ELON 6, DAVIDSON 0
ELON, N.C. ? Sophomore sensation Steven Hensley provided a dominating performance, striking out a career-best 16 hitter, to lead the Elon Phoenix to a 6-0 Southern Conference baseball victory over the visiting Davidson Wildcats in front of 698 fans from Latham Park on Friday night. The Phoenix (15-14, 5-2 SoCon) earned its second shutout of the season by blanking the Wildcats (15-13, 4-3 SoCon).
Pat Irvine’s double to the leftfield gap in the bottom of the first got the Phoenix out on top in the bottom of the first as Adam Weaver, who had singled, scored from first.
With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Chris Vasami singled to right. That was followed by back-to-back walks to Ryan Addison and Mike Melillo to load the bases. After the Wildcats turned the ball over to Bobby DeMuro, Drew Davis was plunked on a 1-1 pitch to force in Vasami with Elon’s second run.
With Matt Hill on second, Weaver bounced a ball through the left side of the infield that allowed Hill to score and push the Phoenix advantage to 3-0. After Weaver stole second, Vasami drove him in with a line drive single to right.
In the Elon eighth, Melillo led off with a double to right-center. After Davis was hit for the second time on the night, Zach Booker reached on a bunt single to load the bases with no outs. The fifth Phoenix run crossed the plate when Hill lifted a sacrifice fly to left. Jordy Snyder’s infield single loaded the bases back up for Weaver. Weaver’s hard ground ball to short turned into a fielder’s choice that allowed Davis to score.
Davidson threatened in the top of the ninth off of Phoenix reliever J.D. Reichenbach, using a double and two walks to load the bases with one out. Reichenbach then fanned Hugh Eden before Zach Kayne struck out looking to end the game.
Hensley improved to 5-1 on the year after an impressive 8.0 innings on the bump. He allowed just five hits and walked only one. The 16 strikeouts surpassed his previous career-high of 13 set in a complete game shutout of league foe Wofford last year. It was his third double-digit strikeout performance of the year. Hensley entered the night with a SoCon-best 49 strikeouts in 41.2 innings. Reichenbach allowed one hit and two walks in the final frame. The combined 18 K’s on the night for Elon pitchers was a season-high, surpassing the 15 strikeouts registered against North Carolina A&T on May 9.
Matt Knight fell to 2-4 after taking the loss for Davidson. Knight surrendered two runs on three hits in 5.2 innings. He also walked four and struck out five. Elon roughed up DeMuro for four runs on five hits in 1.1 innings before Chris Kennedy threw a scoreless eighth allowing one hit.
Weaver and Vasami each ended the evening with two hits while Weaver drove in two to lead Elon at the plate. Ryan Addison went 0-for-3 to snap his nine-game hitting streak.
Blake Osborn collected three of Davidson’s six hits on the night.
WESTERN CAROLINA 7, THE CITADEL 3
CULLOWHEE, N.C. ? Western Carolina junior starter Tyler Sexton tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts in a season-high eight innings pitched and classmate Barrett Shaft went 3-for-4 with a home run and three runs scored as the Catamounts downed The Citadel Bulldogs on Friday night, 7-3, in Southern Conference action at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium.
The win snapped WCU’s four-game losing skid and was its first league victory of the season improving the Catamounts to 1-3 and 15-11 overall. The victory also was the 230th for head coach Todd Raleigh, moving him into sole possession of second all-time in WCU school history, bypassing former teammate, the late Keith LeClair. The Citadel, playing its first official road game of the season, fell to 17-9, 1-3 in SoCon play.
First pitch of game two of the scheduled three is set for Saturday afternoon at 4:00 pm in Cullowhee. Western red-shirt sophomore transfer Drew Saberhagen (LHP, 2-1, 2.68 ERA) is scheduled to face Bulldog sophomore, Matt Crim (LHP, 2-2, 4.89 ERA).
The story of the night was the pitching performance of Sexton, who only allowed one hit past the fourth inning. The High Point, N.C., native scattered a total of six hits, allowing three earned runs and just one walk while matching his career-best by fanning 11 on 126 pitches. Junior Greg Holland closed the game out, striking out one of the three batters he faced in the top of the ninth inning in a non-save situation.
Shaft finished the game a triple shy of hitting for the cycle, tallying a single in the first, a double in the third and a solo home run in the sixth. He was also hit by a pitch in the fourth to tally three runs scored. Senior Kenny Smith was the only other Catamount to post a multiple hit game, going 2-for-4 with a single and a double, one run scored and an RBI. First-baseman John Ingram drove in a game-high two RBI in the win.
After a scoreless first inning, Western used back-to-back singles by Smith and junior Steven Strausbaugh to put runners on the corners with no outs in the home portion of the second inning. Freshman Nick Liles drove home the first run with a one-out grounder to second, reaching on the fielder’s choice after beating out the throw from the shortstop.
The Citadel answered in the top of the third using a lead-off single down the right field line by catcher Sid Fallaw, a one-out double in the same direction by second baseman Bryan Altman and an RBI single up the middle by Chris Swauger to tie the game at one apiece. Following Sexton’s second strikeout of the frame, Altman raced home on a wild pitch to give the Bulldogs the 2-1 lead, with Sexton recovering to strike out the side to end the rally.
Western retaliated, though, with four doubles before the first out was recorded in the home half of the third, scoring four runs on five total hits. Shaft opened the frame with a first pitch double to right center and scored when junior Blake Murphy doubled down the right field line. The Waynesville, N.C., native advanced to third on a single by junior Jonathan Greene which put runners at the corners for Ingram who lifted a two RBI double down the left field line as WCU reclaimed the lead, 4-2. A fourth run touched home as Smith doubled to right field to drive in Ingram.
The Catamounts extended the lead in the fourth as Shaft, who was hit by a pitch, scored on a sacrifice fly to left center field by Greene to push the lead to 6-2. WCU added another run in the sixth as Shaft laced a two-out, 0-1 pitch over the wall in left center field for the 7-2 count.
In the eighth, the Bulldogs made things interesting as Swauger was first-pitch swinging, drilling a shot to right center field that appeared to clear the fence. Upon further review, the umpires signaled a ground rule double, putting Swauger at second with no outs. A fly out by Sonny Meade to center advanced Swauger to third, eventually scoring on a ground out to first, providing the final tally, 7-3.
Bulldog starter Wes Wrenn suffered his third defeat of the season, falling to 3-3 overall after going six innings allowing seven earned runs on nine hits with five strikeouts and two walks. Relievers Raymond Copenhaver and Nick Sprowls combined for two innings of hitless and scoreless baseball for the Cadets. Offensively, Swauger led the team with a 2-for-4 showing at the plate with the double as five Bulldog hitters combined for their six hits.
APPALACHIAN STATE 8, FURMAN 4
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Nick DeRose delivered a three-run double in the eighth inning to break open a close game and propel Appalachian State to an 8-4 win over error-plague Furman in Southern Conference baseball action Friday night at Furman Stadium.
DeRose’s key hit helped Appalachian State (16-11, 5-2 SoCon) to its fifth straight win and gave Furman (8-17, 4-3 SoCon) its third straight loss. The Paladins committed a season high seven errors in the contest, which contributed to five unearned runs.
With the Mountaineers holding a 3-2 lead, ASU’s Isaac Harrow led off the eight with a bloop single to center field. With one out, Tom Prosser walked and Chris Baker reached on an infield error to load the bases. DeRose then drilled a pitch from Paladin reliever Nick Hollstegge into the right field gap to clear the bases and give ASU a 6-2 lead.
Furman narrowed the gap to 6-4 in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run home run by Jay Jackson off Mountaineer reliever Garrett Sherrill, but ASU got the runs back in the ninth without the benefit of a hit. David Rubenstein reached base after Paladin first baseman Joe Daysh failed to glove a shoulder high throw from shortstop, and Daysh then made his second error of the frame after fielding a sharp grounder off the bat of Andrew Franco and throwing high to second base in a force attempt. Following a sacrifice, Rubenstein scored on a wild pitch, and Franco came home on Tom Prosser’s groundout.
ASU starting pitcher Matt Andress (3-2) got the win after pitching seven innings and giving up five hits and two runs. He walked three and struck out three.
Matt Klinker (3-2) took to the loss for Furman after going 7 1/3 innings and yielding seven hits and four runs, though only two were earned. He walked one and struck out three.
Both teams collected eight hits. Jason Altenhof paced Appalachian State with a 2-for-5 performance. Furman was led at the plate by Jackson, Bobby Hubbard, and Spence Gibbs with two hits each. Gibbs and Jackson both homered for the Paladins but combined to commit three of the Paladins’ seven errors.
Furman grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third inning on Hubbard’s two-out single of Andress that scored Gibbs.
Appalachian State took the lead in the fourth on a Franco solo home run to left field and on a run by David Towarnicky, who drew a two-out walk, advanced to second on a Prosser single, and came around to score when Gibbs allowed a one-hop grounder to bounce off his glove into centerfield.
The Mountaineers made it 3-1 with another unearned run in the fifth. With one out, Jason Rook singled to right field and moved to second on a groundout before scoring on a Franco line drive to that bounced off the glove of Jackson in left field.
Furman narrowed the ASU lead to 3-2 with a Gibbs leadoff home run in the fifth before the Mountaineers broke the game open with the big three-run eighth.
UNC GREENSBORO 2, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 0
GREENSBORO, N.C. ? UNC Greensboro senior Ryan Falcon pitched his first complete game and shutout of the season to lead the Spartans to the 2-0 victory over Southern Conference foe Georgia Southern on Friday evening at UNCG Baseball Stadium.
With the win, the Spartans improve to 13-13 overall with a 2-3 conference record. Georgia Southern is now 14-12 overall and 0-4 in the SoCon.
Falcon (2-5) scattered just two hits and gave up two walks while on the mound for UNCG. The Rougemont, NC product struck out a season-high eight batters throwing 109 pitches.
Brian Wilkerson (4-4) took the loss after allowing two runs on four hits. Wilkerson struck out four batters in eight innings of work.
After 6-1/2 scoreless innings, UNCG took the lead when junior Ricky Orton blasted a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh. Greg Feltes singled and stole second before Orton sent his second roundtripper of the season over right-center field. It was enough to give the Spartans the 2-0 win.
Orton led the Spartans behind the plate and finished 2-for-3 in the victory. Feltes and junior Scott Schneider each tallied a hit for UNCG.
UNCG and Georgia Southern continue a three-game series Saturday afternoon at 1 pm from UNCG Baseball Stadium.
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 8, WOFFORD 5
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? Nick Chigges held Wofford to six hits and three runs while striking out seven to lead College of Charleston to an 8-5 win Friday night at Russell C. King Field.
Chigges (4-0) allowed only three hits and one run through the first six innings before giving up a two-run homer to Terrier shortstop Michael Gilmartin with two outs in the seventh. With the win, Chigges ties College of Charleston’s career record of 24 victories.
Wofford second baseman Shane Kirkley roped a double down the left field line in the first inning, but the Terriers would not manage another hit off the Cougar ace until the fifth. Chigges retired 11 straight batters during that stretch including six strikeout victims.
College of Charleston (19-7, 4-0) provided Chigges with plenty of early run support as shortstop Oliver Marmol blasted a grand slam in the top of the second to put the Cougars up 5-0. Charleston loaded the bases on a single and two walks and following a force out at home plate, the Cougars scored their first run on another walk. Marmol followed with a 4-run blast to left field for his third round-tripper of the season.
A sacrifice fly by Stuart Haywood scored Gabe Marchant to put Charleston up 6-0. Marchant led off the inning with a double to left-center field and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Marmol before scoring.
Wofford (16-12, 0-4) got on the board in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI single from outfielder Sterling Dye. Dye drove in Neil Robinette from second base after the freshman first baseman got on with a single.
The Cougars regained the run in the next half inning to go up 7-1. Chris Campbell slapped an RBI single to score Haywood from second after the center fielder reached base with a single and stole second.
Wofford cut the lead to 7-3 in the seventh thanks to a two-run blast by Gilmartin. Batting from the left side of the plate, Wofford’s freshman switch hitter pulled a 1-2 fastball with two outs over the right field fence to score Dye. The run was one of two in the game for Dye, who drew two walks and scored on both.
College of Charleston would score its last run in the top of the eighth on an RBI single from Haywood. Haywood’s drive to right field scored Marchant who reached second with his second double of the game.
The Cougars pulled Chigges in the in the bottom of the eighth after the senior right-hander threw 119 pitches in his seven innings. Curtis Dowling pitched a hitless eighth inning before being pulled in favor of Mike Lynn in the ninth.
The Terriers put themselves in a position to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, but the Cougars called on their expected starter for Sunday’s game, Michael Bunton, who ended the threat. Lynn walked two batters before Charleston went to freshman right-hander Russ Tomlinson, who also walked two batters and allowed a run to score. With the bases loaded after the walks, Kirkley drove in Adam Kearney on a ground out to third base for the second out of the inning. An error by Marmol allowed another run to score and kept the bases loaded. Charleston dug into its starting weekend rotation and called on Bunton to escape the threat. Bunton responded by snagging a hard-hit groundball up the middle by Keith Munns to end the game with a force out at first.