GEORGIA SOUTHERN 11, GEORGIA TECH 4
STATESBORO, GA. ? In front of a near-record crowd at J.I. Clements Stadium, Georgia Southern jumped out to a 6-0 lead and cruised to an 11-4 win over 11th-ranked Georgia Tech Saturday afternoon. The Eagles improved to 2-2 overall while Tech dropped its season-opener.
Saturday’s attendance of 2,712 was the second-largest in stadium history, finishing just shy of the stadium’s inaugural game crowd of 2,805 in February 2005, also against the Yellow Jackets.
Tech threatened right away in the first inning, loading the bases with one out following a pair of walks and a hit by pitch. Starting pitcher Drew Murray (LaGrange/LaGrange) struck Wally Crancer out on a called third strike for the second out. Murray pushed the count full on Tony Plagman but struck him out swinging to end the threat.
Coming off a finale in Hawai’i in which they stranded 13 runners, the Eagles took advantage of their opportunities this time. In the first Jeremy Beckham (Griffin/Griffin) lined a one-out double and scored on Matt Miller’s (Canton/Woodstock) single. The Eagles then exploded for four runs in the second. Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) drew a leadoff walk then A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) singled to left putting runners on the corners. Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry) reached on an infield single, bringing home the second run.
Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell) sacrificed the runners into scoring position, and then leadoff hitter Chris Hollis (Loganville/Faith Academy) drew a walk to load the bases. Miller ripped a two-out double down the left field line that cleared the bases for a 5-0 lead.
Wirnsberger hit his first collegiate home run in the third to extend the lead to 6-0.
Tech cut into the Eagles’ lead in the fourth thanks to two errors.
Murray let the leadoff hitter reach on his fielding error. With two outs, another fielding error allowed Tech to score its first run. Jeff Ussery and Danny Payne lined RBI singles making it a 6-3 game.
In the fifth Tech loaded the bases. Murray issued a one-out walk then a single by Crancer put runners at first and second. The sophomore right-hander got a flyball for the second out. But on his 101st pitch, he hit Patrick Long to load the bases. That prompted head coach Rodney Hennon to bring in freshman Charlie Strohecker (Alpharetta/Milton). Chris House lined a shot to centerfield, and Miller was able to fight off the sun to make the final out.
The Eagles added three more runs in the sixth. Wirnsberger walked, Porter singled and Pierce singled to load the bases with one out. A wild pitch by Jared Hyatt brought home one run then Hollis lined a 2-run single, extending the lead to 9-3.
Tech loaded the bases in the seventh off Strohecker. Long hit a sacrifice fly off relief pitcher A.J. Battisto (Pottstown, PA/Pottsgrove), but the senior got a flyball and groundout to end the threat.
Beckham lined a RBI single in the eighth and Miller record his career-high fifth RBI when he reached on a fielder’s choice.
“This was a good win against a very good program. Offensively we executed well, I thought we did a good job on 2-strike counts and we did some good things on the bases,” said Hennon. “We got a lift from our bullpen and good help from Murray to start. However, we need to cut down our walks and defensive mistakes. Fortunately we were able to overcome those today.”
Six Eagles recorded a multi-hit game, part of the 14-6 advantage in hits. Beckham tallied a game-high three while Hollis, Miller, Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius), Wirnsberger and Porter added two each.
Miller’s previous career-high RBI total was three on two occasions last year. Wirnsberger scored three times as the 7-8-9 batters scored seven of the Eagles’ 11 runs.
Strohecker (2-0) earned the win. Battisto pitched three hitless innings of relief to earn his first save. Murray allowed three unearned runs on four hits in 4.2 innings. He walked four and struck out four.
Payne and Crancer had two hits apiece for Tech (0-1). Starter David Duncan took the loss. He allowed six runs on seven hits in five innings, walking two and striking out two.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN 9, GEORGIA TECH 6
STATESBORO, GA. ? A pair of freshmen helped Georgia Southern baseball accomplish a feat not done since 1996. A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) tied a Georgia Southern record hitting three doubles while Brian Wilkerson (Bonaire/Houston County) pitched into the seventh inning as the Eagles defeated 11th-ranked Georgia Tech 9-6 Sunday afternoon (Feb. 11).
It was the first time since ’96 that the Eagles (3-2) swept Tech at J.I. Clements Stadium.
Tech jumped out to an early lead on timely hitting. Danny Payne drew a walk to start the game and eventually scored on Luke Murton’s two-out infield single. In the second, Wilkerson got the first two outs but gave up three consecutive singles which would give the Yellow Jackets a 2-0 lead.
Mike Economos (Atlanta/Marist) and Wirnsberger singled to start the Eagles’ half of the second. But the Eagles could not execute a sacrifice bunt and Economos was forced out at third. An inning ending double play stopped Georgia Southern’s scoring threat.
However in the fourth, Economos and Wirnsberger started a game-tying rally. Economos lined a leadoff double down the left field line. Wirnsberger followed with a shot that dropped just inside the line on the right field warning track, putting runners at second and third.
Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) had a RBI groundout for the first run. Jeremiah Parker (Carrollton/Carrollton) singled to right, tying the game at 2-all.
A four-run fifth put the Eagles ahead for good. Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell) lined a leadoff single, advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt and third on a groundout. Matt Miller (Canton/Woodstock) hit a sharp grounder, but second baseman Jeff Ussery bobbled the ball which allowed Pierce to score.
Economos’ second straight double down the left field line scored Miller. That prompted Tech head coach Danny Hall to make a pitching change. Economos would score on Wirnsberger’s second consecutive double. Shehan ripped a triple into the right field gap, giving GS a 6-2 lead.
Tech plated a run in the seventh, and brought the potential tying run to the plate in Matt Wieters with two outs. Head coach Rodney Hennon brought in Kyle Kamppi (Savannah/Benedictine) to relieve Wilkerson. The sophomore right-hander got Wieters to line out, ending the threat.
The Eagles added three more runs in their half. Jeremy Beckham (Griffin/Griffin) singled to start the inning then went to third on Miller’s double. Economos delivered a RBI single to left. Wirnsberger tied the record with a ground rule double, scoring another run. Shehan’s sacrifice fly accounted for the ninth run.
Wirnsberger tied a Georgia Southern doubles record done several times, the last by Brent Stephens in May 2005 against East Tennessee State in the first round of the Southern Conference Tournament.
Wally Crancer hit a solo homer in the eighth then Payne lined a 2-run shot to left in the ninth, but Kamppi retired Michael Fisher and Wieters to complete the sweep.
“This was a good win for our team because we had to battle back after trailing. In our previous two wins we were ahead all game. We stayed away from allowing the big inning and played good defense,” said Hennon.
“Brian (Wilkerson) got into a rhythm and Kyle (Kamppi) pitched well out of the bullpen. We also made our at-bats count, there weren’t many we wasted.”
Sunday’s crowd was 1,633 as the Eagles averaged nearly 2,200 during the weekend series. Hennon thinks the weekend sweep against a nationally-ranked opponent, in front of two good crowds, will give his program a boost.
“These were big wins for our program, beating Georgia Tech in front of two pretty big crowds. Hopefully our fans will want to come back to J.I. Clements for more,” stated Hennon.
Economos and Wirnsberger both3-4-5 hitters accounted for seven of the nine runs. Beckham and Pierce added two hits apiece as GS held a 16-9 edge in hits.
Wilkerson (1-1) allowed three runs on seven hits in 6.2 innings. He walked two and struck out three. Kamppi earned his first save of the year, allowing the two hits while fanning two.
Payne and Tony Plagman had two hits and two runs scored for Tech (0-2). Ryan Turner suffered a loss in his first appearance of the year, allowing five runs (two earned) on 10 hits in 4.2 innings.
The Eagles hit the road again this week, traveling to Jacksonville. Georgia Southern plays Jacksonville University on Tuesday (Feb. 13) at 3:30 p.m. then the following day at North Florida, a 4 p.m. start.
WOFFORD 4, DAYTON 3
WOFFORD 7, DAYTON 4
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? Shane Kirkley drove in the winning run as Wofford rallied to score twice in the final inning on the way to a 4-3 win over Dayton in the first game of Saturday’s double header at Russell C. King Field.
Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Wofford strung together three consecutive hits to score the tying and winning runs. Sterling Dye started the rally with a double down the left field line and scored as Kyle Behrendt followed with another double to the left side. Kirkley came to the plate after a Dayton pitching change and slapped a base hit to right field to send Behrendt to the plate for the game-winning run.
The winning run was charged to Chris Rubio, who took the loss for Dayton. Rubio was nearly unhittable early in the game, striking out seven through the first three innings. Wofford third baseman Brandon Waring managed to tag Rubio early, however, launching a shot over the left field fence in the second inning to give Wofford an early 1-0 lead.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Dayton responded with a run-scoring double from Jeff Mercer in the top of the third. The double was one of two extra base hits for Mercer, who went 3-for-4 in the game with two doubles and an RBI.
Wofford reclaimed the lead in the top of the third on a Kirkley double and held the advantage until the fifth when Dayton scored in back-to-back innings to earn a 3-2 lead. Dayton managed four hits and two runs off starting pitcher Austin Redwine over the two-inning span, but Redwine settled down to throw a scoreless seventh.
Redwine (2-0) picked up the win for the Terriers after throwing his second consecutive complete game, scattering nine hits over seven innings while striking out six.
In game two of the double-header, Wofford scored three runs in the first inning to jump out to quick lead and never trailed during the rest of the contest.
Sterling Dye started the game with a bunt single down the third base line and scored later on a Kirkley single. Wofford added two more runs in the inning on a John Brandt single and a sacrifice fly from Mike Gilmartin. Gilmartin added another run in the third on a single to score Waring.
Dayton threatened a comeback in the middle innings as catcher Shawn Gizynski closed the gap to 4-1 with a solo shot to center field in the fourth inning. The Flyers had the opportunity to take the lead an inning later after loading the bases on a single and two walks, but Wofford reliever Lancer Player came in to get two straight outs to end the Flyers threat.
Starting pitcher Ben Austin (1-1) notched his first win of the year after throwing 4.1 innings of three-hit baseball, allowing only one run while striking out five.
With a 2-0 lead in the series, Wofford will host Dayton for their final meeting tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. at Russell C. King Field.
WOFFORD 10, DAYTON 4
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? The Wofford baseball team completed a three-game sweep of the Dayton Flyers with a 10-4 victory Sunday afternoon at Russell C. King Field.
Wofford (4-2) made quick work of Dayton starter Cale Ort by scoring four runs in the first inning. Junior Shane Kirkley started the rally by slamming his first home run of the year, a two-run shot that scored Sterling Dye to give Wofford a quick 2-0 lead. Wofford added two more runs in the inning on consecutive hits from freshman Mike Gilmartin and Emre Caglayan.
Kirkley’s shot was one of two in the game for the second baseman. After a Dayton pitching change in the second inning, Kirkley mashed another two-run blast that stayed just inside the left field foul pole to put Wofford up 6-0. Kirkley finished 2-for-4 in the game with three runs and four RBI.
The Terriers blew the game open in the fourth by scoring three runs on a two-out rally. Wofford opened the inning with two ground outs, but after a Dayton fielding error, Bradford Eaves doubled and Kirkley was hit by a pitch to load the bases. John Brandt came to the plate and singled through the left side to score two and give Wofford a 9-2 advantage.
With a stout lead, freshman Zack Parmer went to work on the mound and did not surrender another run until the sixth inning when Dayton outfielder Max Navalinski hit a sacrifice fly to score Shawn Gizynski. Parmer responded by striking out Frank Tedesco to end the inning and his day on the mound.
Parmer (1-0) earned his first collegiate win in his debut as a Terrier after holding the Flyers to six hits and two earned runs over six innings. The southpaw struck out three batters and walked one.
Wofford’s bullpen carried the team through the final three innings as Whit Kennedy came in for the seventh and eighth to surrender only two hits and one earned run. It took Lance Player only eight pitches, all strikes, to close out the final inning as Wofford completed the sweep and improved to 4-2.
Wofford will continue its homestand next weekend, Feb. 17, as the Terriers host the IPFW Mastodons for a three-game series. The teams will play a double header at 1 p.m. on Saturday and follow with a 1 p.m. contest on Sunday.
THE CITADEL 13, EAST TENNESSEE STATE 6
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? Sophomore catcher Sid Fallaw tallied a career-high five RBI to help lead The Citadel to a 13-6 victory over East Tennessee State in their season opener at Riley Park Friday night. Junior Chris Swauger and senior Zach Brown each tallied two-run home runs while redshirt freshman Bryan Altman scored four times in the contest.
The Dogs jumped on top in the first inning thanks to a two-run home run off the bat of Swauger. Junior center fielder Chance Smith led off the frame with a fly ball to right before junior third baseman Matt Arnold was hit by a pitch to reach first. Swauger then jumped on the first offering by ETSU starter Brandon Langston, sending it over the right field wall to give The Citadel a 2-0 advantage.
The Bucs tied it up in the fourth as first baseman Anthony Russell doubled to the gap in left with one out. Designated hitter Bubba Herbold flied out to center before Ben Allen doubled off the left field wall to push Russell across the dish. Another RBI-double off the bat of catcher John Weddle sent Allen home to knot it up at two. Citadel starter Wes Wrenn caught shortstop Justin Tramble looking to end the inning.
The Citadel recaptured the lead with three runs in their half of the inning as sophomore right fielder Sonny Meade led off with a single through the left side. Brown then blasted one over the right field wall to score two. Freshman designated hitter Richard Jones went down on strikes before Altman roped a triple to the hole in right center. Fallaw grounded out as freshman shortstop Kyle Jordan laced an RBI-double down the left field line to push across Altman to put the Dogs up, 5-2.
The Bulldogs then exploded for four runs in the fifth beginning with an RBI-single by Meade that scored Swauger, who reached on a one-out double to center. Brown walked before an error by Buc shortstop Tramble allowed Meade to score from second. Fallaw then stepped in and ripped a double to left center, pushing across two more to make it 9-2.
ETSU third baseman Tanner Moore homered to left in the sixth, while the Bucs capitalized on an error in the seventh. Tramble got things started as he led off the seventh with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Left fielder Michael Courtney grounded out before right fielder Troy Mendez reached first when center fielder Graham Couch and Altman got mixed up and let the ball drop in, allowing Tramble to score.
Three more runs were put on the board by the Dogs in the seventh. Fallaw added two more RBI to his tally with a single up the middle, plating Brown and sophomore Trey Thomas. Jordan then notched an RBI-single of his own to score Altman.
Former Bulldog Jon Aughey’s little brother, Justin Aughey, then stepped in for the Bucs and hit a jack just to the right of the scoreboard in the eighth. Herbold scored on a fielder’s choice to cut the Bulldog lead in half.
The Citadel added one final run in the eighth as Fallaw smacked his first career triple and notched a his personal best fifth RBI. His three hits in the contest also tied a career high with his previous three-hit performance coming during the 2006 Southern Conference Tournament against Georgia Southern.
Right-hander Wes Wrenn (1-0) picked up the win for the Bulldogs as he tossed 6.0 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and striking out six. Brandon Langston (0-1) was credited with the loss as he threw 4.1 frames, giving up seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and fanning two.
Five Bulldogs made their collegiate debut in the contest as freshmen got the start at shortstop, second base and designated hitter. Freshman Matt Simonelli pinch-hit, while freshman left-hander Raymond Copenhaver came out of the bullpen to pitch the final inning of the game.
EAST TENNESSEE STATE 5, THE CITADEL 3 (13 innings)
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? The Citadel came from behind in the ninth to send the game into extra frames but fell, 5-3, to East Tennessee State in 13 innings Saturday afternoon at Riley Park in the second game of the Bulldogs’ opening weekend sponsored by Cemex. The Dogs were able to get two on with no outs in the 13th, but Buc reliever Caleb Glafenhein sat down three straight batters to preserve the win for ETSU.
Glafenhein came on in relief in the eighth and gave up two runs to the Bulldogs in the ninth to even the score, including a home run off the bat of junior third baseman Matt Arnold. Glafenhein stayed in to pick up the win for ETSU. The right-hander tossed 6.0 innings and allowed two runs on nine hits while striking out three. Senior Link Saunders was credited with the loss as he went 2.1 frames, giving up two runs on two hits.
The Citadel (1-1) attacked first, putting up one in the second. Sophomore Sid Fallaw smashed a double down the left field line. Freshman left fielder Chris McGuiness then ripped an RBI-double down the opposite line to send Fallaw home for his first at bat in a Bulldog uniform. Freshman shortstop Kyle Jordan laid down a bunt that died in front of the plate as ETSU catcher Justin Aughey hurried the throw and pulled the first baseman off the bag, allowing Jordan to reach first and putting McGuiness on third. Freshman second baseman Bryan Altman went down swinging before sophomore third baseman Matt Arnold grounded into a double play to end the frame with the Dogs up 1-0.
The Bucs (1-1) stole the lead in the fifth as right fielder Troy Mendez led off with an infield single after first was left uncovered. Designated hitter Danny Petro popped up to first before second baseman Ben Allen dropped one in front of Swauger in center field. Bulldog starter Matt Crim hit center fielder C.J. Lee to load the bases. Left fielder Michael Courtney then drove in two runs with a single to the gap in left to give ETSU a 2-1 advantage. Crim forced third baseman Tanner Moore to ground out to second for the final putout of the inning.
ETSU extended their lead to two in the eighth as third baseman Tanner Moore started things off with a double to the gap in right center. First baseman Anthony Russell hit a fly ball to right for the first out, while Moore tagged up and sprinted over to third. Aughey then hit a deep ground ball to short for the second out, allowing Moore to race home. Right fielder Troy Mendez flew out to center to end the inning with the Bucs up 3-2.
The Dogs evened it up in the ninth to send the game into extra frames as Arnold blasted one over the fence in right field to pull The Citadel within one. Swauger grounded out, but Meade hit a high chopper to short and was able to beat the throw at first. Brown then laced one to short that got knocked down, but Tramble was unable to come up with the throw. With runners on first and second, Jones was called out on an infield fly before Fallaw stepped in and ripped a single through the right side, plating pinch-runner Aaron Beasley for the tying run.
The score stayed tied at three into the 13th where the Bucs plated two for the win. Courtney led off with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a wild pitch by Saunders. Russell then smacked an RBI-double over the head of Swauger in left to plate what proved to be the gamewinner. Freshman right-hander Raymond Copenhaver came in to relieve Saunders and gave up an RBI-single to Aughey, stretching the Buc lead to two.
The last time The Citadel went 13 innings was in 2004, also against ETSU. The Bucs earned a 10-7 victory in the second game of a three-game set in Johnson City.
Freshman right-hander Matt Reifsnider made his collegiate debut in the top of the sixth, making him the seventh player to don a Bulldog uniform for the first time over the weekend. Reifsnider tossed five frames, allowing one run on two hits while striking out two and walking one. Freshman Chris McGuiness also made his first collegiate start in left field and batted a perfect 2-for-2 with one RBI.
Fallaw again came through for the Bulldogs as he matched his career-high three hits for the second contest in a row. His RBI-single in the ninth also sent the game into extra innings.
THE CITADEL 11, EAST TENNESSEE STATE 4
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? Senior starter Justin Smith notched a career-high 11 strikeouts to help lead The Citadel to their first series win of the season with an 11-4 victory over East Tennessee State Sunday afternoon in the Bulldogs’ opening weekend sponsored by Cemex. The right-hander picked up his first win of the year as he threw eight innings and did not allow a single walk in the contest.
A home run by senior first baseman Zach Brown, his second of the series, evened the score at four in the fifth before the Dogs ignited for seven runs over the final three frames for their second win of 2007.
The Citadel (2-1) struck first for the third straight game as the Dogs put up two runs in the second. Freshman shortstop Kyle Jordan knocked in two as he blasted a triple to dead center. Brown led off with a walk and then back-to-back flyouts gave the Dogs two outs. Sophomore left fielder Trey Thomas laced a single to left before Jordan cleared the bases to put the Dogs on top, 2-0.
ETSU (1-2) answered with two of their own in the third to even it up. Citadel starter Justin Smith hit Buc second baseman Ben Allen to lead off the inning. Allen moved to second on a single off the bat of shortstop Justin Tramble. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch before right fielder Troy Mendez pushed a run across with an infield single. Left fielder Michael Courtney followed that up with an RBI-single of his own to score Tramble. Third baseman Tanner Moore then went down swinging before Smith forced first baseman Anthony Russell to ground into a double play to get out of the inning.
The Bucs took the lead in the fourth on two outs. Smith registered back-to-back strikeouts, but catcher Justin Aughey was able to race to first after swinging on a wild pitch. Lee reached on a fielding error by Bulldog third baseman Matt Arnold but was putout at second on a fielder’s choice by Allen, allowing Aughey to sprint to third. Tramble singled to center to send Aughey home, while Mendez followed up with another RBI-single to score Allen, putting East Tennessee up 4-2.
The Dogs came back to tie it up again, plating a run in the third and fifth innings. Sophomore right fielder Sonny Meade smacked a two-out single through the right side and raced around to score on a Brown base hit that got past Mendez in right field. Brown then came back in the fifth and sent the first pitch he saw over the right field fence for his second home run of the series, making it 4-4.
An RBI-single and a wild pitch gave The Citadel a 6-4 lead in the sixth. Jordan started things off, punching a base hit through the left side and moving to second on a sac bunt by freshman designated hitter Matt Simonelli. Arnold put Jordan on third with a groundout to short as Swauger was intentionally put on first. With runners on the corners, Meade singled up the middle to send Jordan home, while Swauger moved up to third. An errant pitch by Buc reliever Jon Stoudt then allowed Swauger to race home.
The Dogs exploded for five runs in the eighth with two outs. Fallaw hit a grounder to third with the bases loaded, but a throwing error by Buc third baseman Moore cleared the bases as Fallaw sprinted to third. Freshman second baseman Bryan Altman roped an RBI-single to left to score Fallaw as Altman crossed the dish on a double to the gap in right by junior center fielder Chance Smith, making the final 11-4.
Smith (1-0) allowed four runs (two earned) on nine hits while striking out 11 in his eight innings of work for the victory. His previous high was nine strikeouts against Davidson in 2005. Buc reliever Tony Lombardi (0-1) suffered the loss as he tossed 2.0 frames, giving up three runs on three hits and walking two.
Jordan tallied a personal best three hits on the day as he was 3-for-5 with two RBI and scoring once. Meade tied his career-high, also batting 3-for-5 with one run batted in and scoring twice.
The Bulldogs belted out 45 hits over the weekend and notched 22 RBI. Fallaw was responsible for six RBI as he batted .412 (7-for-17) in the series and had 11 total bases. Four other Bulldogs also batted over .400 in the three-game set to lead the team to a .338 average overall.
The Citadel will host Liberty, Richmond and No. 3 South Carolina in the Crab House Shootout presented by Trademark Properties this coming weekend, Feb. 16-18 at Riley Park.
COASTAL CAROLINA 13, ELON 0
CONWAY, S.C. ? The Coastal Carolina University baseball team (2-0) received a strong starting pitching performance for the second straight day and the Chanticleers belted out 16 hits in a 13-0 win over Elon (0-2) Feb. 10 in game three of the Springmaid Beach Resort Tournament in Conway, S.C.
Sophomore Bobby Gagg pitched six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out a pair. He then gave way to relievers Joey Haug, Nick McCully and Alex Watson, who combined to strike out three and walk only one in three innings.
Coastal got on the board in the first as senior Dom Duggan beat out an infield single, went to second on an infield single from senior Chris Raber and scored on a base hit from sophomore David Anderson. Coastal added a pair in the third. Duggan doubled to open the frame. He scored as a sacrifice bunt turned into a throwing error by Elon’s Adam Weaver. Coastal then loaded the bases with two outs and junior Dustin Koca scored on a wild pitch, making it 3-0 Chants.
Coastal sent 11 men to the plate in the fourth, knocking Elon starter Steven Hensley out of the game. Senior Adam Vrable walked to open the inning. He went to third on sophomore David Sappelt’s single. Duggan drove in a run on a double, his second of the day. Koca then brought in two runs on a single up the middle. Sophomore Tyler Bortnick brought in a pair off Elon reliever Will Romanowicz, making it 8-0 CCU.
Coastal scored two runs in the sixhth as sophomore Dock Doyle scored on an error and Bortnick was brought home on a wild pitch. Freshman Chance Gilmore drove in Duggan in the eighth to conclude the Chants scoring.
Duggan was 4-for-6 with four runs scored, while Doyle had three hits and three runs on the day. Bortnick drove in four runs and had two hits. Eight of Coastal’s nine starters had at least one hit.
For Elon, Pat Irvine and Matt Hill had two hits apiece. Hensley took the loss, allowing six earned runs and nine hits in 3.2 innings.
In the nightcap, Virginia defeated North Florida 10-1.
ELON 7, NORTH FLORIDA 1
CONWAY, S.C. -- The Elon Phoenix baseball squad sent 10 men to the plate to produce five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning en route to a 7-1 victory over North Florida in the final game of the Springmaid Beach Resort Tournament hosted by Coastal Carolina on Sunday afternoon.
The Ospreys (0-3) scored the game's first run in the third inning on a T.J. Gaudy homer off of Phoenix starter Zach Booker.
Elon (1-2) answered in the fifth inning and grabbed the lead for good, scoring five times. Singles from Chase Austin, Ryan Addison and Brett Arnold to begin the inning loaded the bases. Austin crossed the plate with the equalizing run on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Drew Davis. Chris Dove followed with an RBI single to give Elon the lead. Arnold scored one hitter later when Jordy Snyder delivered a single. Dove came in when Adam Weaver reached on a fielder's choice. A two-out double from Robert Rodebaugh plated Weaver with the fifth and final run of the frame.
The Phoenix tacked on two more in the sixth inning on RBIs from Davis and Snyder.
Snyder finished the day 2-for-4 with two RBI while Addison ended his afternoon by scoring twice and posting a 2-for-2 outing at the plate. Dove also scored twice.
J.D. Reichenbach (1-0) earned the victory, the first of his collegiate career, in relief of Booker. Reichenbach went 3.2 innings, allowing only one hit and striking out two. Booker lasted 3.1 innings and surrendered just the one run on four hits. He fanned five.
The Phoenix will return home to face Saint Joseph's next weekend. The two teams will begin the three-game set with a doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.