Story courtesy of Western Carolina sports information
Western Carolina 5, Kennesaw State 4
Cullowhee, N.C. -- Western Carolina scored four runs in the eighth and one in the ninth to pull out a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over Kennesaw State Saturday afternoon at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium. The Catamounts (29-22) took advantage of two Owl (22-28) errors in the ninth to push across the winning run.
With one out in the seventh, Western rallied to tie the contest at 4-4. Jason Haynes had a single and moved to second when Tim Hallam walked. Barrett Shaft plated Haynes with a double down the left field line and Steven Strausbaugh walked to load the bases. Trey McDaniel drove in Hallam with a sacrifice fly to left. Jonathan Greene tied with game, bringing home Shaft and Strausbaugh, with a double to left-center.
In the top of the ninth, Catamount closer Greg Holland allowed a one-out walk, but immediately got a double play to eventually get the win and improve to 4-2 on the season. After today, Holland has a streak of eight games (12.2 innings) without allowing a run, going 2-0 with three saves over the span.
In the ninth and with one out, Donnie Wilson legged out a double on bloop just beyond the shortstop’s glove. Haynes then reached on a fielding error on the KSU shortstop, allowing Wilson to advance to third. Hallam drove in the game winner when he reached thanks to an error on the second baseman.
Kennesaw State jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Martin Baker, who had two of KSU’s seven hits, reached on a one-out error and Matt Dallas followed with a walk. Scott Hendrix cleared the bases with a three-run home run to left, his fifth blast of the season.
After the home run, neither team had much offense until the Owls started the seventh with a leadoff double from Jacob Robbins. Baker followed with a bunt single and the two moved to second and third on a ground out. Robbins would score on an error to make the score 4-0.
Kennesaw State left eight runners on base, but turned two double plays to keep Western off the scoreboard until the eighth.
KSU starter Kyle Mushara did not figure in the decision, but pitched well before leaving the game with two one and one out in the eighth. He only allowed five hits and two runs over 7.1 innings with a walk and three strikeouts. Casey Rogers was the tough-luck loser, falling to 1-2 on the season. He pitched 0.2 innings with one hit, one unearned run and one strikeout.
For the Catamounts, Corey Martin pitched the first three innings, allowing two hits and that three-run, home run in the first. Tyler Johnson and Brock Thornburg kept the Owls in check. The two only allowed five hits in five innings, allowing one unearned run with a walk and five strikeouts.
The two teams will complete their three-game set on Sunday with first pitch set for 2 pm.
Story courtesy Georgia Southern sports information
Georgia Southern 8, Appalachian State 6
STATESBORO, Ga. ? Griffin Benedict hit a 3-run homer and Chris Shehan went 4-for-5 as Georgia Southern defeated Appalachian State 8-6 Saturday afternoon (May 13) at J.I. Clements Stadium. With the win, the Eagles (28-23 overall, 14-9 Southern Conference) clinched the series.
Matt Miller doubled to start the Eagles’ half of the first. He took third on Chris Hollis’ sacrifice bunt then scored on a RBI single from Shehan.
App State tied the score in the second when Wes Borden lined a two-out RBI double plating Joey Robinson. The Mountaineers took the lead for the first time in the series during the third inning. Rand Smith singled with one out. Ben Billingsley executed a hit-and-run to put runners at the corners then David Rubenstein lined a RBI single. However, the Eagles turned an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play off the bat of Adam Beasley to end the threat.
Shehan singled to start the fourth but was erased when Greg Dowling reached on a fielder’s choice. Mike Economos singled then Benedict cleared the bases, his fourth home run this year.
With two down in the fifth, Shehan came through again lining a RBI single up the middle scoring Miller for a 5-2 lead. Two innings later, Miller lined a one-out single chasing starter Jonathon Reeder. Shehan’s fourth hit of the game, a single to left off Josh Fish, put runners at first and second. Dowling lined a RBI double then Economos followed with a 2-run single, extending the lead to 8-2.
The Mountaineers (20-27-1, 6-17) loaded the bases off Dustin Evans in the eighth with one out. That prompted head coach Rodney Hennon to bring in closer David Cogswell. A sacrifice fly brought home one run then Robinson lined a 2-run triple. Borden’s RBI single trimmed the Eagles’ lead to 8-6. Cogswell got Chris Baker on a ground out to end the inning.
GS looked to extend its lead when it loaded the bases in the eighth but could not push across a run. Smith singled with one out in the ninth, but a flyout and groundout ended the game.
Shehan drove in two runs and scored once to go with his four hits. Miller was 3-for-4 and scored three times. Evans (3-3) was charged for five runs on eight hits in 7.1 innings. He walked two and struck out five.
Robinson and Borden had three hits apiece for App State. Reeder (3-6) gave up six runs on eight hits in 6.1 innings of work. He walked one and fanned five.
The Eagles go for the series sweep Sunday afternoon (May 14) as first pitch for the home finale is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Prior to the game, Georgia Southern will honor seniors Dowling and Brett Pelfrey who will be playing in their final game at J.I. Clements Stadium.
Story courtesy of Furman sports information
Furman 5, College of Charleston 4 (10 inn.)
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- A.J. Davidiuk’s bases loaded single in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted Furman to a 5-4 win over nationally 21st-ranked College of Charleston in Southern Conference baseball action Saturday evening at Furman Stadium.
The victory snapped a six-game SoCon losing streak for Furman (30-18, 14-9 SoCon) and also halted a seven-game losing skid to the College of Charleston (37-12, 18-5 SoCon) in Greenville. The triumph also gave Furman only its fourth 30-win campaign in school history and marked the
113th win for the 2006 Paladin senior class ? the most in any four-year period in program history, which dates back to 1896.
After College of Charleston tied the game at 4-4 in the eighth, Furman’s Marcus Rose opened the 10th inning with a single up the middle off Cougar reliever Josh McLaughlin. Ben Terry followed with a single through the left side, and Will Stembridge reached after Cougar second baseman Chris Campbell failed to tag first base after taking a throw from first baseman Ben Lasater on Stembridge’s sacrifice bunt attempt. With no outs and the bases loaded, Davidiuk stroked a two-strike McLaughlin offering into left field for the game winner.
Davidiuk’s decisive hit made a winner of Ryan Hudson (2-1), who allowed only two hits over the game’s final 2 1/3 innings.
McLaughlin (1-3), who earned the save in Friday’s 3-2 series opening win, was charged with the loss after giving up three hits and the game winning run in just 1/3 on an inning.
The College of Charleston committed five errors in the contest, which accounted for four unearned runs. Three of the Cougars’ four runs came courtesy of a pair of Furman fielding miscues.
The poor defense by both teams overshadowed solid efforts by both starting pitchers. Furman’s Mason Smith went 6 2/3 innings and allowed only five hits and three unearned runs. The sophomore righthander struck out four and walked one. College of Charleston’s Nick Chigges, meanwhile, yielded six hits and four unearned runs over 8 2/3 innings. He walked three and
struck out seven.
Furman banged out nine hits in the contest, including two each by Case Cassedy, Terry, and Davidiuk. Joe Daysh drove in a pair of runs for the winning Paladins.
College of Charleston was paced at the plate by Campbell and Joey Friddle with two hits apiece.
Furman jumped out to a 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the second. Cassedy led off with an infield single and advanced to third after Cougar shortstop Oliver Marmol failed to handle a grounder off the bat of Daysh. After Daysh was caught stealing, Tony Maccani got Cassedy home on an infield grounder.
The Paladins added another unearned run in the fourth. Davidiuk led off with a line drive single and raced around to third after Cougar centerfielder Larry Cobb allowed the ball to get by him. With one out, Daysh plated Davidiuk with a groundout to make it 2-0.
College of Charleston got off the deck with three unearned runs in the fifth. Clay McCord opened the frame by reaching on error. With two outs, Marmol drilled a two-strike double into left center field to score McCord, and Cobb followed with a two-run home run to left field to give College of
Charleston a 3-2 lead.
In the sixth Furman parlayed two hits and two College of Charleston errors into a pair of runs for a 4-3 advantage. With two outs Davidiuk reached on a walk and came around to score after centerfielder Cobb misplayed Cassedy’s sharp line drive for his second error of the game. Daysh
followed with a single into right field to score Cassedy to put the Paladins out front, 4-3.
The Cougars tied it in the eighth on pinch hitter Ben Lasater’s two-out RBI double off the right centerfield fence that scored Chris Campbell. Hudson recovered by striking out Alex Garebedian to end the inning.
Sunday’s series finale, which is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m., will highlight Senior Day at Furman.
Story courtesy of UNC Greensboro sports information
UNC Greensboro 8-8, Wofford 7-3 (Game 1 10 inn.)
GREENSBORO, NC ? Junior Jermaine Mitchell was a combined 4-for-7 with four RBI in a doubleheader sweep of Wofford as UNC Greensboro downed the Terriers 8-7 and 8-3 to claim its first series sweep of the season Saturday afternoon at UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Mitchell finished the three-game series with a total of seven hits and now has a total of 81 for the season, leaving the Daingerfield, TX native in fourth place on UNCG’s all-time single season hit list.
Logan Smith provided the game-winning dramatics for the Spartans in the first game as the Charlotte, NC native lifted a sacrifice fly into rightfield in the bottom of the 10th inning to propel UNCG to a thrilling 8-7 victory. Sean Snell drew a walk to open the inning and then stole second before moving to third on a groundout on the infield. After Wofford pitcher JD Melton intentionally walked Adam Deleo and Roly Gonzalez to set up a force out at any base, Smith ran the count full and fouled off a number of pitches before plating Snell with the game-winning run.
Wofford (19-33, 4-20 SoCon) held a 7-5 lead entering the bottom of the ninth only to see the Spartans rally for a pair of runs to send the game into extra frames. Gonzalez, who pinch hit to start the inning, drew a walk and then stole second before Greg Feltes was hit by a pitch with one out to put the tying run on. Brandon Harvey followed with a single to left to load the bases before Mitchell laced the first pitch he saw through the right side to plate Gonzalez and Feltes, tying the game at seven runs apiece.
Snell finished the game 3-for-4 with three RBI which included a towering two-run home run to left for his second roundtripper of the season. Harvey and Mitchell each chipped in with two hits apiece.
Senior Patrick Currin (9-3) earned a win in relief for the second straight day after allowing two runs on three hits while striking out five in four innings of work.
Melton (6-4) took the loss after surrendering four runs on three hits while recording three punchouts in 3-2/3 innings of mound duty.
Game two saw UNCG score five runs over the first five innings and never looked back en route to an 8-3 win.
The Terriers jumped out to a 2-0 lead after a half inning when second baseman Shane Kirkley blasted a two-run home run down the leftfield line off the foul pole for his team-leading 12th home run of the season.
UNCG (23-28, 12-12 SoCon) answered with two runs in the bottom half on a two-out, two-run RBI single off the bat of Deleo to score Welsh and Mitchell.
The Spartans took the lead for good after the third inning as UNCG plated three more runs to take a 5-2 lead. Snell started things with a double to left-centerfield before Harvey drew a walk to put the first two runners on. Mitchell and Welsh followed with back-to-back RBI singles to account for the first two runs before Feltes drove home the final run two batters later with an RBI single of his own.
UNCG put together another three-run inning in the bottom of the eighth to put the game out of reach as the Spartans capitalized on three Wofford errors and got an RBI single from Mitchell to account for the trio of runs.
Freshman Greg Martin (1-0) earned his first collegiate win after hurling 4-2/3 innings in relief of starter Clay Gibson. Martin allowed just one run on four hits while striking out two and walking none.
Wofford starter Lance Player (1-3) took the loss after being touched for five runs on seven hits in six innings of work.
Mitchell led the Spartans at the plate with a 2-for-4 showing and has now had multi-hit games in his last six contests.
UNCG returns to the diamond Tuesday evening when the Spartans travel to Chapel Hill to tangle with North Carolina in the second meeting of the season. Earlier this season, UNCG knocked off No. 1 North Carolina 7-6 at UNCG Baseball Stadium in the school’s first-ever win over a top-ranked team in the Division I era.