Story courtesy of College of Charleston sports information
College of Charleston 7, The Citadel 5
Mt. Pleasant, S.C. -- Jess Easterling collected three hits and Nick Chigges earned his ninth win of the season as 20th-ranked College of Charleston downed The Citadel, 7-5, in Southern Conference baseball action before 1,582 at Patriots Point Field on Friday.
Charleston, which moved into a first place tie with Elon atop the league standings with a 20-6 conference mark, improved to 39-14 overall. The Citadel fell to 29-25 and 14-12.
Chris Swauger hit a two-run homer and Matt Arnold added an RBI grounder in the first that gave the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead.
Run-scoring doubles by Alex Garabedian and Phillip Coker, and a sacrifice fly by Ben Lasater in the fourth for Charleston tied the game at 3-3.
Charleston grabbed the lead for good in the fifth inning when they scored four runs on three hits and two errors. Charleston took the lead 4-3 on a throwing error by pitcher Ryan Owens that allowed Oliver Marmol to score. Larry Cobb added a run-producing grounder and Jess Easterling and Clay McCord drove in runs with RBI hits for a 7-3 CofC advantage.
The Bulldogs cut the margin to 7-5 in the eighth on RBI hits by Matt Matulia and Matt Arnold.
Chigges improved to 9-1 with his eighth consecutive win. He worked 6 1/3 innings allowing just five hits with two walks. Owens (4-7) was the starter and loser for the Bulldogs.
The series and regular season finale is Saturday at 1:00.
Story courtesy of UNC Greensboro sports information
UNC Greensboro 5, Elon 3
GREENSBORO, NC ? UNC Greensboro starting pitcher Ryan Falcon notched his first win as a starter since Apr. 1 and the Spartans never trailed en route to a 5-3 win over rival Elon Friday evening at UNCG Baseball Stadium to even a three-game series at one game apiece.
Falcon (3-2), a native of Rougemont, NC, was nothing short of dominant on the hill as he allowed just three runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out eight and walking but one in 6-2/3 innings of work.
Senior Patrick Currin came on in the ninth and allowed just one hit as the Chapel Hill, NC product earned his eighth save of the season. Currin’s path to the save wasn’t easy as he loaded the bases with two outs. Jordy Snyder led off with a single through the left side and pinch hitter Patrick Irvine was hit by a pitch in the next at-bat to put the first two runners on. Paul Bennett moved both runners up a base with a sac bunt, but John Weaver was unable to drive anyone home as he popped up to second base for the second out. Currin then hit Donny Jobe on the first pitch to load the bases, but struck Chris Vasami out swinging with a nasty breaking ball to secure the win for the Spartans.
Elon starter Matt Chastain (9-2) took the loss after being touched for five runs on eight hits in six innings of mound duty.
UNCG (24-30, 13-13 SoCon) tallied a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning to gain an early 2-0 advantage. Greg Feltes singled to right-centerfield to start things and came around to score two batters later when Jermaine Mitchell singled through the right side for his 35th RBI of the season. Guy Welsh followed with a single through the left side before Brandon Harvey plated Mitchell from third with a successful safety squeeze bunt groundout to the pitcher.
Elon (41-14, 20-6 SoCon) cut the deficit in half with a run in the top of the third on an RBI groundout off the bat of Vasami.
The Spartans answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double from Feltes and an RBI single from rightfielder Sean Snell to take a three-run lead.
Vasami struck again in the top of the sixth when the first baseman led off the frame with a towering home run over the left-centerfield wall. Elon cut it to one at 4-3 in the following inning as the Phoenix capitalized on a fielding error on the Spartan infield to plate a two-out run.
Feltes gave the Spartans a much needed insurance run in the bottom of the seventh when he singled home Roly Gonzalez, who singled to start the inning, for his second RBI of the night.
From that point on Greg Martin and Currin combined to limit the Phoenix to just one hit over the final two frames.
Feltes led the Spartans with three hits while Mitchell, Snell and Gonzalez each chipped in with a pair.
UNCG and Elon put the finishing touches on a three-game series with the rubber game scheduled to begin Saturday evening at 6 p.m. from UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Story courtesy of Appalachian State sports information
Appalachian State 10-9, Davidson 9-8 (game one completion of suspended game)
BOONE, N.C. ? Late-inning rallies spurred Appalachian State University baseball to a pair of come-from-behind victories over Davidson on Friday afternoon at Red Lackey Field. Appalachian scored three runs in the eighth inning of a 10-9, 10-inning win in the completion of Thursday’s suspended game and put four runs on the board in the eighth to claim a 9-8 triumph in Friday’s regularly scheduled game.
Ben Billingsley was the star of the series’ first game, going 4-for-4 with two home runs, a double, three runs scored and four RBI. His two homers give him 11 for the season, tying Stephen Crater’s 1998 school record for most home runs by a freshman.
A leadoff double by Wes Borden, followed by run-scoring hits from Rand Smith, Billingsley and David Rubinstein (all freshmen) dug the Mountaineers out from a 9-6 hole in the bottom of the eighth inning.
After a scoreless ninth and three-up, three-down effort by the Wildcats in the top of the 10th, freshman Nick DeRose capped a 3-for-5 performance with double to the wall in left center field, bringing Borden home from second with the winning run.
Freshman Zach Quate tossed three innings of two-hit relief to pick up the win and move to 4-2 on the season.
In the regularly scheduled game, ASU erased a 6-5 deficit with four runs in the bottom of the eighth. Davidson center fielder Hugh Eden made a costly error on Chris Baker’s pop up to center field, allowing Joey Robinson to plate the first run of the rally and DeRose drove in two more with a sharp double down the left field line. Billingsley added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly to give Appalachian a 9-6 lead heading into the ninth.
The Apps needed every one of the runs, as Davidson put two runs on the board in the ninth before freshman Garrett Sherrill was able to close it out for his seventh win of the season. With a 7-5 record on the campaign, Sherrill has collected the most wins by a Mountaineer pitcher since John Meadows won seven games in 1990.
Smith went 2-for-2 with three walks, two RBI and two runs scored to lead ASU’s offensive attack in the second game.
With the victory, Appalachian (23-28-1, 9-17 SoCon) clinched the No. 8 seed in next week’s Southern Conference Tournament. Should Davidson (17-32, 5-21 SoCon) defeat ASU on Saturday or Wofford lose either of its two remaining games versus Georgia Southern, the Mountaineers and Wildcats will face each other once again on Tuesday in the opening game of the SoCon Tournament at Riley Park in Charleston, S.C.
The regular season concludes on Saturday when Appalachian goes for its first conference series sweep since 2001 at 1p.m. versus Davidson. Prior to the contest, ASU will honor its six seniors: pitcher Chad Antley, catcher Kevin Butler, pitcher Scott Clark, pitcher Josh Fish, pitcher Chris Halubka and shortstop Joey Robinson.
Story courtesy of Western Carolina sports information
Furman 5, Western Carolina 4
Cullowhee, N.C. ? After Furman scored five runs in the first two innings, Western Carolina relief pitcher Caleb McConnell tossed six scoreless innings, but the Catamount offense left 10 runners on base to drop a 5-4 decision to the Paladins Friday night at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium. Western (30-24, 13-12 Southern Conference) and Furman (31-20, 15-10 SoCon) will conclude the regular season with a doubleheader starting at 2 pm Saturday. Prior to the game, Western will honor its six seniors.
McConnell only allowed three hits with no walks and two strikeouts in hat was most likely his final performance at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium. Offensively for the Catamounts, Jonathan Greene was 4-for-5 with three RBI, while Barrett Shaft was 3-for-5 with two runs scored.
Furman was led by shortstop A.J. Davidiuk, who accounted for four of the Paladins five runs, was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI. Also, he made several key plays in the field.
The Paladins took advantage of two Catamount errors to score twice in the top of the first. With the bases loaded and two outs, thanks to two errors and a hit, Tyler Sexton, who had just allowed 10 walks in 83 innings, walked back-to-back batters Joe Daysh and Tony Maccani to plate two unearned runs.
Furman padded its lead with three runs in the second. Spence Gibbs had a leadoff single and Ben Terry followed with a bloop single. After a sacrifice bunt, Davidiuk delivered a two-run double. He later scored from second on a hustle play, going to third and on to home on a ground out by Case Cassidy.
Western threatened in the fourth getting runners on the corners with no outs thanks to a Shaft double and a Greene single. However, Furman starter Matt Klinker got two pop outs and a fly out to escape unscathed.
The Catamounts were able to break through sending eight men to the plate in the sixth and making the score 5-2. After an infield single by Shaft, Greene hit a line drive home run to center for his 11th blast of the season. Western would eventually load the bases with two outs before Klinker got a pop out and a ground out to limit the damage.
Klinker improved to 6-4 on the season, scattering 12 hits over six innings and allowing four runs with one walk and four strikeouts.
Western trimmed its deficit to one with two runs in the seventh. Donnie Wilson had a leadoff single and moved to third on Shaft’s double. Greene plated Wilson with a single and Shaft would score on a wild pitch by Furman relief pitcher Patrick Arnett.
Western threatened in the eighth and ninth innings, getting a runner on in each. However, Furman was able to get a double play in the eighth and Greene was left stranded at first after a two-out single in the ninth.
Arnett did not allow a hit or a walk over his two innings, giving way to Nick Hollstegge in the ninth. Hollstegge retired three of the four men he faced to earn his 10th save of the season.
Sexton suffered the loss, falling to 7-6. He pitched two innings, allowing five hits and five runs (three earned) with two walks.
Story courtesy of Wofford sports information
Georgia Southern 13, Wofford 10
SPARTANBURG, SC ? Georgia Southern banged out 18 hits and Wofford kept pace throughout the game as GSU posted a 13-10 win over the Terriers Friday night at Russell C. King.
The game was a slugfest from the beginning as each team’s leadoff hitter smacked a home run. Georgia Southern (30-24, 16-10) scored five in the first as leadoff hitter Matt Miller homered on the first pitch of the game. That was followed by a triple from Chris Hollis who would score on a sacrifice fly by Greg Dowling. A hit batter and a walk put two more runners on base and Brett Pelfrey and Jeremiah Parker each followed with run-scoring singles.
Wofford leadoff hitter Zach Pittman homered on an 0-2 pitch in the bottom of the first to close the gap to 5-1. Georgia Southern tallied three more runs in the second off starter Dawson Smith. Dowling, Mike Economos and Parker all ripped RBI doubles.
Wofford (19-36, 4-22) cut the lead to 8-5 with four runs in the second as Eric Sturkie hit a grand slam to straight away center.
The Eagles extended their lead to 9-5 in the third when Pelfrey singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Miller. Wofford made it a 9-6 game in the bottom of the third when Adam Wood beat out an infield single, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on a single by Bradford Eaves.
GSU took an 11-6 lead with a pair of runs in the fifth on an RBI single by Dowling and a sacrifice fly by Economos. The Terriers answered with a single run in the fifth when Stephen Johnson walked and scored on a single by Eaves. Wofford pulled to within two runs at 11-9 with two more runs in the sixth. Sturkie led off with a walk and Zach Pittman singled to chase GSU starter Dustin Evans. Reliever Josh Lairsey walked pinch-hitter Brent Pearce to load the bases. Shane Kirkley plated Sturkie with a sacrifice fly and Wood’s infield grounder was mishandled allowing Wofford’s ninth run to score.
Wofford made it a one-run game in the seventh when John Brandt walked and scored on a triple by Pittman.
The Eagles put the game away with two runs in the eighth on an infield single by pinch-hitter Chris Shehan and a sac fly from Miller.
Evans improved to 4-3 on the season with five innings of work, allowing nine hits and nine runs while walking two and striking out seven. Reliever A.J. Battisto earned his second save of the season as he fanned four in two and one-third innings of work. All four of Battisto’s strikeouts were called strikeouts.
Smith’s record fell to 2-4 with the loss. Wofford was led by Pittman who went 3-for-5 with two RBI’s and fell a double short of hitting for the cycle. Sturkie finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Eaves knocked in two runs with three hits.
Parker led the Eagles by going 4-for-6 with two RBIs. Miller and Dowling each knocked in three runs with a pair of hits.
The two teams will conclude the series with a 1 p.m. game on Saturday at King Field. It will mark the final home game for seniors Zach Pittman, Ryan Beaton and Stephen Johnson.