Story courtesy of Furman sports information
Furman 13, Gardner-Webb 9
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. -- Jay Jackson pitched seven innings and hit a three-run home run to lead Furman past Gardner-Webb 13-9 in baseball action Tuesday afternoon at Varsity Field.
The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for Furman (29-17) while Gardner-Webb (22-36) dropped its sixth straight.
Jackson (2-0), a freshman righthander who had been slowed recently with a virus, made his first start as a pitcher in over two weeks and allowed seven runs on seven hits while walking four and recording two strikeouts.
He benefited from five Gardner-Webb errors, which led to seven unearned runs, and 14 Furman hits, including his own three-run home run as part of a five-run Paladin sixth inning that gave the Paladins an 11-4 lead. The former Christ Church Episcopal School standout went 2-for-6 with four RBI and two runs scored.
Joe Daysh topped Furman offensively with a 4-for-5 performance that included three RBI and three runs scored, and Tony Maccani, the Southern Conference’s leading hitter, went 3-for-5 with an RBI.
Gardner-Webb was paced Matt Maloney, who went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI.
The Bulldogs took a 3-0 lead after two innings against Jackson before Furman used four hits, an error, a passed ball, and a balk to score six unearned runs in the fifth inning against Gardner-Webb starting pitcher Taylor Brooks (0-1). Daysh’ two-run double to left field highlighted the frame.
After Gardner-Webb cut the lead to 6-4 with a run in the bottom of the fifth, the Paladins tacked on five more runs in the sixth, including Jackson’s ninth home run of the season, a three-run blast to left centerfield.
Jackson walked the first two Bulldogs he faced in the seventh and gave up a three-run home run to Maloney as part of a five-run rally that cut Furman’s lead to 11-7, but the Paladins answered with two runs in the top of the eighth to put the game out of reach.
Furman returns home for a important three-game Southern Conference series against league leading College of Charleston beginning Friday at 7:00 p.m.
Story courtesy of The Citadel sports information
South Carolina 12, The Citadel 3
Charleston, S.C. ? Five runs in the seventh propelled South Carolina to a 12-3 victory over The Citadel on Tuesday night in front of 5, 351 fans at Riley Park. Drew Martin led the Gamecock offense as he batted 2-for-4, including three RBI and scoring twice. The Bulldogs pulled within one in the fourth but could not overcome the five-run seventh inning by the Gamecocks.
South Carolina (33-16) took an early 2-0 lead with two outs in the first thanks to a double by Martin that scored two. The Gamecocks tacked on another run in the second and fourth on an RBI-groundout by Cheyne Hurst and a solo home run by Chris Brown, his fourth of the year.
The Citadel (25-24) pulled within one in the fourth. Senior right fielder Matt Covington registered an infield single before sophomore left fielder Chris Swauger earned on a walk. Swauger was put out at second as freshman designated hitter Sonny Meade reached on a fielder’s choice. With runners on the corners and one out, junior first baseman Zach Brown doubled to left center to send in Covington.
Senior shortstop Matt Matulia went down on strikes before sophomore third baseman Matt Arnold
stepped in and drove two across the dish with a single through the left side to make it 4-3.
The Bulldogs recorded two quick outs in the seventh, but a single by Michael Campbell and back-to-back errors allowed the Gamecocks to score and put runners on second and third. Starter Ken Egleton hit Martin with a pitch to load the bases. Junior Justin Smith then took to the hill to relieve Egleton.
Smith gave up three singles and a walk to give South Carolina a 9-3 advantage before senior Michael McLaurin came in and forced a fly out to end the inning.
A run-scoring double by Martin and a two RBI-single by Reese Havens added three more for South Carolina in the eighth. The Bulldogs could not get a run across the board after having a runner picked off at third in the eighth, to make the final, 12-3.
South Carolina starter (4-0) Harris Honeycutt was credited with the win as he enjoyed the longest outing of his career, throwing 7.2 innings, giving up three runs on six hits and striking out a career-high 11 batters. Egleton (0-3) suffered the loss as he tossed 6.2 frames, allowing eight runs (four earned) on five hits while fanning seven.
The 5, 351 fans marked the third largest crowd to watch the Bulldogs play at Riley Park. The record attendance for a Citadel game was set last year against South Carolina as 5,802 people packed into Riley Park on March 30.
The Bulldogs will continue their seven-game home stand as they play host to Southern Conference foe Davidson for a three-game set this Thursday, May 12 and Friday, May 13 at Riley Park. The Dogs and Wildcats will play game one on Thursday at 6 p.m. and will continue the series with a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 2 p.m.