Story courtesy of College of Charleston sports information
Georgia Southern 5, College of Charleston 4 (10 inn.)
Mt. Pleasant, S.C. ? Greg Dowling led off the top of the 10th inning with a solo homer and righty David Scogswell pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the inning as Georgia Southern edged College of Charleston, 5-4, in the opener of its three-game Southern Conference series before 471 at Patriots Point Field on Saturday.
The Eagles improved to 26-21 overall and 12-7 in league play. The Cougars are 33-11 and 15-4. Game two of the series is Sunday at 7:00.
Dowling blasted his 10th homer of the season over the left field wall off CofC relief pitcher Quinn Monsma for a 4-3 GSU lead. Jeremy Beckham’s RBI single stretched the Eagles’ lead to 5-3.
The Cougars loaded the bases on consecutive hits by Joey Friddle, Michael Harrington and Phillip Coker to start the 10th. Cogswell, who came end after Friddle’s leadoff hit, got Oliver Marmol on a sacrifice fly to left center that scored Friddle cutting the margin to 5-4.
After Chris Campbell’s grounder put runners at second and third with two outs, Cogswell struck out Alex Garabedian looking to end the game.
GSU built a 3-1 seventh inning lead on RBI’s by Dowling, Chris Hollis and Brian Pierce. Charleston tied the game in the seventh on a run-producing hit by Ben Lasater and Friddle’s sacrifice fly to center.
Everett Teaford (8-3) picked up the win allowing four runs, three earned, on seven hits over nine innings. He walked one and struck out six. Monsma (5-2) suffered the loss. Cogswell earned his ninth save.
Story courtesy of The Citadel sports information
Appalachian State 7, The Citadel 2 (10 inn.)
Charleston, S.C. ? Appalachian State exploded for five runs in the 10th to take a 7-2 victory over The Citadel in Southern Conference baseball action Saturday night at Riley Park. The Bulldogs came from behind to even the score, 2-2, in the ninth, but the Mountaineers enjoyed a five-run 10th to even the series at a game a piece.
Appalachian State (29-24-1, 6-14 SoCon) took an early 2-0 lead in the second as David Rubinstein knocked a one-out base hit through the right side. Bryan Ford doubled down the left field line to move Rubinstein to third. Chris Baker notched a single to plate Rubinstein, but Bulldog center fielder Trent Weathers gunned Ford down at the plate for the second out. A single to the gap in left center by Joey Robinson pushed Baker across the dish, giving the Mountaineers a two-run advantage.
The Citadel (24-23, 9-11 SoCon) cut the Mountaineer lead in half in the sixth as senior right fielder Matt Covington singled through the left side and moved to second on a groundout by sophomore left fielder Chris Swauger. Freshman designated hitter Sonny Meade roped a single to center to plate Covington, making it 2-1.
Still trailing by one going into the bottom of the ninth, the Dogs pinch-hit Chance Smith who led off the inning with a base hit to right. Senior shortstop Matt Matulia moved Smith over with a sac bunt. Senior Mark Egleton stepped in to pinch-hit and laced a double just fair inside the left field line to bring in Smith to tie it up at one and send the game into extra frames.
The Mountaineers erupted for five runs in the 10th to take the 7-2 victory. A lead-off single by Ben
Billingsly, a hit batter and an error by Citadel third baseman Trey Thomas loaded the bases with no outs.
David Rubinstein grounded into a fielder’s choice as a run scored while the Dogs got the force at second. Back-to-back infield singles by Wes Borden and Chris Baker pushed two more across before Rand Smith lined a double to the gap in right center to send two more to the plate. Citadel right-hander Link Saunders then registered a strikeout and fly out to end the inning.
Mountaineer reliever Garrett Sherrill gave up back-to-back walks to start the 10th, but then forced three straight fly outs to preserve the victory.
Saunders (4-6) suffered the loss as he went 1.0 inning, allowing five runs on eight hits while striking out two and walking three. Sherrill (5-5) was credited with the win as he tossed 1.2 frames, holding the Dogs scoreless and giving up only one hit while fanning one and walking two.
Joey Robinson paced the Mountaineer offense as he was 3-for-5 with two RBI. Three App State hitters also recorded two hits. The bench came through for the Dogs as pinch-hitters Chance Smith and Mark Egleton each had a hand in both of The Citadel’s runs. Smith scored once and Egleton tallied an RBI.
Before tonight, the Bulldogs had won 17 consecutive home games over the Mountaineers. The last time Appalachian State defeated the Dogs at home was in 1995 when they took a 2-1 victory in game one of a three-game set at College Park. The Citadel came back to win the series with scores of 3-2 and 7-6.
With the win, App State takes their first ever victory in Riley Park.
The Dogs and Mountaineers with battle for the series win on Sunday, May 7 at noon at Riley Park. The game was originally slated for 1 p.m. but was moved to noon due to the threat of inclement weather.
Story courtesy of Furman sports information
Elon 8, Furman 6
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Robert Rodebaugh’s three-run double in the eighth inning broke a 5-5 tie and lifted Elon to an 8-6 win over Furman in Southern Conference baseball action Saturday evening at Furman Stadium.
Rodebaugh, who doubled twice, homered, and drove in four runs in the contest, delivered the decisive hit off Paladin reliever Nick Hollstegge to cap a five-run rally for Elon (38-13, 18-5 SoCon), which pulled to within percentage points of first place College of Charleston following the Cougars’ 5-4 loss to Georgia Southern Saturday evening.
The loss dropped Furman (28-16, 13-7 SoCon) to only a half game advantage over fourth place Georgia Southern.
Elon’s big eighth inning rally came after pinch runner Austin Boehme was picked off second base for the second out. Jory Snyder followed with a single to left field to put runners at first and second, and Paul Bennett delivered a two-out, two-run double down the left field line off Hollstegge to tie the game at 5-5.
After an unsuccessful Furman appeal at third base, Elon skipper Mike Kennedy, who also coaches third base and who had received a warning earlier in the contest by home plate umpire Ward Ulmer, charged the Paladin dugout, where he was confronted by Paladin head coach Ron Smith.
Both coaches were ejected for unsportsmanlike behavior.
Following the approximate five minute delay, Hollstegge issued back-to-back walks to Donny Jobe and and Adam Weaver to load the bases, and Rodebaugh cleared the bases by stroking a 3-2 offering into the left center field gap.
Ryan Basham (4-1), who recorded the final two outs of the seventh inning, earned the victory courtesy of Elon’s five-run eighth. Chad Tilley recorded his ninth save of the campaign after allowing a run on a pair of hits over the final two innings.
Hollstegge (1-1) was charged with the loss after yielding four runs on three hits and two walks in just 1/3 of an inning. The Paladin bullpen collapse spoiled a solid performance by Paladin starting pitcher Mason Smith, who went 5.0 innings, allowing only one run on five hits while striking out five.
Led By Rodebaugh’s 3-for-4 performance, the Phoenix collected 12 hits in the contest, including two each by Chris Vasami, Ryan Addison, and Patrick Irvine.
Case Cassedy paced Furman’s 10-hit attack with three hits, including a pair of doubles, and three RBI.
Furman wasted little time in grabbing an early lead as the Paladins tallied a pair of unearned runs in the first inning. With one out Andrew Greene singled and stole second. Cassedy followed with a walk, and the Paladins executed a double steal to move both players in scoring position. After A.J. Davidiuk struck out, Phoenix second baseman Donny Jobe snagged a grounder off the bat of Jay Jackson, but first baseman Chris Vasami failed to handle the throw, allowing Greene and Cassedy to score.
It remained 2-0 until the Furman fifth when Cassedy’s double down the right field line scored Greene from first base to make it 3-0.
Elon got on the board in the sixth on Rodebaugh’s leadoff home run over the centerfield fence, his second in two games, cutting the Paladin advantage to 3-1.
Furman answered with a run in the sixth after Will Stembridge led off with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice and to third on a groundout before coming home on Marcus Rose’ bloop single into short right field.
The Phoenix sliced the Furman advantage to 4-3 with a pair of unearned runs in the seventh off Paladin reliever Ryan Hudson. With runners as second and third with one out, Paladin shortstop A.J. Davidiuk failed to handle a grounder off the bat of Jobe, allowing Snyder and Addison to score.
Cassedy’s RBI single to center field gave Furman a 5-3 lead in the seventh, but the Phoenix turned the game around with its five-run eighth.
The two teams play the final game of the series on Sunday beginning at 1:00 p.m.
Story courtesy of Western Carolina sports information
Western Carolina 5, UNC Greensboro 2
Cullowhee, N.C. ? With All-Southern Conference right fielder Steven Strausbaugh reduced to a designated hitter due to an injury, freshman Andy John more than filled his shoes, going 3-for-4 and driving in the winning run as Western Carolina scored three in the eighth for a 5-2 victory over UNC Greensboro Saturday night at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium. Due to rain in the forecast, Sunday’s series finale between the Catamounts (27-20, 13-10 SouCon) and the Spartans (19-28, 8-12 SoCon) has been moved up to 1 pm.
John, who also had some keys hits earlier in the season when Strausbaugh missed time due to a hand injury, came to the plate in the eighth with runners on second and third and facing one of top pitchers in the Southern Conference, Patrick Currin. John lined a ball just past the third baseman, which scored what proved to be the winning run.
In addition to John, Tim Hallam was 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Western Carolina took early control, scoring once in the first. Hallam and Barrett Shaft had consecutive leadoff singles, putting runners on the corners. Jonathan Greene followed with an RBI sacrifice fly to right field.
The Catamounts extended their advantage with a run in the third. Hallam had a leadoff single and moved to second when Greene was hit by a pitch. On a hit and run, Hallam scored on Trey McDaniel’s single.
The Spartans got on the board in the fourth thanks to consecutive leadoff singles by Jermaine Mitchell, Guy Welsh and Adam Deleo to make the score 2-1. WCU starter Tyler Sexton then struck out the next three batters to limit the damage.
Sexton pitched well, but would not get the decision. He lasted 7.2 innings, allowing six hits and two runs (one earned) with one walk and nine strikeouts.
Both teams were held in check over the next three innings until the Spartans had a two-out rally to tie the game at 2-2 in the eighth. Sean Snell, who walked, was nearly out at first on a double play attempt, but he got back safely. Snell would steal second and score on Mitchell’s double down the left field line. WCU closer Greg Holland entered the game and got an out to end the inning.
The Catamounts answered with three runs in the eighth, taking a 5-2 lead. Pinch hitter Scott Ward had a leadoff walk and was lifted for pinch runner Jason Haynes. A bunt single by Donnie Wilson put runners on second and third. A sacrifice bunt by Mitchell Hatley moved the runners up and Andy John broke the tie with a single to left. Hallam then plated Wilson with a single through the right side, moving John to third. Shaft capped the scoring with an RBI ground out.
The Spartans threatened in the ninth, getting two runners on with one out thanks to two walks. However, Holland got a strikeout and ground out to end the contest and pick up the victory.
Holland improves to 3-2 on the season. The sophomore did not allow a hit or a run with two walks and a strikeout.
For UNC Greensboro, Mitchell and Deleo had two hits and each drove in one. Starter Ryan Falcon lasted 3.2 innings, scattering seven hits for two runs with no walks and three strikeouts. Clinton McKinney relieved Falcon and only allowed one hit in 1.1 innings. Currin, who falls to 7-3, pitched the final three frames, allowing five hits and three runs.