Catamount Baseball Rides Ninth-Inning Rally to Fourth-Straight SoCon Series Victory
Cullowhee, N.C. ? Entering the ninth inning tied at two, the Elon Phoenix manufactured the go-ahead run with an RBI double to right center field by Chris Dove to surge back in front, 3-2. In the home half of the frame, freshman Brent Greer launched his second career home run over the left field wall to knot the game at three. With the bases loaded, junior Jonathan Greene ? whom Dove robbed of a two-run home run in the bottom of the first ? was hit in the back on a 1-2 pitch to drive in the game-winning run in the same fashion as Friday night as Western Carolina completed the series victory over Elon, 4-3, Saturday afternoon at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium.
The win -- Western’s 12th in its last 13 outings ? also gave the Catamounts their fourth-straight SoCon series victory on the year, while also snapping Elon’s similar string of 11-consecutive. Also, Western moved into possession of second place in the SoCon standings by percentage points, still trailing first-place, College of Charleston.
Following Greer’s one out home run, which completed the 2-for-4 day for the rookie from Manassas, Va., designated hitter Jason Haynes was hit by a pitch, chasing Phoenix starter, Will Romanowicz. Junior Barrett Shaft drew a walk to put two aboard, with Haynes stealing third to leave runners at the corners in front of junior Steven Strausbaugh, who like his classmate walked to load the bases for Greene’s heroics.
Western Carolina starter, left-hander Drew Saberhagen, gave up seven base hits and a pair of runs through the first three innings, but settled down to retire 10-straight Phoenix hitters while allowing just one additional base hit through the next trio of frames. He finished with a total of six innings pitched, scattering eight hits and two earned runs while also striking out a pair but did not factor in on the decision. Freshman lefty Chris Masters tossed two and a third, allowing one earned run on one base hit with a strikeout in middle relief.
Junior Greg Holland (3-2) picked up his second-straight victory over Elon, tossing the final two thirds of an inning of scoreless ball, allowing just one hit on nine pitches. He won for the second-consecutive night as the offense rallied in the latter innings while he was the pitcher of record.
Elon (22-19, 11-6 SoCon) capitalized on early base hits, pushing across a run in the top of the first inning. Dove led off with a single and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jordy Snyder. Back-to-back singles by Chris Vasami and Pat Irvine to opposite outfields allowed Dove to trot home before Saberhagen rallied to post a strike out and a fly ball out to left field.
The Catamounts answered in the bottom of the second inning as senior Kenny Smith, who posted a game-high 3-for-4 performance at the plate, blasted his team-best 13th home run of the season over the “Purple Monster” in left field to tie things at one apiece.
The knotted score was short lived, though, as the Phoenix again strung consecutive base hits together before eventually scoring on a sacrifice fly to right center for the 2-1 advantage.
In the fourth, Western (26-12, 10-4 SoCon) stole a page out of Elon’s playbook as Greene and Smith opened the frame with consecutive singles, with senior John Ingram advancing the runners on a sacrifice bunt. The next batter, freshman Nick Liles, lifted a sacrifice fly to left to allow Greene to score the tying run, thus setting up the ninth-inning fireworks.
Romanowicz (4-2) suffered the loss for Elon, which is currently amidst its longest losing skid of the season at four games, by virtue of hitting Haynes with one out in the ninth. The right-hander lasted eight and a third innings, allowing four earned runs on nine base hits with a pair of walks and four strikeouts. Reliever Jesse Lewter retired one Catamount on 25 total pitches, but plunked Greene to drive in the game-winning run.
The two teams wrap-up the three-game series in Cullowhee on Sunday afternoon, with the first pitch scheduled for 2:00 pm at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium. Western will throw sophomore RHP Corey Martin (3-1, 3.90 ERA) while the Phoenix counter with senior RHP Zach Booker (3-3, 5.26 ERA).
Fans can follow all of the action live on GameTracker, presented by Carolina West Sports Medicine and West Care Health Systems, by logging onto www.CatamountSports.com <http://www.catamountsports.com/>
Runs in Every Inning Leads The Citadel to 25-14 Win Over Davidson
DAVIDSON, N.C. ? Richard Jones drove in six runs and went 4-for-5 with two home runs to lead The Citadel, who scored in every inning to a 25-14 victory over Davidson in Southern Conference baseball action Saturday afternoon at Wilson Field. The Wildcats fall to 17-23 overall and 6-11 in the league, while the Bulldogs improve 23-15 and 7-7.
Pacing the Wildcat 21-hit attack was Zach Kayne with a 5-for-5 performance, followed by Gregory Zage at 3-for-6. Five other 'Cats got two base knocks each.
The game featured 12 extra base hits, seven of them by the Citadel and five for Davidson. Zage, Blake Osborn and Kayne picked up doubles, while Alden Crissey had a triple and Rob Wilson jacked his seventh home run.
Sonny Meade gave The Citadel an early 2-0 advantage with a bases-clearing double that scored both Bryan Altman and Chris Swauger, who both reached base via the free pass to start the contest. The Bulldogs stretched their lead to 4-0 when Matt Simonelli drove home Meade and Jones with single up the middle before being gunned down at second base to end the first.
Meade contributed his third RBI of the game and 30th of the season with a sacrifice fly to center in the top of the second to make it 5-0.
The Wildcats made it a one-run game (5-4) in the bottom of the second highlighted by Rob Wilson?s seventh blast of the season that plated fellow senior Gregory Zage, who walked to leadoff the frame. Brett Shore and Matt Webb also added two-out RBI singles in the inning that scored Tommy Piacenza and Zach Kayne, respectively.
After giving up four-run second, The Citadel answered with three runs of its own in the following stanza with just one base knock to make it 8-4.
The Bulldogs extended the margin to six, 10-4, in the fourth when Jones belted his fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot over the centerfield wall.
In the home half of the fourth, Davidson strung together four consecutive hits including a two-RBI double from Zage and singles from Alden Crissey and Blake Osborn that also scored Wildcats to cut the deficit to 10-8.
Like the opening stanza, The Citadel pushed across four more runs in the fifth to make it 14-8 and could have scored seven if it weren?t Brett Shore?s unbelievable catch in centerfield that robbed Chris McGuiness of a three-run shot to end the inning.
Just as it appeared the Bulldogs were going to pull away, Davidson?s Crissey laced his first career triple into the right-center ally scoring both Kayne and Shore, who began the bottom of the fifth with a single and walk, respectively. Crissey later scored on a wild pitch to close to within three runs, 14-11.
Following a five-run sixth, all of which came with two outs, The Citadel stretched its lead to a game-high 10, 21-11, after a solo home run from Altman and RBI groundout by Brown scoring Swauger.
Already 4-for-4 on the afternoon, Kayne recorded his first career five-hit game with a two-run double in the Wildcat seventh to put runs 13 and 14 on the board for his club.
Chance Smith smacked his first home run of the year in the eighth for the Bulldogs and Jones added his second of the day, a three-run shot in the ninth to give The Citadel its seventh multi-run inning off the affair.
Justin Smith (5-3) picked up the win working 1 2/3 innings in relief allowing four hits and three runs while striking out one. Davidson starter Matt Knight (2-6) lasted just two innings giving up seven runs, four hits and five of the squads 13 walks in the contest.
Despite the loss, seven of the nine Wildcat starters finished with multiple hits and RBIs. Davidson?s final clip of 21 hits was a season high.
Davidson will conclude its three-game series with The Citadel tomorrow afternoon with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. at Wilson Field. The Wildcats will send Thomas Middour to the hill, while The Citadel counters with lefthander Chris McGuiness.
Wofford falls in extra innings to UNC Greensboro
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? Corey Overholtzer broke open a tied ball game in the 13th inning with a two-run homer to give UNC Greensboro a 9-8 win over Wofford Saturday afternoon at Russell C. King Field.
The two-run blast to right field came after Wofford scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth on a two-run shot from Michael Gilmartin to tie the game at 6-6 and force extra innings.
Wofford (19-21, 3-11) trailed for the majority of the game before taking a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning. UNC Greensboro (21-18, 8-6) rallied for four runs in the top of the ninth to go up 6-4, but Gilmartin mashed a two-run homer to straight away center field to knot the game at 6-6. Overholtzer’s home run and an RBI single by Spartan first baseman Ricky Orton gave UNC Greensboro a 9-6 advantage heading into the bottom of the 13th, but Wofford narrowed the gap to 9-8 in the final half inning with back-to-back homers from Brandon Waring and John Brandt. The Terriers then put runners on first and third with one out, but UNC Greensboro reliever Alex Shelton sealed the Spartan win with two strikeouts to end the game. Waring homered twice in the game for Wofford, the fourth time this season that the junior third baseman has hit multiple home runs in a single game.
Wofford starter Ben Austin was in exceptional form and held the opposition to two runs over seven innings while striking out eight and walking none. He opened the game with three strikeouts in the first inning, but allowed a run to score on a wild pitch in the dirt. Austin struck out leadoff man Tim Carrier on three straight pitches, but the Spartans followed with a single from Matt Gaski and a double from third baseman Guy Welsh to put runners on second and third before the wild pitch allowed Gaski to cross the plate. Austin regained his composure, however, and struck out the next two batters looking to end the inning with minimal damage.
Terrier right fielder Sterling Dye gunned down UNC Greensboro outfielder Scott Schneider at the plate to save a run in the second as Austin escaped a three-hit inning without allowing a run. Schneider reached base after being hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a base hit from catcher Adam Deleo. Spartan outfielder Corey Overholtzer followed with a base hit through the right side that Dye fielded and fired to catcher Keith Munns, who tagged out Schneider who was trying to score from second.
The game became a pitcher’s duel until the sixth when UNC Greensboro left fielder Sean Snell led off with a solo blast to straight away center field to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead. The homer did little to Austin’s confidence, however, as the junior right hander retired six of the next seven batters before exiting the game in the seventh.
Waring matched Snell’s solo shot with one of his own in the bottom of the sixth to cut the deficit to 2-1. The left-field blast was one of two in the game for the Terrier third baseman, who posted a 4-for-5 outing that included two homers, a double, two RBIs and three runs to bring his season total to 52 runs scored. He leads the conference with 17 bombs this season and needs only three more to tie the school’s single season record, while also needing only five more runs to tie Wofford’s single season runs record.
Brandt gave Wofford its first lead of the game in the bottom of the eighth with a three-run bases-loaded double to the left-center field gap. The extra base knock came after Wofford loaded the bases with a hit batter, a single from Shane Kirkley and a walk to Waring after the Terrier third baseman fouled off several pitches to force a full count. Brandt then roped the first pitch he saw to the gap to clear the bases and give the Terriers a 4-2 lead.
UNC Greensboro would not go quietly, however, as a two-out two-run double from Snell capped a four-run ninth inning that gave the Spartans a 6-4 lead. Overholtzer and second baseman Tim Carrier put together back-to-back doubles for the first run of the inning before a walk and an infield single from Welsh loaded the bases. Gilmartin, who took the mound in relief in the top of the eighth, then forced Orton to hit a potential double play groundball to Kirkley at second base, who stepped on the bag for the first out, but could not get the ball to first in time to complete the play. The tying run would score on the play, and UNC Greensboro would take the lead on the next at bat when Snell doubled down the left field line to drive in two runs.
Wofford outfielder Emre Caglayan sparked the Terrier offense in the bottom of the ninth with a leadoff double to left-center field, and Gilmartin tied the game with a two-run shot to straight-away center. The freshman shortstop’s homer came as Wofford was down to its final two outs and was his first hit of the game. The home run was his eighth of the season.
In extra innings, Gilmartin shut down the Spartans in the 10th and 11th by retiring the side in order, but Spartan reliever Kory Judd was just as effective and retired six straight Wofford batters. After four complete innings, Gilmartin went back to shortstop and gave the ball to Lance Player in the 12th. Player forced a double play in the 12th to face only three hitters in the inning, but UNC Greensboro jumped on the senior right hander in the top of the 13th to score three runs on Overholtzer’s homer and Orton’s RBI single.
Down 9-6, Wofford put up its best effort at a second comeback. Waring led off with his second home run of the game, and following a UNC Greensboro pitching change, Brandt followed suit with a solo blast of his own to narrow the gap to 9-8. Catcher Keith Munns followed with a single before opting out of the game for pinch runner Dave Banks. Banks would advance to second on a sacrifice bunt by Dye, and reached third on another single from Caglayan. Third base would be the closest that Banks came to tying the game, however, as reliever Alex Shelton struck out the next two batters to end the game.
Judd (4-2) earned the win for UNC Greensboro after holding Wofford to one run and two hits over 3 2/3 innings. He struck out four batters and walked none. Shelton picked up the save, his first of the season, with a rocky 13th inning in which he allowed a run on three hits.
Player (2-2) took the loss for Wofford after allowing the go-ahead runs in the top of the 13th. Player went 2 complete innings and allowed three runs on five hits and one walk.
Wofford and UNC Greensboro will complete their three-game series on Sunday, April 22, with a 1 p.m. outing at Russell C. King Field. Following the completion of the SoCon series, the Terriers will welcome Tennessee to Russell C. King Field for a 5 p.m. contest that was just recently added to the schedule.
Ninth-Inning Error Dooms Baseball in 3-2 Loss to Georgia Southern
BOONE, N.C. -- Georgia Southern scored an unearned run with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to defeat Appalachian State University baseball, 3-2, on Saturday afternoon at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
With runners on first and second and two outs in the top of the ninth, Georgia Southern’s Brian Pierce lofted a looping line drive into shallow left center field. Appalachian shortstop Jason Altenhof was able to get under the soft liner, but the ball bounced out of his glove and allowed GSU pinch runner Kevin Bowles to score the go-ahead run from second base.
ASU put the tying run on base in the bottom of the ninth, but GSU closer A.J. Battisto struck out two of the four batters he faced for his sixth save of the season.
The ninth-inning error squandered a terrific start on the mound by Aubrey Edens. One day after Matt Andress turned in ASU’s longest start of the season with a 8.1-inning effort, Edens bested him by allowing just six hits and striking out seven in 8.2 innings of work. Unfortunately, Edens was saddled with the tough-luck loss and fell to 1-2 on the season.
Filling in for regular starter Andrew Franco, freshman catcher Jerod Faggart gave the Mountaineers a 2-1 lead with a two-run home run in the fifth inning. However, the lead would be short-lived, as GSU’s Chris Shehan knotted the contest at 2-2 with a solo homer in the top of the sixth.
After Georgia Southern starter Aaron Eubanks departed the game in the bottom of the sixth, relievers Kyle Kamppi (3-2) and Battisto held the Mountaineers without a hit for the final 3.1 innings of the ballgame to set up the ninth-inning rally.
Despite the sterling performances on the mound and the ninth-inning miscue, the story of the game was Appalachian’s inability to get a big hit. ASU left 13 men on base in the loss, including seven stranded in scoring position.
The Mountaineers (22-18, 9-8 SoCon) get another chance at their first-ever series victory over the Eagles (21-22, 4-10 SoCon) when the two teams play the rubber match of their three-game Southern Conference set on Sunday. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. at Smith Stadium.
Marchant’s Double Downs Furman, 4-3
MT. Pleasant, S.C. - Gabe Marchant’s two-out, two-strike double in the bottom of the ninth inning scored Stuart Haywood and Oliver Marmol as 30th-ranked College of Charleston rallied for a thrilling 4-3 win over Furman in Southern Conference baseball before 621 at Patriots Point Field on Saturday.
With the win, the Cougars improved to 31-9 overall and 12-2 in league play. Furman fell to 11-28 and 6-11. The finale of the three-game series is Sunday at 1:00. Charleston also won the opener on Friday, 12-3.
Trailing 3-2 entering the bottom of the ninth, Joey Bergman walked with one out and was replaced by pinch runner Haywood. After pinch hitter Michael Kohn lined out to left, Marmol drew a walk putting runners at first and second. Marchant followed with a double off the centerfield wall on a 2-2 pitch for the game-winner.
Charleston grabbed a 1-0 second inning lead on Graham Maiden’s RBI single to right that scored Ben Lasater. Furman tied it at 1-1 in the fourth inning. Jackson, who also served as the designated hitter, walked to lead off the frame and eventually scored on an errant pickup attempt by Charleston starter Jeff Beliveau.
The Paladins took the lead in the top of the fifth inning. Connor Lind started the inning with a bunt single to first and eventually scored when Jackson walked with the bases loaded for a 2-1 advantage. The Cougars tied it in the bottom of the inning on Michael Harrington’s two-out triple to left center that plated OIiver Marmol, who had reached on an error to start the inning.
Furman grabbed a 3-2 lead in the eighth when Jackson led off with a single to right center, moved to second on a wild pitch, and scored when Joe Daysh lashed a double into the left field corner.
Russ Tomlinson (5-1), Charleston’s third pitcher in the game, picked up the win tossing the final 1 2/3 innings. Ian Parry (3-2) was the tough-luck loser for the Paladins surrendering two runs in 2 1/3 innings of work. Parry teamed with Jackson to limit the Cougars to just seven hits on the night. Jackson was splendid allowing two runs, only one earned, on six hits over the first 6 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out five.