DAVIDSON 6, FURMAN 4
DAVIDSON, N.C. ? Senior Alden Crissey belted a two-run walk-off homer in the ninth, capping a three-run rally as Davidson defeated visiting Furman on Sunday afternoon, 6-4, in the rubber game of the series at Wilson Field. The victory boosts Davidson’s record to 8-1 this season, its best start to a season in 20 years, and 2-1 in the Southern Conference. The Paladins fall to 3-6 overall and 1-2 in the league.
Holding a 4-3 advantage in the bottom of the ninth, Furman called upon closer Nick Hollstegge (0-1) to save the game. The Wildcats had other plans, however, as Kannapolis native Brett Shore dumped a single to center to lead off the inning. Sophomore Zach Kayne bunted him to second, and shortstop Matt Webb, coming off a 4-for-5 day yesterday, hit a sinking liner to left on the first pitch he saw. The left fielder seemed to have trouble deciding whether or not to dive for it, and got caught in-between as he fell awkwardly and the ball fell safely. As he lay on the ground injured, Webb scooted all the way to third for a game-tying triple.
Crissey worked the count to 2-2 before finding a pitch to his liking. He lashed his bat through the zone and connected, sending the sphere down the left-field line. Perhaps aided by a little body English, the ball stayed fair for the game-winning blast, his first long ball of the season. It was the second walk-off hit of his career and first game-ending homer since Taylor Shoop hit a pinch-hit two-run shot against The Citadel on April 29, 2005.
For the first time this season, Davidson got on the scoreboard first, taking an early 1-0 lead. The Wildcats loaded the bases in the first on a one-out walk to Webb, a single through the right side by Crissey and a two-out walk to senior Gregory Zage. Senior Blake Osborn ripped a pitch to left for an RBI single, and Furman starter Mason Webb avoided further damage when Chris FitzPatrick’s drive to center was hauled in with an over-the-shoulder catch by Joey Rodgers.
The Paladins responded with a run of their own in the second. Tony Maccani singled with one out, went to second on another single just over Webb’s outstretched glove at short, then scored on Marcus Rose’s line single off the glove of a diving Kayne at second.
Furman took a brief 2-1 lead in the third on an RBI double to left by Campbell Lewis, plating Connor Lind who had reached on an infield single. In the bottom half, the Wildcats quickly tied the game when Webb led off with a double and scored on a single up the middle off the bat of Crissey.
One of the very few mistakes Davidson starting pitcher Mac Read made came in the sixth when he hung a curveball to Paul Ortenzo, who drove the pitch into the trees in left for a two-out, two-run homer and a 4-2 Paladins lead. The freshman from Lumberton, N.C., pitched seven strong innings for the ’Cats, allowing four runs on nine hits while not walking one batter and striking out a personal-best six hitters.
The Wildcats cut the two-run deficit to one in their half of the sixth. Shore drew a two-out walk, stole second and came home on Kayne’s chopper over the first baseman’s head for an RBI single.
Junior Bobby DeMuro (1-1) picked up his first win of the season by retiring all four batters he faced, including the final out of the eighth with two men on base.
Crissey banged out three of Davidson’s nine hits in the game while driving in three of the six runs. Webb was the only other Wildcat with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with a double, triple, two walks and three runs.
Rodgers had a perfect day at the plate for Furman with three hits in three trips to the plate with a double, run scored, sacrifice bunt and a stolen base. As a team, the Paladins collected 11 safeties on the afternoon.
While five of the first eight games for Davidson lasted at least three hours (and another 2:59), this contest took just 2:23 as the Wildcats did not walk a batter and neither side committed an error.
WOFFORD 9, NIAGARA 3
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? The Wofford baseball team completed a three-game sweep of the Niagara Purple Eagles with a 9-3 victory Sunday afternoon at Russell C. King Field.
The win marks Wofford’s 11th win in its last 12 games and the third time this season that the Terriers have swept an opponent. Wofford now stands at 12-3 overall, the team’s best start since 1988, when the Terriers went 12-3 over their first 15 games.
Wofford outscored Niagara 33-10 in the three-game spread and outhit the Purple Eagles 31-20.
After gathering only four hits in the second game of Saturday’s double header, the Purple Eagles came out swinging in Sunday’s game and strung together three straight base hits off starter Zack Parmer to take an early 2-0 lead. Andrew Macdonald and Harrison Harber reached base on consecutive singles and scored on a base-clearing double by Niagara first baseman Tim Alberts.
Niagara’s lead was short-lived, however, as Wofford put together runs in the first and second innings to tie the game. Brandon Waring gave the Terriers their first run with an RBI single that scored Mike Gilmartin from second. Wofford followed with another run in the second inning as catcher Keith Munns singled to left to drive in Sterling Dye, who reached base on a double earlier in the inning. The double was one of two for Dye, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run in the contest.
With the score tied, Parmer (3-0) went to work and held Niagara scoreless for the next three innings, allowing only two more hits until the fifth when Macdonald sent a solo shot to right field cut into Wofford’s three-run lead. Wofford took the lead in the previous half inning when Munns, Emre Caglayan and Gilmartin pieced together three straight RBI hits to give the Terriers a 5-2 lead.
Niagara threatened to narrow the gap again in the sixth when a Wofford fielding error and a double by catcher James Nikolaides put runners on second and third with one out. Wofford went to reliever Lance Player to escape the jam, and the senior right-hander delivered by forcing a groundout and strikeout to end the threat.
Player cruised through the final three innings, allowing one hit and no runs to earn his second save of the season. The senior from Lancaster, S.C., has not given up a run in his last four outings, which includes 10 2/3 innings of work out of the bullpen. During that stretch, Player has allowed only three hits while striking out six.
Parmer recorded the win for the Terriers, allowing three runs and nine hits over 5 1/3 innings. With Sunday’s performance, the freshman southpaw lowered his season ERA to 4.00.
Wofford recorded 14 hits in the contest with seven different Terriers contributing to the team total. Five had multiple hits in the game, with Mike Gilmartin and Keith Munns leading the pack with three apiece. Gilmartin went 3-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI, while Munns was 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI.
Junior third baseman Brandon Waring also contributed two hits, two RBI, a stolen base and a run, marking the 21st time that the junior has crossed the plate this season. Waring has reached the plate in all but three games this season while amassing a .413 batting average and a team-high five stolen bases.
APPALACHIAN STATE 5, DAYTON 3
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Powered by three hits and three RBI from David Rubinstein and seven strong innings on the mound by Jason Rook, Appalachian State University baseball completed a three-game sweep of visiting Dayton with a 5-3 victory on Sunday at Ernie Shore Field.
Rubinstein went 3-for-4 and recorded his 11th double in 12 games to up his batting average to an incredible .562 on the season. In three games versus Dayton, the sophomore hit .750 (9-for-12) with four doubles, five RBI and seven runs scored.
Rook allowed just one earned run on five hits and struck out eight to even his season record at 2-2.
Appalachian (8-4) took an advantage that it would never surrender with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Shortstop Jason Altenhof led off with a leadoff bunt single, followed by a single from second baseman Wes Hobson and an RBI single from Rubinstein. Two batters later, first baseman Isaac Harrow delivered a two-run double to right field to give ASU a 3-0 lead.
Dayton (2-7) responded with a run in the top of the second, but in the bottom of the stanza, Altenhof and Hobson reached base again with a pair of singles and Rubinstein drove both home with a double off the wall in left center field.
The Flyers put a pair of unearned runs on the board in the fifth, but the Mountaineers shut the door with two innings of scoreless relief from left-hander Brandon Graves and right-hander Aubrey Edens. Edens made it interesting in the ninth, striking out the first two batters but then loading the bases before getting UD’s Max Navilinski to ground out to end the game.
Appalachian’s trio at the top of the order (Altenhof, Hobson and Rubinstein) combined for eight of ASU’s 11 hits and all five runs. Hobson went 3-for-5 and Altenhof finished 2-for-5 at the plate.
Bobby Getty went 3-for-5 to lead Dayton. UD southpaw Cale Ort allowed five runs on 10 hits in 6.2 innings of work to suffer the loss and fall to 0-2 on the season.
PRINCETON 11, ELON 6
ELON, N.C. -- Sal Iacono went 4-for-6 with a run scored and two RBI and made three sparkling plays at third base to lead the Princeton Tigers to an 11-6 non-conference baseball victory over the Elon Phoenix from Latham Park on Sunday afternoon. Princeton (1-2) avoided the three-game series sweep at the hands of Elon (7-6) with the win.
The Tigers jumped on top in the first inning, scoring six runs, and never looked back. Aaron Prince led off with a walk and scored on Dan DeGeorge's double to the gap in left. Iacono's single to left put runners on the corners before Jack Murphy singled to right to plate DeGeorge. Princeton loaded the bases with a walk to Adrian Turnham. With one out, Brian Berkowitz singled up the middle, knocking home Iacono. Both Murphy and Turnham would score on a double off the bat of Greg Van Horn to make the score 5-0. Derek Beckman's ground out delivered Berkowitz with the final run of the frame.
With one out and runners on the corners in the top of the second, Turnham lifted a fly ball to center that became a sacrifice as DeGeorge crossed the plate.
Elon clawed its way back into the game with a three-run third inning. Drew Davis led off by driving a 2-1 pitch over the wall in left for his first homer of the season. Robert Rodebaugh followed with a walk and coasted home on Chris Vasami's first homerun of the year, a bomb to left-center.
The Phoenix inched even closer in the fourth, scoring twice more to close to within 7-5. Adam Weaver was hit on the first pitch of the inning and moved to second on a walk to Matt Hill. On a double steal, Murphy's throw to third went down the line in left and allowed Weaver to score. Davis followed by delivering his second run of the day when Hill scored on his single to center.
In the fifth, DeGeorge's double down the leftfield line scored Van Horn who led off the inning with a walk to push the margin to 8-5. Elon answered with one of its own in the bottom half of the inning when Pat Irvine blasted his second longball of the year, a solo shot to left.
After a scoreless sixth inning, Princeton tacked on two more in the seventh on RBI doubles from Prince and Iacono. The Tigers added an insurance run in the ninth inning on Iacono's two-out single.
Chris Dove was saddled with the loss in his first start for the Phoenix. Dove (0-1), lasted just one inning and allowed seven runs on five hits and three walks. Will Romanowicz was solid out of the pen for Elon, throwing 6.1 innings and giving up three runs on 12 hits and striking out six.
David Hale (1-0) earned the win in relief of Michael Zaret for Princeton. Hale threw 3.0 innings and gave up three runs on two hits. Zaret went 3.0 innings himself and surrendered three runs on three hits while walking five. Brad Gemberling hurled the final 3.0 innings to earn his first save of the season. Gemberling did not allow a hit, but fanned four.
Elon's Davis finished the afternoon with a 2-for-4, one-run, two-RBI outing while Vasami also drove home two. With his two RBI on the day, Davis climbed into Elon's career top-10 list in that category. He now has 114 career RBI and sits 10th on the list. He passed Shaun Kopczynski who had 113 RBI from 1999-2001 and sits one behind Grant Rembert's 115 RBI set between 2004-06.
DeGeorge, Iacono and Van Horn each drove in two runs for Princeton. Andrew Doupe and Van Horn each finished with three hits.
ARMY 9, UNC GREENSBORO 1
GREENSBORO, N.C. ? Army scored nine runs in a span of four innings to come away with the 9-1 victory over the UNC Greensboro baseball squad in game three of a three-game series on Sunday afternoon at UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Drew Clothier (1-0) grabbed the win for the Black Knights after allowing just one run on eight hits. Clothier struck out five batters in seven innings of work.
Freshman Alex Shelton (0-1) took the loss after surrendering five runs on six hits. The Madison, NC product tallied five strike outs in 3-2/3 innings on the hill.
The Black Knights (3-6) took the 1-0 lead in the top of the third on a sacrifice fly. Outfielder Milan Dinga flied out to right to bring Caleb Love, who doubled earlier, in for the score.
Army used a handful of singles in the top of the fourth to add four more runs. Cole White scored the first run after recording a triple to center and coming around on a groundout to second. Tony Capozzi and Love each followed with a single to record a RBI a piece. After a Spartan error allowed Love to advance to third, Barnes Connell sent a single to left field that brought Love in for the Black Knights’ final run of the inning, giving them the 5-0 lead.
Chris Simmons scored Army’s first of three runs in the top of the fifth after reaching on a single to right. Andy Mena singled to left to bring Simmons around for the run. Both Capozzi and Love recorded RBI singles to give the Black Knights the eight-run advantage.
UNCG (5-5) got on the board in the bottom of the fifth on a Greg Feltes single. The junior sent a hit to center field to bring classmate Tim Carrier, who singled earlier, in for the score. Army, however, immediately answered with another run in the top of the sixth off a Spartan balk.
Love and Capozzi led the Black Knights behind the plate after each recorded two RBI on the afternoon. Love finished 4-for-6, while Capozzi went 2-for-5.
The Spartans were led by Feltes and junior Sean Snell. Feltes went 2-for-4 with a RBI and Snell finished 3-for-4 from the plate.
KENNESAW STATE 7, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 4
STATESBORO, GA. ? Georgia Southern held Kennesaw State to just four hits - all in the third inning - but the Owls scored seven runs that frame and held on for a 7-4 win Sunday afternoon (March 4) at the Eagle Invitational, held at J.I. Clements Stadium. The Eagles (11-7 overall) doubled up KSU on hits but stranded 12 runners.
Kennesaw State (7-6) put the leadoff runner on in each of the first three innings. In the third the Owls were finally able to take advantage, thanks in part to three walks and a hit batter. Andrew Martin was hit by John Ducey (Augusta/Westside). Matt Hopkins doubled down the left field line to score Martin. Ducey walked the next two batters to load the bases. Matt Dallas followed with 2-run single for an early 3-0 lead.
Ducey struck out Adam Cross on a called third strike, but after a four pitch walk to Jay Morrow Eagles’ coach Rodney Hennon went to the bullpen for David Cogswell (Toccoa/Stephens County). Jace Whitmer cleared the bases with a double into the right field gap, just out of the reach of a diving Mike Economos (Atlanta/Marist).
Zack Upton singled to put runners on the corners. Martin dropped down a safety squeeze bunt, which allowed Whitmer to score and cap the seven run frame. Starting with the bunt, Cogswell retired the last eight batters he faced as the Eagle bullpen did not allow a hit the rest of the game.
A two out rally in the fourth got Georgia Southern on the board. Kyle Huckathorn (1-0) hit Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius). Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry) singled through the left side then Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell) cleared the bases thanks to his first double of the season.
Benedict reached on a leadoff walk in the sixth and eventually scored on a RBI groundout from Jeremy Beckham (Griffin/Griffin).
Beckham was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the ninth. He took second on pitcher Justin Freeman’s throwing error over to first base, then third base on a balk by Freeman. A.J. Wirnsberger’s (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) groundout made it 7-4.
Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) extended his hitting streak to 14 games, matching his personal-high from last year, on a single up the middle. He advanced to second on a groundout then went to third on Economos’ single. The Owls brought in Kody Paul from the bullpen. Benedict fouled off the first pitch down the left field line, but Morrow was able to make a shoestring catch up against the fence to end the game.
“It’s a lot harder to hit when you’re down seven runs. We shot ourselves in the foot with base on balls, we gave them too many free passes. During that seven run inning we gave them three walks and hit a batter. You cannot make those mistakes,” said head coach Rodney Hennon. “To Kennesaw State’s credit they capitalized on our mistakes. They pitched well enough to hang on and win... One positive for us is the way our bullpen came in and pitched. We’ll go back to work this week and start getting ready for a big weekend.”
Porter matched his career-high with three hits in the game. Beckham added two hits as the Eagles held an 8-4 advantage. Drew Murray (LaGrange/LaGrange) pitched three hitless innings of relief, walking two and striking out four. Kyle Kamppi (Savannah/Benedictine) pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
Ducey (2-2), who entered the game with a 0.98 ERA, allowed six runs on two hits in 2.2 innings. He walked four and struck out two.
Heckathorn was charged for three runs on four hits in five innings. He walked four and fanned five.
In the earlier game, Kennesaw State took advantage of eight Brown errors to win 11-6. The Bears fell to 1-3 on the weekend.
Martin Baker had four hits, two runs scored and two RBI for the Owls. Cross, Whitmer, Martin and Tyler Stubblefield had two hits apiece. KSU held a 15-7 edge on six hits in five innings of work.
Jeff Dietz (0-1) suffered the loss. He gave up five runs, just two earned, on nine hits in five innings. Ryan Murphy and Bryan Tews had two hits apiece for the Bears.
EAST CAROLINA 3, WESTERN CAROLINA 2
GREENVILLE, N.C. ? East Carolina’s Brandon Henderson drove in teammate Dale Mollenhauer from first base with an RBI, walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday afternoon to lead the Pirates to a 3-2 victory over the Western Carolina Catamounts in the final game of the 2007 Keith LeClair Classic at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
Western (6-4) went 1-2 in the three-day event with a win over 20th-ranked N.C. State in the opener on Friday before back-to-back close losses to the 12th-ranked Pepperdine Waves, 3-1 on Saturday, and the one-run defeat to the host Pirates on Sunday.
After opening the ninth with a groundout, WCU closer Greg Holland (0-1) allowed a single to right field on an 0-1 pitch to Mollenhauer before striking out first baseman Stephen Batts on three-straight pitches. Henderson, though, lifted a two-out double down the right field line to score Mollenhauer from first to end the game.
Holland was the tough luck loser, surrendering just two hits and the lone earned run in an inning of work with one strikeout. Left-handed starter Drew Saberhagen scattered 11 Pirate hits, allowing just two earned runs in seven innings.
East Carolina (7-6) opened up its half of the first inning with a lead-off double followed by a single and a hit batsman to load the bases with no outs. Saberhagen, however, forced the next three batters to fly out, ending the early Pirate threat.
Western opened the scoring in the fourth inning on a two run double by junior Steven Strausbaugh. Juniors Jason Haynes and Blake Murphy reached base after being hit by Pirate starting pitcher Josh Dowdy before Strausbaugh hit one to the gap in left center to plate the first two runs of the game.
With one aboard in the home half of the sixth inning, the Pirates answered with a two-run home run by catcher David Forbes knotting the score at two apiece. The game remained tied until the bottom of the ninth when Henderson delivered the game-winning RBI.
WCU struggled at the plate on Sunday, only mustering three hits off of Pirate pitching. Haynes finished the game 1-for-2 with a strikeout and was hit by two pitches to reach base. Freshman third baseman Nick Liles was 1-for-3 with Strausbaugh’s double in the fourth rounding Western’s hits.
East Carolina tallied 13 hits on the afternoon, stranding 11 base runners.