THE CITADEL 6, BROWN 5
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? Sid Fallaw’s RBI-single in the eighth proved to be the game-winner as The Citadel defeated Brown, 6-5, Wednesday night at Riley Park. The Bears overcame a deficit to tie it up in the late innings for the second night in a row, but Fallaw drove in Matt Arnold to put the Dogs ahead and freshman reliever Nick Sprowls pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the ninth to help preserve the one-run victory.
After falling behind 5-2, Brown (5-10) scored three in the eighth to even the score before Fallaw’s two-out hit. The Bears then threatened again in the ninth as they were able to load the bases on one out with a pair of walks and a single. The Bulldogs (17-8) then turned to their freshmen as right-hander Chris Boyce and Sprowls worked under pressure and each recorded a strikeout to prevent the Bears from scoring. Sprowls earned his first collegiate save in the contest as forced the only batter he faced to go down swinging for the final out.
Senior right-hander Stephen Williams (1-0) was credited with his first win of the season as he tossed 0.2 innings and held the Bears scoreless while only giving up one hit and striking out and walking two. Paul Costa (0-1) was pegged with the loss for Brown as he threw 1.0 inning and was responsible for the Bulldog’s run in the eighth, only surrendering one hit while fanning one and walking two.
The Citadel took the early lead as freshman designated hitter Matt Reifsnider blasted a three-run shot that bounced off the left field foul pole for his first collegiate home run. Brown pulled within one in the fifth as Chris Tanabe scored on a fielder’s choice and Jeff Dietz knocked a run-scoring single up the middle.
The Dogs regained a three-run lead in the sixth, plating two on a wild pitch and a bases-loaded walk. Brown tied it up in the eighth on an RBI-single off the bat of Ryan Murphy and a double by Steve Daniels that pushed two across before The Citadel plated the game-winner in the bottom half of the frame.
Freshman second baseman Bryan Altman paced the Dogs at the plate as he was the only Bulldog to collect multiple hits, batting 2-for-4. Reifsnider registered a career-high three RBI along with his round-tripper. Sophomore left-hander Chris McGuiness made his first collegiate start on the mound, but did not factor into the decision.
Daniels led the Bears at the dish as he went 3-for-5, including a double and two RBI as he was responsible for the tying run.
GEORGIA TECH 6, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 2
ATLANTA, GA. ? Georgia Southern could not come up with a key two-out hit, losing 6-2 at Georgia Tech Wednesday (March 28) at Russ Chandler Stadium. The Eagles (16-14 overall) split the season series with Tech 2-apiece.
Tech jumped out to another early lead and never trailed. Luke Murton drew a one-out walk in the first inning. Michael Fisher hit a hard grounder to third baseman Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg), but the Eagles were unable to try and turn a double play instead going for the out at first. That proved to hurt as Matt Wieters lined a RBI single up the middle for a 1-0 lead.
Jeremiah Parker (Carrollton/Carrollton) took Jared Hyatt’s first pitch of the third inning and delivered it into the left field gap, his fifth double of the season. He advanced to third base on Shehan’s groundout and scored when Jeremy Beckham (Griffin/Griffin) reached on an infield single. However, Tech regained the lead for good in its half of the inning.
Jason Haniger doubled to start the frame off Aaron Eubanks (Moultrie/Colquitt County). Danny Payne followed with a RBI double then Murton nailed his fifth home run of the season for a 4-1 lead. Fisher lined a single and Wieters reached on a fielder’s choice when the Eagles failed to turn another double play possibility. Head coach Rodney Hennon went to the bullpen and brought in Burt Barto (Columbus/Columbus). The junior right-hander worked out of the jam unscathed getting two flyball outs and a foul out.
The Eagles made two quick outs in the fourth inning before Mike Economos
(Atlanta/Marist) and Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) lined back-to-back singles. A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) was hit by Tim Ladd’s pitch for the team-leading 10th time to load the bases. However, Ladd struck out Parker to end the inning.
In the fifth, GS put the first two runners on again without a hit. Shehan walked and Beckham was hit by a pitch. Chris Hollis (Loganville/Faith Academy) sacrificed the runners into scoring position but the Eagles could not plate a run. Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell) hit a flyball but it was not deep enough for Shehan to tag and score. Matt Miller (Canton/Woodstock) grounded out to end the frame.
Fisher added a RBI single in the sixth to make it 6-1. During the seventh, Shehan singled with one out and Beckham was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game. Pierce sent a single up the middle to score Shehan, cutting the deficit to 6-2. Miller walked to load the bases and Tech brought in Wieters. He struck Economos out to end the scoring threat.
Six different Eagles tallied a base hit but the team stranded eight runners on base.
Eubanks gave up four runs on five hits in two innings. Barto pitched a career-high three innings, giving up an unearned run on one hit while striking out two. Kamppi allowed a run on three hits working two innings. He struck out two.
Hyatt (4-0) earned the win, allowing one run on two hits in three innings. Payne and Fisher had two hits apiece as Tech’s 1-3 hitters combined to go 5-for-10 with four runs and five RBI.
NORTH CAROLINA A&T 14, WOFFORD 9
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? Patrick Oates slammed two home runs and scored three times to lead North Carolina A&T to a 14-9 victory Wednesday afternoon at Russell C. King Field.
Oates went 3-for-5 in the contest and knocked two of the game’s six home runs. Brandon Waring homered for Wofford while Oates, Jeremy Jones, Kory Kinnear and CJ Beatty all had round-trippers for North Carolina A&T.
Waring crossed the plate four times for Wofford while posting a 2-for-3 performance at the plate. The junior third baseman hit his conference-leading 13th home run of the season along with a double and three walks. With the blast, Waring has hit the third most home runs in the nation while boasting the country’s best slugging percentage at .988.
Waring’s solo shot capped a two-run first inning for Wofford. Michael Gilmartin added the first run after leading off the inning with a double to right-center and scoring on a sacrifice fly from Shane Kirkley.
Oates gave the Aggies (8-15) their first run in the second inning with a solo home run down the left field line.
Waring added another run for Wofford in the third after reaching on a walk and stealing two bases before Bradford Eaves drove him in with an RBI triple. Oates and the Aggies tied the game in the next half inning, however, with back-to-back shots from Oates and Kinnear.
Wofford (16-11) momentarily regained the lead in the fifth on an RBI single from catcher Keith Munns to score Waring for the third time. Waring led off with a double before Munns drove him in for his team-leading 38th run of the season.
The 4-3 lead would be the last that Wofford held for the rest of the game, as North Carolina A&T tied it in the fifth and scored three runs in the sixth to take the lead. A three-run bomb from Beatty gave the Aggies a 7-4 lead entering the seventh inning.
The Terriers cut the lead to 7-6 in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out triple by John Brandt. Brandt ripped a 1-2 fastball down the right field line to send in Gilmartin and Waring. The run was one of three for Gilmartin, who finished 3-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI and three runs scored.
North Carolina A&T blew the game open with six runs in the seventh. Jones led off with a solo home run and the Aggies strung together a walk and five hits to take a 13-7 lead. Right fielder Joe McIntyre drove in two runs with a single to cap the offensive explosion before being tagged out in a run down on the same play.
The Terriers mustered three more runs in the seventh to cut the deficit to 13-9, but could not complete the comeback. Gilmartin and Shane Kirkley drove in runs with RBI singles while Sterling Dye drove in another with a fielder’s choice ground ball that resulted in a throwing error by third baseman Charlie Gamble.
With the lead in hand, the Aggies went to their bullpen and called on Ronald Phelps and Jody Calloway to pitch the final two innings. Each reliever threw one inning apiece and allowed no hits or runs.
Nick Rogers (1-3) took the win for North Carolina A&T after allowing four runs over 1.1 innings of work. Adam Kearney (0-2) took the loss for Wofford after allowing the go-ahead runs in the sixth inning.
NORTH CAROLINA STATE 6, UNC GREENSBORO 0
RALEIGH, N.C. ? North Carolina State starting pitcher Nate Karns allowed no runs and just one hit in four innings of work as the Wolfpack took the 6-0 victory over UNC Greensboro Wednesday evening a Doak Field.
Karns struck out a team-high four batters and is now 2-1 on the year. Jeff Stallings pitched three innings of relief and did not give up a hit.
Senior Nick Starnes (1-2) took the loss after allowing six runs on five hits in 2-1/3 innings of work. Freshman Rob Gilliam pitched 4-2/3 innings of relief for the Spartans and only allowed three hits, while collecting a game-high five strike outs. Junior Clay Gibson allowed just one hit in one inning of work for UNCG.
NC State (19-8) took the 4-0 lead in the home half of the first. After scoring their first run on a Spartan error, the Wolfpack’s Caleb Mangum doubled to leftfield to drive home Jeremy Synan and Ryan Pond, who both walked earlier. A RBI groundout scored the Pack’s final run of the inning.
UNCG’s (12-13) Ricky Orton opened up the third with a double to right and reached third with two-out foul out, but the Spartans were not able to bring him home as Greg Feltes was retired on a groundout to second base.
The Pack added two more runs in the third on a RBI triple by Pond and RBI single by Pat Ferguson, making it 6-0.
Scott Schneider and Ricky Orton each went 1-for-3 from the plate in the for UNCG.
GEORGIA 17, FURMAN 1
ATHENS, GA. -- Gordon Beckham belted two home runs, including a fifth-inning grand slam, and drove in seven runs to lead Georgia to a 17-1 win over Furman in baseball action Wednesday night at Foley Field.
Beckham, a sophomore shortstop, doubled and scored in a three-run Georgia first, hit a three-run home run in a four-run second, and blasted a grand slam in a seven-run fifth to headline a 20-hit Bulldog attack. Georgia came into the contest hitting only .263 on the season. The loss was the largest in 32 meetings between the two schools dating back to 1905.
Georgia’s early scoring barrage chased Paladin starter and losing pitcher J.P. Goldsberry (0-1) after 1 2/3 innings. The Paladins used seven pitchers, including Nicholas Karrow, who started the game at catcher before coming on to pitch a scoreless eighth.
The win went to Georgia starter Dean Weaver (1-1), who didn’t allow a hit and allowed only one walk while strking out three in three innings of work.
Georgia would score all the runs it need in the first inning. With one out Ryan Peisel singled, and Beckham followed with a double. After Goldsberry rallied to strike out Matt Olson, Rich Poythress delivered a two-ouot double down the left field line to score Peisel and Beckham.
Paladin second baseman Marcus Rose then misplayed a grounder off the bat of Joey Lewis, allowing Poythress to score from second base to give Georgia a 3-0 lead.
The Bulldogs roughed up Goldsberry for four more runs in the second, with the big blow coming on a three-run home run by Beckham to right centerfield to make it 7-0.
Furman got on the board in the fourth after Georgia reliever Alex McCree walked the first two batters he faced and then hit Tony Maccani to load the bases with no outs. McCree, however, induced a weak double play grounder by Will Stembridge that allowed Marcus Rose to score before retiring Joe Daysh on a fly ball to end the inning.
Furman didn’t get its first hit in the contest until Karrow drilled a one out line drive into right field in the fifth inning.
The Bulldogs blew the game open with seven more runs in the fifth inning highlighted by a Beckham grand slam to left field off Paladin reliever Spencer Hale that streched Georgia’s advantage to 13-1. Poythress capped the frame with with an RBI single that scored Matt Olson to make it 14-1.
A Jake Crane three-run blast in the eighth finished off the Georgia onslaught.
CLEMSON 15, WESTERN CAROLINA 6
CLEMSON, S.C. ? The 11-th ranked Clemson Tigers scored in all but two innings in which they batted, twice plating four runs in a frame as they avenged last week’s loss to Western Carolina, downing the Catamounts, 15-6, on Wednesday night in non-conference action at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
The loss was Western’s fourth-straight on the season, while Clemson improved to 36-2 all-time in games played at home against the Catamounts including having won 36 of the last 37 meetings with the lone WCU victory coming last season.
Down 7-0 after four innings, Western (14-11) pushed across four runs in the top of the fifth inning to close within three, 7-4. However, the Tigers responded with one in the bottom of the frame, three in the sixth and a four-spot in the home portion of the seventh to pull ahead for the win. WCU scored twice in the eighth to provide the final margin.
Senior transfer Kenny Smith went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and an RBI to lead the Catamounts, with former Tiger, senior John Ingram, going 2-for-4 against his old club. Junior Blake Murphy was 0-for-2 at the plate with two walks and two runs scored.
Clemson took advantage of back-to-back singles, a walk, a throwing error and a passed ball in the bottom of the second to grab the early advantage and eventually chasing Catamount starter, freshman Chris Masters (3-2). The rookie from Marietta, Ga., finished with two innings pitched surrendering four unearned runs with three walks and two strikeouts.
In the top of the fifth, Murphy ripped one to left field where Addison Johnson dropped the hard hit ball allowing the Waynesville, N.C., native to end up at second. Murphy came home when classmate Steven Strausbaugh pushed an RBI single through the right side. Singles by Ingram and Smith loaded the bases where freshman Nick Liles drove in a run with a walk. A third run came home as Mitchell Hatley reached on a fielder’s choice, forcing out Liles at second and scoring Ingram, with the final run of the frame scoring on the second RBI single of the frame off the bat junior Barrett Shaft down the left field line.
Trailing 15-4 in the eighth, WCU tallied its final two runs as Murphy drew a one out walks and advance to third on a pinch hit double down the right field line by Dylan deGraaf. Ingram drove in his lone run on a groundout to short, scoring Murphy, with the final run in the form of de Graaf touching the dish on an RBI single to left by Smith.
Ten Tigers posted hits for Clemson, which tallied 16 as a team, and were led by the 3-for-6 outing of Taylor Harbin, with Doug Hogan posting a 3-for-4 outing before being lifted late in the game.
HIGH POINT 9, ELON 7
ELON, N.C. ? The High Point Panthers rallied from a 7-6 deficit with a three-run sixth to earn a non-conference baseball victory over the Elon Phoenix from Latham Park on Wednesday night. The Panthers have now won four straight and sit at 15-14. Elon now owns a 14-14 overall record in 2007.
The Phoenix jumped on top early when Pat Irvine doubled home both Jordy Snyder and Adam Weaver in the bottom of the first. After a ground out advanced Irvine 90 feet, Chris Vasami lined a single to center, plating Irvine with the third Elon run of the game. The lead climbed to 5-0 when, with two outs, Mike Melillo lined his first homer of the year over the wall in right.
The Panthers answered in the second inning as J. Williams led off with a single to center and then rode home on Randy Schwartz’s fifth home run of the year. Three batters later, High Point closed the score to 5-4 as Pablo Rosario hit his second homer of the season, a two-run blast to right. Another two runs crossed the plate two hitters later when Robby Kuzdale hit the third two-run home run of the Panther second.
Elon evened the score at six in the bottom of the third when a wild pitch allowed Drew Davis to come in from third.
With one out in the fourth and Weaver on second and Irvine on first, Ryan Addison laced a single to left-center that scored Weaver.
After a 54 minute weather delay, the Panthers evened things up in the top of the sixth. Alfie Wheeler led off with a walk and went to second on a passed ball and scored on Kuzdale’s single to center and error by Addison. Jeff Cowan followed with a double down the rightfield line to plate Kuzdale with the go-ahead eighth run for the Panthers. Cowan later came around to score on Randy Schwartz’s single to right.
Zach Scott (1-1) earned the win in relief. He threw 2.2 scoreless innings and did not allow a hit. Tom Boleska threw a perfect ninth to earn his second save on the year.
Zach Booker (2-2) took the loss out of the pen for the Phoenix. He allowed three runs on three hits and walked eight. Daniel Britt threw 3.2 scoreless and hitless innings for Elon as well.
At the plate, Addison extended his hitting streak to nine games with a 1-for-5 night. Irvine and Melillo each drove in two runs for Elon.
Schwartz finished the night 2-for-5 with a run scored and game-best three RBI. Both Kuzdale and Rosario knocked in two.
NORTH CAROLINA 28, DAVIDSON 3
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. --- North Carolina put 11 runs on the board in the second inning, then 12 more in the third as the fourth-ranked Tar Heels coasted to a 28-3 win over visiting Davidson Wednesday night at Boshamer Stadium. The 28 runs for UNC were its most since scoring 31 in the season opener in 1981 as North Carolina improved to 23-4 while the Wildcats fell to 15-12.
The Tar Heels banged out 26 hits in the game, including six home runs, and every batter in the UNC starting lineup had at least one hit, run and RBI before the end of the third. Tim Federowicz led North Carolina by going 3-for-4 with a three-run homer, three runs scored and five RBIs. Both Garrett Gore and Seth Williams also had three-run bombs, and Benji Johnson blasted two long balls in his only two trips to the plate after pinch hitting in the fifth. Tim Fedroff also homered for one of his three hits, and Kyle Seager scored four times with three hits and a pair of RBIs.
A lead-off two-base error in the fateful second was an omen of the inning to come. With one out, Reid Fronk ripped a double into the left-center gap to put UNC on the board. After a hit batter, Gore hit the first pitch he saw over the fence in straight-away center for his first career home run and a 4-0 Tar Heel lead.
North Carolina wasn't done, however, as it tacked on seven more in the inning with two outs off senior starter Rob Wilson (1-2), capped by Williams' three-run jack. Only three of the 11 runs charged to Wilson -- the most off a Wildcat pitcher in five years -- were earned due to the error that started it all.
The onslaught continued in the third against the Davidson bullpen as the Tar Heels collected 12 hits in the frame, including Federowicz's three-run shot. Five different players had two hits in the inning as well.
The lone bright spots for the Wildcats were sophomore Matt Webb reaching base four times with a pair of singles, a walk and a hit by pitch; Gregory Zage's seventh homer of the season, a solo shot to put the 'Cats on the board in the fourth; freshman Tommy Piacenza stroking two hits, including an RBI double; and junior Bobby DeMuro hurling two scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth.
Adam Warren kept his record perfect for North Carolina at 5-0, tossing five innings and allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits and three walks while striking out a career-high nine batters. Tar Heel pitchers struck out a total of 17 in the game.