GEORGIA SOUTHERN 3, BALL STATE 1
CONWAY, S.C. ? Brian Wilkerson (Bonaire/Houston County) pitched eight solid innings leading Georgia Southern past Ball State 3-1 in the first game of the Myrtle Beach Hyundai Isuzu Classic. The Eagles improved to 12-7 overall, playing the first of three games at the Classic.
The freshman right-hander gave up just four hits, one being a solo home run in the eighth inning as the Cardinals (3-8) avoided a shutout. He did not walk a batter and struck out five, improving to 4-1 on the season. A.J. Battisto (Pottstown, PA/Pottsgrove) pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his second save as the two Eagles kept Ball State from getting a leadoff runner on the entire game.
A two-out rally in the first inning put Georgia Southern on the board. Matt Miller (Canton/Woodstock) drew a leadoff walk but was erased on a double play. A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) lined a triple past a diving Wayne Bond in centerfield. Mike Economos (Atlanta/Marist) drew a walk. Both came home on Griffin Benedict’s (Dunwoody/St. Pius) double into the left field gap.
Kyle Blackburn (Marietta/Walton) drew a leadoff walk in the second against Brenden Stines and made it pay. Blackburn advanced to second on Brian Pierce’s (Roswell/Roswell) one-out walk and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Miller lifted a sacrifice fly to score Blackburn and give the Eagles a 3-0 lead.
Wilkerson faced just one batter over the minimum into the eighth inning before Matt Stoeklen hit a solo homer. Zach Dygert lined a two-out single but Wilkerson finished his outing by striking out pinch-hitter Joe Mack on a called third strike.
“Brian was outstanding, he located the ball very well. We played good, solid defense behind him, making a couple of big plays in the outfield with tough conditions (strong wind blowing left to right),” said head coach Rodney Hennon. “It was a great way to start the weekend. With the wind, it was a tough day to hit. Getting the lead early was big on a day like today.”
Benedict finished with three hits. Wirnsberger and Chris Hollis (Loganville/Faith Academy) accounted for the two other hits as Georgia Southern held a 5-4 advantage.
Stines (1-3) gave up three runs on five hits in six innings. He matched his season total heading into the game of five walks, and struck out five. Bond had two of the Cardinals’ four hits.
On Saturday (March 10) Georgia Southern continues play in the Myrtle Beach Hyndai-Isuzu Classic, hosted by Coastal Carolina. GS faces Bethune-Cookman at 2:30 p.m.
ELON 19, NORTH CAROLINA A&T 8
ELON, N.C. -- Chase Austin went 2-for-3 with a career-best six RBI while teammate Drew Davis equaled a career high with four hits in a 4-for-4, two-run, two-RBI outing as the Elon Phoenix derailed the North Carolina A&T Aggies by a 19-8 score from Latham Park on Friday afternoon. Elon upped its record to 9-7 with the victory while N.C. A&T dropped to 2-10 this year.
Elon scored early and often in this one and took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. With one out, Adam Weaver and Robert Rodebaugh drew walks which was followed by Chris Vasami being hit by a pitch to load the bases. Pat Irvine grounded to short, but the Aggie second baseman could not handle the toss to the bag and all runners were safe. Scoring on the play were both Weaver and Rodebaugh. Davis then doubled to the gap in left, extending his hitting streak to 11 games, to score Vasami with the third run.
The Phoenix tacked on five unearned runs in the second to extend its lead to 8-0. After the first two hitters of the inning were retired, Weaver reached on an error. Rodebaugh was then plunked and Vasami’s single to left drove home Weaver. Irvine promptly doubled to right to score Rodebaugh before Davis reached on an infield single that plated Vasami. Austin’s double down the leftfield line delivered both Irvine and Davis to cap the scoring.
N.C. A&T got on the board in the third inning when Nick Mayo singled home Lester Rivenbark who had reached on a wild pitch after striking out.
In the fourth, Elon scored twice more. The first came on Austin’s bases loaded bunt single and the second when Ryan Addison reached on a fielder’s choice.
Mayo picked up his second RBI of the game in the top of the fifth when his ground out plated Rivenbark with the second Aggie run.
Another five-run inning awaited Elon in the fifth. Weaver led off with a single and stole second. After a flyout, Weaver swiped third and scored on Vasami’s double to right. After Irvine and Davis reached to load the bases, Austin drew a walk to force in another marker. Addison’s ground out plated the third run of the inning before Jordy Snyder drove home two with a double to left-center.
Elon added three more in the sixth on RBI from Austin and Addison and finished off its scoring in the eighth with a single run on a sac fly from Austin.
North Carolina A&T tried to inch back into the game with a four-run seventh. With one out, Joe Wade drew a walk and moved to second on a single from Joel Battle. A fielder’s choice left runners on first and second before Mayo’s single loaded the bases. Jeremy Jones’ single and ensuing Elon error allowed two runs to score. Later in the inning, Joe McIntyre’s single through the right side of the infield plated two.
The Aggies added their final two runs of the game in the eighth on a Jones triple that scored Mayo and Battle.
Steven Hensley was solid on the mound for Elon and improved to 2-1 with the victory. Hensley lasted 6.2 innings and surrendered six runs (five earned) on eight hits. The sophomore equalled his season-high with 11 punch outs.
Nick Rogers took the loss for A&T, falling to 0-3 on the year. He went just 2.0 innings and gave up eight runs (two earned) on five hits. He was one of six Aggie pitchers used in the game.
Along with Austin and Davis' big days at the plate, Elon got three RBI from Addison and another three from Irvine. Irvine also scored three times while both Vasami and Weaver crossed the plate on four occasions.
For A&T, Mayo had three hits in five at bats, scored two and drove in two while Jones drove in three and scored another in a 2-for-5 day.
The 19 runs scored by the Phoenix are the most scored by Elon since a 24-run outburst on April 30, 2006 in a victory over Georgia Southern.
TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO 6, COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 4
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS ? Junior Greg Sillivent’s two-out single off the left field wall brought home junior Trent Lockwood with the winning run in the eighth and UTSA held on for a thrilling 6-4 victory against the College of Charleston on Friday at Wolff Stadium.
The Roadrunners improved to 5-9 with their eighth consecutive win at Wolff, while the Cougars saw their eight-game winning streak come to an end and fell to 12-2.
Lockwood led off the eighth with a liner to center off Charleston reliever Mike Lynn. After he moved to second on senior Ryan Saltzgaber’s sacrifice bunt, junior Zach Etheredge reached on an infield single that hit the third base bag and that put runners on the corners. Sillivent followed with his game-winning hit and sophomore James Keithley, who was 2-for-5 with three RBIs, drove in a pair of insurance runs later in the frame with a blooper to center to give UTSA an insurmountable 6-3 lead.
The Cougars made it interesting in the ninth by scoring a run with two down and then loading the bases off junior J.T. Mackey. However, senior Josh Blakely relieved Mackey after he threw two balls to Michael Harrington. The right-hander didn’t let the 2-0 count work against him, though, as he promptly evened the count with a pair of called strikes. After Harrington fouled off the next two pitches, Blakley got him to chase and ball in the dirt, giving him his first save of the season.
Mackey (2-1) picked up the victory, but the story of the game was senior starter Josh Ruffin. The right-hander held the nation’s second-highest scoring team (11.7 rpg) to just one run on five hits in seven strong innings. Ruffin struck out six and did not walk a batter in what was easily his best start of the year.
Lynn (0-1) took the loss for the Cougars, as he allowed all three eighth-inning runs on four hits in just two-thirds of an inning. Starter Nick Chigges gave up three runs on eight hits, walked two and struck out five in his seven innings of work.
Ben Lasater gave the College of Charleston an early 1-0 lead when he launched his third home run of the season with two down in the second.
The Roadrunners tied the game in the fifth, as Saltzgaber and Etheredge led off the inning with back-to-back singles and moved up a base when Sillivent laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt. Freshman Ryan Rummel, who was making his first collegiate start, then brought Saltzgaber home with the tying run when he hit a sharp grounder to shortstop.
UTSA took the lead the following inning when redshirt freshman Tim Palincsar led off with a walk, stole second and came home on Lockwood’s RBI single up the middle.
The Roadrunners pushed the lead to 3-1 in the seventh following Keithley's triple to right center that brough home Rummel with one out. However, the Cougars tied the game in the eighth with a pair of runs of freshman Zach Calhoon, who relieved Ruffin to start the inning.
UTSA rapped out 12 hits on the day, as five of the top six hitters in the order had a pair of safeties each.
WESTERN MICHIGAN 5, UNC GREENSBORO 1
JACKSONSVILLE, FLA. ? Western Michigan starting pitcher Ethan Hollingsworth allowed one run on eight hits as the UNC Greensboro baseball squad lost 5-1 to the Broncos at the University of North Florida’s Harmon Stadium on Friday afternoon.
Western Michigan (4-4) took the 1-0 lead in the top of the second on a RBI double by Kyle Galbraith. The Spartans responded with a run of their own in the fifth. Junior Tim Carrier singled to left and moved to second on a stolen base. A batter later, classmate Guy Welsh doubled to left to allow Carrier to score and tie the game at 1-1.
The Broncos used a pair of UNCG (6-6) miscues to score three runs in the sixth. Nathan Marquardt opened the inning with a double and scored the unearned run on a Spartan throwing error. Chris Lewis scored another unearned run off a wild pitch before Western Michigan scored an earned run to close out the inning.
Leftfielder Neal Miller scored on Kyle Gendron’s single to left in the ninth to give the Broncos the 5-1 advantage and eventual win.
Hollingsworth (1-0) took the win after allowing one run on eight hits in 5-2/3 innings on the mound.
Senior Ryan Falcon (1-2) suffered the loss after allowing four runs on eight hits in six innings of work. Falcon struck out a game-high five batters in the loss. Greg Martin and Clay Gibson all saw work of relief for UNCG.
Carrier went 3-for-5 at the plate with a run scored, while three other Spartans recorded two hits.
UNCG returns to action on Saturday when the Spartans take on Jacksonville at 1 pm at Harmon Stadium.
UAB 3, FURMAN 2
BIRMINGHAM, ALA. -- Heading into Friday night’s series opener against Furman, the UAB Blazers had hit just two home runs through 12 games. In a decisive eighth inning, the Blazers doubled their home run production with a pair of roundtrippers en route to a 3-2 win over Furman at Young Memorial Field.
Furman, which led 2-0 heading to the bottom of the eighth, saw its bullpen again victimized as UAB’s Ryan Keedy walked to lead off the frame and Ryne Lovdahl followed with a two-run blast to left off Paladin freshman reliever Ian Parry. Two batters later J.R. Bond followed with a solo shot off Parry to left field to put UAB ahead, 3-2.
Kyle Roberson pitched around a ninth inning double to record his first save of the season. The loss, Furman’s fourth straight, drops the Paladins to 3-8 on the season while UAB improves to 5-8.
Furman’s bullpen woes spoiled a solid effort by Furman starting pitcher Matt Klinker, who handcuffed UAB over 6 2/3 innings, surrendering only four singles and three walks while striking out seven.
Parry (1-1) took the loss after yielding three runs on three hits in 1 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out three.
UAB’s eighth inning rally made a winner of Blazer starter Mitch Kloskowski (2-1), who surrendered eight hits and a pair of runs over eight innings. He struck out two and didn’t walk a batter.
The Paladins grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a two-out single by Paul Ortenzo that scored Joe Daysh and Charlie Bailes.
Furman threatened to increase its advantage in the fifth after getting two runners on with no outs, but Joey Rodgers was retired on a pop up on sacrifice bunt attempt, and Ortenzo and Spence Gibbs were doubled off second and first base, respectively, to complete an inning ending triple play.
Furman forged a 9-7 advantage in hits with Charlie Bailes and Joe Daysh leading the way with two hits apiece.
WESTERN CAROLINA 9, XAVIER 4
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina scored runs in four of the first five innings and starting pitcher Tyler Sexton improved to 4-0 on the season as the Catamounts downed the Xavier Musketeers, 9-4, Friday afternoon in the first of a three-game series at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium.
The two teams are scheduled to meet on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 pm, with the finale slated for 1:00 pm on Sunday.
Sexton only allowed two Musketeers to score, one of which was earned, while scattering six hits in six solid innings of work to earn the victory. The junior left-hander from High Point also struck out and walked five. Freshman Blake Bostic made his first collegiate appearance, throwing one inning and allowing one earned run. Junior Andrew Larrimore pitched the final two innings giving up one earned run on just one hit.
Six Catamounts recorded multiple hits games offensively as Western collected 15 off Musketeer pitching. Junior Jonathan Greene finished a team-best 3-for-5 with two runs scored and one driven in. His classmate, Barrett Shaft, went 2-for-3 with a pair of sacrifice hits and a walk. Sophomore Mitchell Hatley was also among WCU's leaders with a perfect 2-for-2 showing at the plate with an RBI and he scored once.
Rounding out Western's multi-hit parade on Friday were junior Blake Murphy and senior transfers John Ingram and Kenny Smith, with the latter belting his fifth double and first triple of the season, driving in a game-high tying two runs.
Xavier (1-13) threatened in the top of the first with a one-out single to right center field by Adam Lipski to put a runner aboard. However, a force play at second base kept a runner at first with two outs. WCU's Murphy ended the frame by throwing out his third runner in the past two games, gunning down Adam Pasono at second.
The Catamounts took the lead in the home half of the opening frame as freshman Nick Liles extended his team-leading hitting streak to six games with a single through the left side to put one aboard with one out. The Laurinburg, N.C., native moved to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a Musketeer throwing error that put junior Steven Strausbaugh on for runners on the corners. Liles scored on the second wild pitch of the inning from Xavier starter Michael Lucas to give Western the early 1-0 lead.
Western (8-5) stretched its lead in the second as Smith opened the frame with a double to right and trotted home on a RBI single through the right side by Hatley.
A four-run third inning broke the game open for the Catamounts as Strausbaugh, Greene and Murphy combined for three-consecutive singles before Smith drove in the first run on what appeared to be a routine double-play. Strausbaugh scored first on the play with an errant throw to first by XU second baseman, Lipski, allowing Greene to score. Smith touched home on Ingram's RBI single to center, with Ingram moving around the bases on a wild pitch and scoring when Liles was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Xavier got on the scoreboard in the top half of the fifth inning as Jordan Wolf drew a one-out walk and moved to second on a Sexton wild pitch. With a 2-1 count, Lipski doubled down the left field line to pull the Musketeers to within five, 6-1. Yet, Western answered in the home portion of the inning with two runs as Hatley and Strausbaugh both touched the dish, taking advantage of a hit batsman, a walk and a Xavier throwing error.
The Musketeers would not go away, though, adding one run and threatening more in each the sixth, seventh and ninth innings. In the sixth, Xavier used an error and back-to-back two out walks to load the bases, scoring one run on a hard-hit ball that deflected off Sexton's glove for an infield single. However, the left-hander recovered and got Lipski to bounce to second to end the inning.
In the seventh, Bostic recorded the first out on just two pitches before three-consecutive singles loaded the bases. Robbie Kelley, who entered the game in the bottom of the fourth inning at third base for Xavier, lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in the lone tally of the inning as Bostic pitched out of trouble with a fly out to left by Neil Lindgren.
Smith answered in the bottom of the inning, providing the final tally with an RBI triple - his first of the season - in the WCU seventh.
Xavier's Lucas suffered the defeat, tossing just three innings while allowing six runs, five earned, on eight hits and a pair of strikeouts. He also was guilty of four wild pitches. Joe Kohler equaled Lucas' time on the hill, holding the Catamounts to two runs, one earned, while David Hartman threw the final two frames with one earned run and a pair of strikeouts.
CITADEL-COLUMBIA POSTPONED
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? The Citadel versus Columbia baseball game scheduled for Fri., March 9 at 5 p.m. has been postponed due to rain. The Bulldogs and Lions will now play a doubleheader on Sat., March 10 with game one slated to begin at 1 p.m. at Riley Park and game two will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Sunday’s game is still set for a 1 p.m. start time.
Due to inclement weather in the Charleston area, The Citadel and Columbia will have to wait for their first meeting. The Bulldogs are 8-4 this year, while the Lions began their season last weekend and currently hold a 0-3-1 record.
Citadel right-hander Wes Wrenn (2-0, 2.62 ERA) is set to face right-hander Bill Purdy (0-0, 2.00 ERA) in game one on Saturday, while southpaw Matt Crim (0-2, 5.40 ERA) and right-hander Henry Perkins (0-1, 4.56 ERA) will get the start in game two. Both games will be available on Bulldog Insider at CitadelSports.com.