fifth as Shaft doubled to right field with Hallam on first to put runners on second and third. Strausbaugh sent Hallam across the plate with an RBI groundout to first.
The Bulldogs relied on defense and solid pitching the rest of the way through with Saunders entering the game in the top of the eighth. Western was able to tack on another run in the ninth as catcher Blake Murphy singled to left with two runners on to pull the Catamounts within one, 5-4. With two outs and two runners on the bases,
Saunders forced third baseman Jonathan Greene to hit a lazy fly ball to center to end the game, preserving the Bulldogs’ 5-4 victory.
The Citadel and Western Carolina return to action Saturday, April 22 at Riley Park with action getting underway at a newly scheduled time of noon (ET) in hopes of avoiding anticipated inclement weather in the Charleston area Saturday afternoon.
Story courtesy of College of Charleston sports information
College of Charleston 11, Wofford 4
Mt. Pleasant, S.C -- Phillip Coker and Larry Cobb had three hits each and Nick Chigges pitched six shutout innings as 17th-ranked College of Charleston downed Wofford, 11-4, in the opener of its three-game Southern Conference series before 818 at Patriots Point Field on Friday.
With the win, the Cougars improved to 31-9 overall and 13-3 in league play. The Terriers fell to 17-25 and 3-13.
Cobb delivered a two-out infield hit in the second that drove in Ben Lasater and gave Charleston a 1-0 lead. Coker followed with a two-run single to center for a 3-0 lead.
OIiver Marmol, who went 2-for-4, delivered a two-run triple in the fourth, and later scored on Alex Garabedian's sacrifice fly for a 6-0 CofC lead.
Trailing 7-0 entering the eighth, Wofford scored four times on three hits and one error to cut Charleston's lead to 7-4.
The Cougars answered with four runs in the bottom of the eighth for the final margin.
Shane Kirkley paced Wofford's eight-hit attack with three hits in five at bats. Cobb added three runs and drove in two runs, while teammate Graham Maiden went 2-for-4.
Chigges (7-1) earned the win allowing just five hits with five strikeouts. Whit Kennedy (1-2) suffered the loss.
The second game of the series is Saturday at 1:00.
Story courtesy of Georgia Southern sports information
Georgia Southern 4, UNC Greensboro 0
STATESBORO, Ga. ? Everett Teaford and David Cogswell combined on a three-hit shutout as Georgia Southern withstood a 45-minute weather delay to defeat UNC Greensboro 4-0 Friday night at J.I. Clements Stadium.
Due to rain and lightning, the game was delayed in the top of the ninth inning with one runner on and no one out. Cogswell inherited a 1-1 count on Guy Welsh but got him to ground into a 5-4-3 double play. Wes McCall grounded out to second baseman Brett Pelfrey to end the game.
A pair of first inning walks issued by Nick Starnes led to a run. Leadoff hitter Matt Miller walked but was erased when Chris Shehan reached on a fielder’s choice. Greg Dowling walked for the Southern Conference-leading 41st time ? the first of three he drew in the game - then Griffin Benedict bounced a ball past second baseman Greg Feltes which scored Shehan.
The Eagles didn’t need a base hit to score two runs in the second. Mike Economos walked then took second on a groundout. Chris Hollis hit a grounder that third baseman Welsh misplayed, allowing Economos to score. Hollis stole his team-leading 10th base then took third on a wild pitch. He tagged and scored when Brian Pierce fouled out.
Georgia Southern scored an insurance run when Miller ripped a two-out double in the eighth then scored on Shehan’s RBI single. GS had two runners on in four different innings but could not push a run across the plate. In fact the Eagles stranded 11 runners on base.
Teaford (6-3) struck out 10 batters, the sixth time in his career recording double-digit Ks. He scattered three hits, allowing only one runner past second base, and walked four. Cogswell picked up his seventh save.
Benedict had two of the Eagles’ six hits. Dowling tied a personal-high walking three times and stole a base. Shehan had two steals.
Starnes (4-2) allowed three runs ? one earned ? on three hits in five innings. He struck out four but walked seven.
The series continues on Saturday afternoon (April 22), first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m.
Furman at Appalachian State, ppd. (DH at noon on Saturday)