APPALACHIAN STATE 10, WAKE FOREST 9
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. ? Appalachian State University baseball erased a 7-0 second-inning deficit with three runs in the third and seven in the fourth and held on for an impressive 10-9 win over local-rival Wake Forest on Tuesday at Hooks Stadium.
Right-fielder Jason Rook capped the comeback from the seven-run deficit with a two-out grand slam in the fourth inning that gave Appalachian a 10-7 lead. In all, ASU sent 20 batters to the plate in the two-inning rally (nine in the third and 11 in the fourth), marking the eighth and ninth times in just 33 innings this season that it has batted around the order.
From there, the Mountaineer bullpen made sure the lead held up. Relievers Brandon Graves, Matt Andress and Garrett Sherrill combined to allow just two runs on five hits over the final seven innings. Graves earned his first win in the Black and Gold with five innings of five-hit relief, while Sherrill, the reigning Southern Conference Pitcher of the Week, retired six of the seven batters he faced for the two-inning save, his first of the season.
In addition to Rook, who finished 2-for-4 with four RBI, Appalachian (4-1) was led offensively by Winston-Salem native Wes Hobson, who banged out a game-high three hits, scored two hits and drove in another. Shortstop Jason Altenhof and left fielder David Rubinstein added two hits and two runs apiece and center fielder Tom Prosser recorded a game-high three RBI.
Shortstop Dustin Hood went 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI for Wake Forest (3-1).
The win snapped the Mountaineers’ 17-game losing streak to the Demon Deacons, dating back to a two-game season sweep in 1996, and a 40-game skid versus Atlantic Coast Conference opposition, dating back to a 11-10 win over North Carolina in 1997.
Appalachian will try to extend its success versus ACC foes when it travels for a weekend series at No. 2 Florida State. The three-game set opens at 5 p.m. Friday at FSU’s Dick Howser Stadium.
CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 17, COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 9
CHARLESTON, S.C. --- Charleston Southern scored 12 runs in its first two at bats en route to a 17-9 college baseball victory over the College of Charleston at Buccaneer Field on Tuesday evening the season series at 1-1.
CSU improved to 6-3 on the season. College of Charleston, which opened it's season with a 9-5 over the Bucs on Wednesday, fell to 4-1.
Anthony Hayes led the way offensively, going four-for-five from the plate with five RBI and a grand slam that broke open the game in the second inning.
Cody Higgins picked up the victory for the Bucs going 5.2 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits. Robert Jeraszko (0-1) suffered the loss.
Justin Fyle hit his first home run of the season in the first inning, a two-run shot over the right field wall to give the Bucs a 2-0 lead going into the second.
The Bucs scored 10 runs in the second inning highlighted by Hayes grand slam to left. Charleston's Chris Campbell and Graham Maiden each hit two-run homers.
The Bucs and Cougars will each play against Cleveland State and George Mason this weekend, with CSU facing Cleveland State on Friday at 2 p.m. The Cougars will face George Mason on Friday at 5 p.m.
KENNESAW STATE 7, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 5
KENNESAW, GA. ? Georgia Southern could not rally from committing five errors and a 56-minute rain delay, dropping a 7-5 decision at Kennesaw State Tuesday night (Feb. 20). The loss snapped the Eagles’ (8-3 overall) winning streak at seven games. It was their first loss in the continental United States.
The game was halted 56 minutes in the bottom of the eighth due to rain. Kyle Kamppi (Savannah/Benedictine) came on in relief for a 1-2-3 inning, striking out two batters.
Georgia Southern brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth after A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) drew a two-out walk. However, Justin Freeman earned his second save when he got Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) to strike out.
The Eagles faced their biggest deficit of the season when Kennesaw State (2-3) plated four runs in the first. A leadoff double from Martin Baker and walk put the first two runners on. A sacrifice bunt moved both into scoring position. Jay Morrow hit a RBI groundout. A RBI double from Adam Cross plated one run, then another scored on Jace Whitmer’s line drive to the right centerfield fence for a triple. Brady Vaughn reached on an infield single, scoring the fourth run.
A two-out rally in the second inning cut into the Owls’ lead. Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry) walked then Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell) followed with a single up the middle. Chris Hollis (Loganville/Faith Academy) sent a shot over first base, down the right field line, for a 2-run triple.
Kennesaw loaded the bases in its half of the second against relief pitcher Charlie Strohecker (Alpharetta/Milton). An error, hit batter and two-out walk loaded the bases. After jumping ahead 0-2 on Morrow the count went full, but Strohecker struck him on a called third strike to end the inning.
Mike Economos (Atlanta/Marist) ripped a one-out double in the third, his team-leading ninth. Wirnsberger followed with a RBI double to nearly the same spot in right field. Benedict drew a four pitch walk, which chased starter Kody Paul. Relief pitcher Kyle Muschara (1-0) got a flyout and strikeout to end the third.
Hollis beat out an infield single with one down in the fourth. He stole second then scored on Miller’s RBI single to tie the game at 4-all. The Owls took advantage of two errors to score a pair of unearned runs in the fourth, regaining a 6-4 lead.
Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg), who made one of the fielding errors which allowed a run to score in that fourth inning, got a run back thanks to his third home run on the year. His solo shot to left centerfield in the fifth made it 6-5 Owls.
During the fifth, Vaughn lined a leadoff double. When Andrew Martin walked, Vaughn took third on a passed ball. Head coach Rodney Hennon brought in Aaron Eubanks (Moultrie/Colquitt County). The junior left-hander walked the first two batters he faced, bringing home one run. He averted further damage thanks to a strikeout, foul out and groundout to end the fifth but the Eagles trailed 7-5.
Following Wirnsberger’s one-out single, Shehan came up two batters later. He drove one into the gap, but Morrow in left field made a running grab to rob Shehan of extra bases and end the inning.
Josh Lairsey (Waycross/Ware County) allowed four runs on four hits in the opening inning. Strohecker gave up three runs (one earned) on three hits in three innings of work. He walked three and struck out three, falling to 3-1 this year. Eubanks pitched three hitless innings, striking out a career-high five batters.
“We had every opportunity tonight, Kennesaw deserved to win the game they made some plays,” said Hennon. “I thought Charlie Strohecker kept us in game. One of the positives was Aaron (Eubanks), he gave our team a lift. The bottom line was our defense, we didn’t make plays and didn’t make good decisions, forced the issue at times. We’ll put this behind us, go back to work and prepare for good Southern Miss team Friday.”
Hollis and Wirnsberger had two hits apiece as the Eagles held a 9-7 hits advantage.
Vaughn had three hits while Baker scored two runs for the Owls. Muschara allowed two runs on three hits in 2.2 innings.
Georgia Southern travels Dothan, Alabama, this weekend for the Wiregrass Classic. The Eagles’ opponents include: Southern Miss (Friday at 3 p.m.), Troy (Saturday at 7 p.m.) and Indiana (Sunday, 11 a.m.). All scheduled start times are Eastern.