APPALACHIAN STATE 6, EAST TENNESSEE STATE 5
JOHNSON CITY, TENN. ? Isaac Harrow made sure Appalachian State University baseball wouldn’t have to try its luck in extra innings for the third time this season against East Tennessee State when he brought the winning run home with a two-out double in the ninth inning of Appalachian’s 6-5 victory on Tuesday evening at Cardinal Park.
Andrew Franco got the ASU rally started in the top of the ninth when he drew a two-out walk from ETSU’s Tony Lombardi. Franco advanced to second on a wild pitch, setting up Harrow’s game-winning double to right field on a 3-2 pitch.
Garrett Sherrill retired three of the four batters he faced in the bottom of the ninth for his fourth save of the season. The right- handed sophomore has appeared in five-straight games, going 1-1 with three saves in those outings. David Rubinstein struck out the side in the eighth for his first-career win.
Jason Rook opened the game in grand fashion with a solo home run that gave the Mountaineers a 1-0 first-inning lead. The blast marked the third-straight official at-bat that Rook went deep, going back to his back-to-back homers that spurred the Apps’ 10-inning win over Wofford on Sunday.
Nick DeRose also homered and drove in three runs for Appalachian (15- 11).
In his first game back after missing more than a month with a hand injury, Rand Smith went 1-for-1 with an RBI single, drew three walks, scored twice and made a highlight-reel-worthy, diving catch on the hill in right field, which saved at least a double in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Ryan Self paced East Tennessee State (18-9) with a 2-for-4, three-RBI effort at the plate.
The win was the Mountaineers’ fifth in their final at-bat this season, while the loss was the first in 11 tries this season for the Bucs when they led after five stanzas. The Bucs took each of the first two meetings between the two teams this season in 11 innings.
SOUTH CAROLINA 10, ELON 6
ELON, N.C. ? The nation’s top-ranked team visited Elon for the first time in any sport since the Phoenix moved to the NCAA Division I level as Elon hosted the top-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks in a non-conference baseball tilt on Tuesday night. Elon claimed an early 4-2 lead, but South Carolina rallied for six runs in the fourth inning and held off the Phoenix in a 10-6 game in front of a Latham Park record crowd of 1,421 fans. Elon fell to 14-13 on the season while USC improved to 22-4.
South Carolina took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first when Justin Smoak delivered a two-out, two-run homer over the wall in right that also plated Harley Lail who had led off the game with a single to center.
Elon answered in the bottom half of the first. Jordy Snyder led off with an infield single and moved to second on a walk to Adam Weaver. With one out, Ryan Addison laced a double just inside the bag at third that went into the leftfield corner, scoring both Snyder and Weaver. On the next pitch, Addison stole third and scored when the throw from the Gamecock catcher sailed into leftfield.
The Phoenix lead was extended to 4-2 in the bottom of the second when Zach Booker teed off on an Arik Hempy pitch for his first homer of the season, a shot that cleared the wall in left-center.
South Carolina went back on top in the fourth. Robbie Grinestaff led off with a single to right and went to second on a walk to Andrew Crisp. Travis Jones followed with a three-run homer to dead center, his second of the year. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases for Smoak with one out. Jesse Lewter got Smoak to pop a foul ball up that Drew Davis was able to get under in foul territory to record out number two. Phil Disher lined a ball back off of Lewter’s glove, but the Phoenix pitcher threw the ball away at first and three runs scored.
A bases loaded sac fly off the bat of James Darnell in the fifth, plated Jones with the ninth USC marker of the game.
Addison kept his hot bat alive in the bottom of the sixth as he took a 2-1 pitch and hit his fifth homer of the year and fourth in five games to lead off the frame and cut the Phoenix deficit to 9-5.
Elon inched closer in the eighth when Pat Irvine delivered Weaver with a single up the middle that left runners on the corners.
Jones went long for the second time on the night with a solo shot to lead off the top of the ninth for the Gamecocks. It was the first multi-homer game of the year for a USC player.
Elon threatened by getting two runners on in the bottom of the ninth before Wynn Pelzer got out of the jam.
J.D. Reichenbach (3-3) took the loss for the Phoenix after lasting 3.0 innings. He allowed six runs (five earned) on six hits. Jesse Lewter threw the final 6.0 innings for Elon, surrendering four runs (two earned) on nine hits. He also struck out four.
For South Carolina, Jordan Costner (3-0) picked up the win in relief of Arik Hempy. Hempy went 2.0 innings and gave up four runs on four hits. Costner shut out the Phoenix for 3.0 innings to earn the win. He allowed just two hits.
Addison led Elon at the dish, collecting his second consecutive four-hit game with a 4-for-4, two-run, three-RBI performance. Snyder added three hits in five trips for the Phoenix.
Kline led the Gamecocks with a 4-for-6, one-run game. Lail, Smoak, Disher, Jones and Reese Havens all had two hits for South Carolina.
GEORGIA TECH 10, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 2
STATESBORO, GA. ? Georgia Tech scored five runs in the sixth inning to pull away for a 10-2 win over Georgia Southern, Tuesday night (March 27) in Atlanta. The Eagles (16-13 overall) dropped their fourth straight.
Making his first start in more than a month, Josh Lairsey (Waycross/Ware County) was touched for four straight singles to start the game. Michael Fisher and Matt Wieters delivered a RBI to go ahead 2-0.
Danny Payne added a RBI single in the second inning, extending the lead to 3-0. The Eagles got one run back on their half of the third coming with two outs.
Matt Miller (Canton/Woodstock) singled through the right side and A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) reached on an infield single. Mike Economos (Atlanta/Marist) hit a sharp single to left field. Head coach Rodney Hennon waved Miller home and the sophomore centerfielder just beat Curtis Depart’s throw to the plate. GS also cut into the deficit in the fourth inning.
Jeremiah Parker (Carrollton/Carrollton) reached on a fielding error by third baseman Patrick Long. He advanced to second on a one-out groundout then scored when Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell) dropped a double down the left field line.
The Yellow Jackets (15-11) got that run back in their half when Long scored on Luke Murton’s two-out RBI single. Jeff Ussery lined a RBI double with two outs in the fifth, making it 5-2. Long hit a sinking line drive but Pierce made a diving grab at shortstop to save another run and end the inning.
Tech plated five runs in the sixth inning, capitalizing on three hits, an error and wild pitch. Of the five runs, three were unearned.
Wirnsberger hit his 10th double of the season, part of his 2-hit game. Miller added two hits as well and scored a run.
Lairsey (0-1) struck out a season-high five batters, but was charged for five runs on seven hits and walked three. Relief pitchers Burt Barto (Columbus/Columbus) and Mike Chiciak (Cherry Hill, N.J./East) each struck out two batters in an inning of work.
Eddie Burns (2-1) struck out a career-high 10 batters, retiring 11 straight at one point. He gave up two runs on seven hits through eight innings and did not walk a batter.
Payne had three hits and two runs scored while Fisher also contributed three hits and two RBI.
BROWN 6, THE CITADEL 4
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? A bases clearing triple by Steve Daniels in the ninth proved to be the game-winner for Brown as the Bears defeated The Citadel, 6-4, Tuesday night at Riley Park. The Bulldogs held a slight 3-2 edge going into the top of the ninth, but Brown rallied for four runs to go up by three and held the Dogs to only one run in the bottom half of the frame. The Citadel falls to 16-8 on the season while Brown improves to 5-9 after winning their last four of five games.
The Citadel fell behind early as Bulldog starter Matt Reifsnider surrendered a leadoff walk to Daniels. One out later, Devin Thomas doubled down the left field line to plate Daniels and put the Bears up by one in the first.
The Bulldogs took the lead in the third as freshman designated hitter Chris McGuiness started things off with a two-bagger to the gap in right center. McGuiness moved to third on a groundout by sophomore catcher Sid Fallaw. Freshman shortstop Kyle Jordan went down swinging before freshman second baseman Bryan Altman notched an infield single to send McGuiness home. Junior left fielder Chris Swauger then ripped a line drive to center for a double, pushing Altman across the dish to make it 2-1.
Senior first baseman Zach Brown extended the Bulldog lead to two in the fourth as he blasted his seventh home run of the season. Brown jumped on the very first pitch he saw and sent it over the right field wall to give the Dogs a 3-1 advantage.
Thomas answered back with a solo round-tripper of his own in the sixth to pull the Bears back within one. Thomas sent a 0-1 offering from Reifsnider over the fence in right for his second of the year.
The Bears then loaded the bases in the top of the ninth with one out on a pair of singles and a walk. Senior closer Link Saunders, who entered the game in the eighth, caught Robert Papenhause swinging for the second out before Ryan Murphy stepped in and singled to left to plate the tying run. Daniels then ripped his game-winning triple to clear the bases and make it 6-3. Senior Stephen Williams was called to the mound for the third and final out of the frame as he forced pinch-hitter Nick Punal to hit a foul pop-fly to third.
The Bulldogs tried to muster a rally in the ninth, but were unable to get more than one run across the dish. Sophomore right fielder Sonny Meade started things off with a base hit to right, but Bear reliever Rob Hallberg forced two groundouts that put Meade on third. Freshman Richard Jones pinch-hit and laced a single up the middle to send Meade home. The Dogs inserted Chance Smith at first to run for Jones. Smith swiped second to get into scoring position, but McGuiness popped up to the shortstop to end The Citadel threat and make the final, 6-4.
Saunders suffered the loss (3-2) after not allowing a single earned run in his last 11 appearances. The right-hander tossed 1.1 frames, giving up four runs on four hits while striking out three and walking one. Hallberg (1-0) was credited with the win as he went 1.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits.
Seven separate Bulldogs registered a hit in the contest while three Bears were able to notch two a piece. Thomas led the Bears at the plate as he batted 2-for-4, including two RBI, while Daniels drove in three runs.
Swauger’s double in the third was his 46th career two-bagger, making him only two shy of entering the all-time list at The Citadel.
COASTAL CAROLINA 6, COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 5 (10 inn.)
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Dom Duggan's two-out single in the 10th inning scored Adam Vrable from third base lifting 15th-ranked Coastal Carolina to a 6-5 win over College of Charleston in college baseball action before 313 at Patriots Point Field on Tuesday.
With the win, Coastal's 12th in a row, the Chanticleers improved to 24-3. Charleston, which opens a three-game Southern Conference series at Wofford on Friday at 6:00, fell to 18-7.
With two outs and the bases empty in the 10th, Vrable and David Sappelt drew walks and eventually moved to second and third on a wild pitch. Duggan lined a 1-2 pitch off CofC relief pitcher Russ Tomlinson into centerfield for the game-winner.
After the Chanticleers scored an unearned run in the top of the ninth to take a 5-3 lead, Charleston tied the game in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the inning. Graham Maiden singled to lead off the inning and one pitch later, Micheal Kohn, hit a two-run homer to left center, his seventh of the season, that tied the game at 5-5.
Matt Rademacher's solo homer leading off the second gave Coastal a 1-0 lead. The Cougars tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth on Ben Lasater's fourth homer of the season, a solo shot to left center.
Coastal scored three runs in the seventh on two-out run-producing hits by Tommy Baldridge, Rademacher and Dock Doyle to grab a 4-1 lead. The Cougars cut the margin to 4-3 in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Stuart Haywood and an RBI grounder by Chris Campbell.
David Anderson (3-1) picked up the win in relief allowing two runs on three hits over the final three innings. Mitch Besselievre (1-1) suffered the loss surrendering two runs, one earned, on two hits over three innings of work.
HIGH POINT 8, UNC GREENSBORO 2
GREENSBORO, N.C. ? High Point’s Tony Flores allowed just two runs on five hits in six innings of work as the Panther’s took the 8-2 victory over UNC Greensboro Tuesday evening at UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Flores (4-1) struck out one and walked three in the win. Glenn Jones allowed just one hit in two innings of relief, while Tom Boleska pitched a scoreless ninth to close out the game.
Sophomore Kory Judd (3-2) took the loss after allowing three runs on five hits in 1-2/3 innings on the mound.
High Point (14-14) jumped out to the early 3-0 lead in the first. With the bases loaded, Randy Schwartz sent a two-run double to right-center to score Robby Kuzdale and Jeff Cowan, who each singled earlier. Billy Alvino scored the Panthers’ third run on a groundout by J. Williams.
UNCG (12-12) got on the board in the fourth on a sacrifice fly. Junior Tim Carrier doubled down the leftfield line and advanced home on a sacrifice fly to left by Scott Schneider. The Panthers answered with a run in the fifth on a RBI fielder’s choice to take the 4-1 lead.
Spartan junior Greg Feltes recorded his 20th RBI on the season after his single to center scored Corey Overholtzer from second in the fifth. High Point followed with a run of its own in the sixth on a RBI single, making it 5-2 in favor of the Panthers.
High Point added three more runs in the seventh, giving the Panthers the
8-2 lead. With two outs, Schwartz reached second and Alvino scored on a Spartan error. Williams followed with a triple to center to score Schwartz and Eric Marion doubled to bring Williams home.
Carrier finished the evening with a team-high two hits, while Feltes and Schneider each recorded a RBI for the Spartans.
UNC ASHEVILLE 7, FURMAN 3
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - UNC Asheville scored four runs in the first inning and got strong starting pitching from Chris Nigro as the Bulldogs defeated Furman 7-3 in non-conference college baseball action at Greenwood Field Tuesday afternoon.
UNC Asheville (9-18) won for the third time in the last four games, while the Paladins (8-15) had their four-game winning streak snapped.
Nigro (1-2) allowed all three of Furman's runs in the first two innings but he allowed just two hits over the next five innings. After a Paladin hit with two outs in the second, the senior left-hander retired 10 straight hitters.
The Bulldogs were led at the plate by Elliott Arrington who went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Brett Robinson drove in two runs, while Rob Vernon scored twice. Senior shortstop Matt Henson hit his first career home run.
Furman's Marcus Rose, Jay Jackson and Cole Franklin had two hits each. Marc DeDecker (1-2) took the loss for the Paladins. Relievers Ian Perry and Butch Pucetas limited Asheville to just one hit over the final 5.1 innings.
Tony Maccani had a RBI-double in the top of the first to give Furman a 1-0 lead.
However, the Bulldogs answered back with four runs in the bottom of the frame. Kevin Mattison led off with a single. One out later, David Williams doubled down the left-field to put runners on second and third. Vernon followed with a RBI-single to knot the game at 1-1. Edmund Locklear walked to load the bases.
Robinson doubled to left-center, scoring two runs to give the Bulldogs the lead for good at 3-1. Arrington singled in Vernon to push the lead to 4-1. A strong throw from right-fielder Jay Jackson cut Robinson down at the plate for the second out of the inning.
The Paladins used some two-out lightning in the second to carve into the lead to 4-3. Connor Lind singled in Jackson to cut the lead to 4-2. Two batters later, Rose singled in Lind to make it 4-3.
But that was the last Furman would really threaten in the game as the Bulldog pitching limited the Paladins to just three hits the rest of the game.
Asheville got those two runs back in the third. With one out, Vernon was hit by a pitch and Locklear walked. Arrington singled sharply to right-field to score Vernon and pad the lead to 5-3.
An error would score Locklear and Asheville led 6-3.
The final run of the game came in the fourth inning. With one out, Henson hit a home run over the left-field wall to make it 7-3.
The Paladins took advantage of a Bulldog error in the seventh to place runners on first and second with two outs, but Nigro got Bobby Hubbard to ground out and end the Paladin threat. Asheville relievers Andrew Alexander and Justin Schumer pitched the final two innings to give the Bulldogs their second straight win.