Story courtesy of Western Carolina sports information
Gardner-Webb 10, Western Carolina 5
Boiling Springs, N.C. ? After cutting a 6-0 deficit to one through six, Western Carolina allowed four runs in the seventh to drop a 10-5 decision to Gardner-Webb (20-20) Wednesday afternoon at Varsity Field. The Catamounts fall to 23-19 and begin a three-game weekend series hosting Southern Conference foe Davidson, starting Friday at 7:00 pm.
Gardner-Webb, leading by one, sent 10 men to the plate in the seventh and took its 10-5 lead. Jonathan Ahearn had leadoff double and moved to third on a ground out. On an attempted squeeze play, Ahearn was credited with stealing home as the bunt was missed and the ball got past Western’s catcher. With two out and two on, Matt Maloney was the beneficiary of a wet field, getting a two-run triple to center when Western’s Barrett Shaft slipped. Matt Higginson capped the scoring with an RBI bunt single.
The Bulldogs scored first when Jeremy McCann started the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run to left field. Maloney followed that with a round tripper of his own, a near duplicate of McCann.
In the fourth, Maloney gave Gardner-Webb a 5-0 cushion. After consecutive leadoff singles, Maloney hit his second home run of the contest, a three-run blast to left-center. One inning later, the Bulldogs turned a leadoff walk by Ahearn into their sixth run. Ahearn stole second, moved to third on a ground out and scored on Blake Lalli’s single.
With two outs in the sixth, Western’s offense came to life, scoring five runs to trim its deficit to one. Shaft started things with an infield single and Steven Strausbaugh walked. Trey McDaniel plated Shaft with a sharp single to center and Blake Murphy scored Strausbaugh with a single to left-center. Jonathan Greene, who had two hits, then cleared the bases with a three-run home run to left, giving the sophomore seven homers on the season.
Jeremy Ellenburg was saddled with the loss, falling to 2-2 on the season. He allowed only allowed two hits ? two solo home runs ? with no walks and two strikeouts. Jonathon Ban got the win for Gardner-Webb, improving to 2-2. He only allowed one walk with four strikeouts in four innings.
Story courtesy of Clemson sports information
Clemson 10, Wofford 1
Clemson, SC- Ninth-Ranked Clemson recorded a season-high nine extra base hits on the way to a 10-1 win over Wofford in front of 2,944 fans at Doug Kingsmore Stadium Wednesday. The Tigers reached the 30-victory mark for the 32nd consecutive season with the win to improve to 30-13, while the Terriers dropped to 17-28. Clemson tallied four home runs and five doubles on the night.
Tyler Colvin was 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs for Clemson. Travis Storrer, Marquez Smith, and Adrian Casanova each had two hits apiece for the Tigers. Chuck Eller had a double and scored the only run of the night for Wofford.
Stephen Faris (5-2) pitched 7.0 scoreless innings, allowing five hits and striking out seven to earn the win for Clemson. Ben Austin (0-3) surrendered seven runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings pitched and took the loss for the Terriers.
D.J. Mitchell walked to begin the first, and went to third on a single through the right side by Herman Demmink. Demmink stole second, and Storrer hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Mitchell. Colvin followed with a double down the right-field line that brought home Demmink.
Storrer doubled down the left-field line with one out in the third, and scored on a two-out double to left by Taylor Harbin.
Storrer added to Clemson's lead with a solo home run to center with two outs in the fifth, his seventh long ball of the season.
Smith led off the sixth with a homer to left-center. Andy D'Alessio walked, and with one out Casanova hit an opposite field two-run home run down the right-field line, his fifth of the season. Mitchell reached on a bunt single and then stole second. Storrer walked, and moved to second on a wild pitch as Mitchell advanced to third. Colvin then lofted a single to left to score Mitchell and Storrer.
Smith led of an inning with a solo homer for the second time in the seventh, giving the junior his first career multi-home run game. It was his sixth homer of the season.
Eller doubled down the right-field line with two outs in the eighth, and then scored all the way from second on a passed ball.
Brad Chalk did not start for the first time in 80 games due to a sprained wrist.
Clemson returns to ACC action Friday night when it plays host to Virginia Tech at 7:15 PM at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
East Tennessee State at Appalachian State, ppd.
Georgia Southern at Georgia State, ccd.
Furman at Charlotte, ppd.
Wake Forest at UNC Greensboro, ppd.
Duke at Davidson, ppd.