ELON 13, CLEMSON 12
CLEMSON, S.C. - Chris Vasami went 3-for-5 with three RBIs, and Mike Melillo hit a two-run home run to help Elon survive a Tiger comeback and hold on for a 13-12 victory over #17 Clemson on Tuesday in front of 3,948 fans at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The Phoenix improved to 23-20, while the Tigers dropped to 26-14. Elon snapped its five-game losing streak with the win.
Jesse Lewter (2-2) earned the win for Elon despite giving up four runs and nine hits in 4.2 innings pitched in relief. Making his first relief appearance of the season, Steven Hensley pitched the final inning to earn his first save of the year. Justin Sarratt (0-1) suffered the loss for the Tigers, giving up five runs (one earned) on five hits in 1.2 innings pitched in relief.
Four different Phoenix players had at least two hits in the game. Chris Dove and Vasami collected three hits apiece, as Elon totaled 12 on the night. All nine Tiger starters had at least one hit, punctuated by Doug Hogan's grand slam and solo homer, making the game his second multi-homer game of the year. Andy D'Alessio hit a long ball as well.
The Tigers scratched early in the first inning. Leadoff batter D.J. Mitchell drew a walk and then stole second base. With one out, Marquez Smith laced a single to left-center to drive Mitchell home.
The Phoenix responded with four runs in the top of the second to take the lead. Robert Rodebaugh drew a leadoff walk, and with one out, Melillo walked. Ryan Adams then singled to the pitcher to load the bases. Chase Austin then drove Rodebaugh home with a squeeze bunt. With two outs, Dove then tripled to right-center, plating both Melillo and Adams. Jordy Snyder was then hit by a pitch. Pat Irvine hit a single through the left side, scoring Dove, and putting the Phoenix on top 4-1.
The Tigers wasted little time retaking the lead in the bottom of the second inning thanks to Hogan's grand slam and Clemson's three free passes. With one out, Wilson Boyd singled through the right side and advanced to second on a passed ball. Two batters later, Mitchell drew a walk and then Taylor Harbin drove in Boyd with a single to center. Marquez Smith walked to load the bases. D'Alessio then walked again to bring in a run. Hogan then crushed a grand slam to left-center, putting the Tigers on top 7-4. The grand slam was Clemson's first of 2007.
Melillo's two-run homer in the third, and Irvine's solo homer in the fourth evened the score 7-7.
Clemson broke the tie with a run in the fourth. Mitchell led off with a single to center. Harbin then doubled down the left-field line to score Mitchell and give the Tigers the lead 8-7.
Elon regained the lead in the fifth with four runs. Melillo led off with a walk, and with one out, Adams singled through the right side. Austin reached on a catcher's interference to load the bases on a play that would have resulted in out #2. Two batters later with two outs, Snyder singled to left field, plating both Adams and Austin. Irvine then walked to load the bases again. Vasami then singled to left field to score Dove and Snyder, and put the Phoenix up 11-8.
The Phoenix tacked on two more runs in the seventh, as Dove reached on a fielder's choice to shortstop and then stole second. With one out, Snyder walked as Dove stole third base. Dove then scored on a sacrifice fly by Irvine. Vasami followed with a double to left-center to score Snyder.
The Tigers cut into the lead in the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back solo home runs to left-center by D'Alessio and Hogan. It was D'Alessio's sixth homer of the season, and Hogan's second of the game and seventh of the season.
Relievers Matt Vaughn and Stephen Clyne kept Elon off of the scoreboard the final two innings of the game.
Clemson continued to battle back in the eighth. With one out, Smith drew a walk and advanced to second on a groundout by D'Alessio. With two outs, Hogan was hit by a pitch, and then Smith and Hogan advanced a base on a wild pitch. Alex Burg then drove in Smith and Hogan with a single to right field to bring the Tigers within one run.
But Hensley slammed the door in the ninth, as he set Clemson down in order.
SOUTH CAROLINA 6, DAVIDSON 2
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Phil Disher blasted a solo homer and a two-run triple, and Justin Smoak added his 14th home run of the season to help fourth-ranked South Carolina fend off a pesky Davidson squad on Tuesday evening at Sarge Frye Field, 6-2. The Gamecocks improved to 32-10 on the season, while the Wildcats lost their third straight to fall to 17-25.
Senior right-hander Rob Wilson, a product of Myers Park in Charlotte, gave a valiant effort for Davidson on the mound, allowing six runs, but only two earned, over seven innings of work on three days rest. He walked two and struck out four, but saw his record fall to 2-6 this year despite a 3.09 ERA over his last seven starts.
Forrest Beverly (1-0) earned the victory in his first start of the season, a predetermined three-inning outing. Having thrown just five innings this year after undergoing labrum surgery, Beverly surrendered five hits and a walk, but just one run. Mike Cisco came on and pitched the next four innings, yielding just an unearned run while fanning five, and Curtis Johnson finished out the game with two scoreless innings.
Smoak gave South Carolina a 1-0 lead in the second by leading off with a long ball to left-center, but Davidson tied the game in the top of the third on a Matt Webb double and an RBI single by Gregory Zage.
In the bottom of the third, Disher drilled a lead-off homer, giving the Gamecocks the lead for good. After an error put a man on with one out, Cheyne Hurst hit an RBI double for a 3-1 USC lead.
Another unearned run crossed the plate in the fifth for South Carolina, thanks to an errant pick-off throw by Wilson.
The Wildcats got an unearned run of their own in the sixth after loading the bases with one out on an error and a pair of walks. But they could only get one run home on a fielder's choice, leaving the score 4-2 in favor of USC.
In the bottom half, Disher hit a two-out, two-run triple in an inning extended by a dropped fly ball.
Both Davidson and the Gamecocks managed just seven hits in the contest. Webb and Zage each had two to bolster the Wildcat offense, while Disher and Trent Kline had two apiece as well for South Carolina.
COASTAL CAROLINA 5, THE CITADEL 1
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? Two runs in the top of the fifth and seventh frames propelled No. 19 Coastal Carolina to a 5-1 victory over The Citadel in non-conference baseball action Tuesday night at Riley Park. Matt Rademacher drove in three of the Chanticleers five runs on the night as the Bulldogs fall to 24-16 and the Chants improve to 34-8.
Coastal Carolina struck first as David Sappelt notched a lead-off single through the right side. Dom Duggan sacrificed him over before Chris Raber worked the count for a walk. A base hit to right center off the bat of Tommy Baldridge sent Sappelt home to give the Chanticleers a 1-0 advantage in the first.
Coastal’s lead was quick-lived as The Citadel answered back with a run of their own in the home half of the inning. Freshman second baseman Bryan Altman ripped a triple over Baldridge’s head in right field to start things off. Junior left fielder Chris Swauger then plated Altman with grounder to second to even the score at one.
The Dogs and Chants played three scoreless before Coastal recaptured the lead with two runs in the fifth. Rodemacher earned his first and second RBI of the night with a single up the middle.
Coastal returned in the seventh to push across two more as Duggan tallied a one-out, ground-rule double that hopped over the center field wall and came in to score on a base hit by Chris Raber. Rademacher was responsible for the second run as he punched an RBI-single through the left side to put the Chants up, 5-1.
The Bulldogs put two on in the bottom half of the frame as junior third baseman Matt Arnold and freshman designated hitter Chris McGuiness smacked back-to-back singles to chase Kent Altman from the hill. Right-hander Joey Haug took over for Coastal and recorded three straight outs to end The Citadel threat.
Haug tossed the eighth and only allowed a double to Swauger before David Anderson came on in the ninth sit the Dogs down in order and make the final, 5-1.
Swauger’s double was the 50th of his career and tied him for seventh place in all-time two-baggers at The Citadel with Ryan Butler. Swauger paced the Dogs as he batted 2-for-4 and was responsible for their lone run. Arnold also collected two hits in the contest. Senior first baseman Zach Brown’s career-long 13-game hitting streak came to an end as he was 0-for-4 on the night.
Five different Coastal batters enjoyed a two-hit outing while Raber scored two of the Chants five runs.
Freshman right-hander Matt Reifsnider (2-2) suffered the loss for the Bulldogs as he went 5.0 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits while fanning three and walking two. Freshman righty Nick McCully (3-2) was credited with the victory as he hurled 5.0 frames as well and gave up one earned run on four hits while striking out one and not allowing a single walk.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN 9, GEORGIA STATE 4
STATESBORO, GA. ? Josh Lairsey (Waycross/Ware County) allowed just one earned run in eight innings of work pitching Georgia Southern past Georgia State 9-4, Tuesday night (April 24) at J.I. Clements Stadium. The Eagles, who won their third straight, improved to 23-22 overall as they begin an eight-game homestand.
Lairsey by far turned in his best performance of the year. The senior left-hander not only recorded his first win of the season, but his first since February 2006 ? a span of 27 appearances. Lairsey gave up three runs, but just one earned, on seven hits in eight innings of work. He struck out seven (equaling his fourth-highest strikeout total) and did not issue a walk. In the process Lairsey recorded his 200th career K, now at 205.
The Eagles jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Jeremy Beckham (Griffin/Griffin) drew a leadoff walk. Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius), hitting in the number two spot for the first time this season, doubled to left field scoring Beckham. Jeremiah Parker (Carrollton/Carrollton) hit his fifth home run of the season, a towering shot to left centerfield. His 24th and 25th RBI spotted the Eagles a three run lead.
Will Southwell (Moultrie/Colquitt County), making his second straight start, singled to start the second inning. David Richardson (Dahlonega/Lumpkin County), also making his second straight start, walked. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch with one out. On a 3-1 pitch to Beckham, catcher Luke Gordon attempted a pickoff throw down to third base. His throw bounced off Southwell and rolled into left field, allowing both runners to score for a 5-0 lead.
Bradley Logan hit a 2-run homer off Lairsey in the third inning to cut into the Eagles’ lead. Later in the frame Charlie Pelt lined a two-out solo homer to right field, making it 5-3.
Matt Miller (Canton/Woodstock) singled to start the Eagles’ half of the third. He advanced to second base on a wild pitch then took third on Justin Klinger’s (Hatfield, PA/North Penn) single. Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) sent a sacrifice fly to centerfield, scoring Miller for a 6-3 lead. Later in the inning the senior Klinger stole his second career base but was stranded in scoring position.
With two outs in the fifth, Jean-Michel Rochon-Salvas reached on an error. Pelt lined a shot into the left field gap but Parker, making his first career start in left field, made a running catch near the fence to end the inning.
During the fifth inning, GS loaded the bases with no one out. Relief pitcher Dustin Carder uncorked a wild pitch, the first of two he threw that inning, which scored one run during pinch-hitter Kyle Blackburn’s (Marietta/Walton) at-bat. Blackburn hit a sacrifice fly for the second run, then during the next at-bat Shehan lined a RBI double ? his 12th double this season - to make it 9-3.
The Panthers (20-21) scratched out a run with two outs in the ninth for the final margin. But the night belonged to Lairsey.
“I didn’t try to get ahead of myself, just do what I was capable of doing and let the defense play for me. (Jeremiah) Parker made a big catch... that helped me get through not only that inning but the game. It’s a relief (getting the first win) but I don’t want to stop there,” said Lairsey. “From this day on hopefully things turn around. I think today’s win is huge, especially coming off last weekend when we battled back twice with our backs in the corner (winning 2-of-3 at Appalachian State). We came out swinging tonight and built a little confidence.
Today I wanted to be the one to step up and help continue to build our confidence as we continue to climb up the ladder.”
Seven different Eagles recorded a hit as Parker and Shehan both had two RBI. Benedict, Miller and Parker scored two runs apiece. LairseBlake Nation (Brooks/Starr’s Mill) did not walk a batter in the game.
Pelt and Logan had three hits each as the Panthers actually out-hit GS 9-7. Starter Bobby Bennett (1-5) was charged for eight runs ? seven earned ? on five hits in four innings. He walked four.
WESTERN CAROLINA 15, HIGH POINT 8
HIGH POINT, N.C. ? Western Carolina scored runs in six of the nine innings on Tuesday afternoon, including a pair of four-run frames to claim a 15-8 victory over the High Point Panthers in mid-week, non-conference action at the newly renovated Williard Field.
Western (28-12) was led by junior Blake Murphy, who finished 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI double and a two-run home run to left field. Freshman Adam Baker tallied a team-best three hits, going 3-for-4 with three singles, a walk and four runs scored as the WCU designated hitter.
The Catamounts never trailed in the ballgame, taking advantage of Baker’s lone walk of the game coming with two outs in the top of the second inning. Murphy then laced a full-count pitch down the left field line, passed the diving third baseman for an RBI double, scoring Baker from first.
Western stretched its lead to three with a two-spot in the visitor half of the third. Junior Barrett Shaft led off with a walk and then stole second. Two batters later, junior Steven Strausbaugh, lined a RBI double to right center field to score Shaft. Strausbaugh swiped second for the second stolen base of the frame and came home on an RBI ground out to the right side by classmate Jonathan Greene.
High Point (23-21) scratched the scoreboard in the bottom of the third as the short stop Alfie Wheeler was hit by a pitch and moved around the paths on back-to-back outs, scoring on an RBI single through the right side by right fielder, Bill Manion.
However, Western plated nine runs over the next three innings, outscoring HPU 9-to-3, with a three-run top of the eighth pushing the Catamounts out to an insurmountable advantage. The Panthers did manage four runs in the bottom of the eighth off a grand slam ? the first allowed by WCU pitching this year ? to provide the final tally.
Strausbaugh finished with a pair of hits in six at bats, adding six putouts and a pair of assists, including gunning down a base runner at home plate. Shaft, freshman Brent Greer and senior Kenny Smith each added a pair of hits in the win, WCU’s 14th in its past 15 games.
Bryan Corbett (2-1) earned the win for Western, tossing two and a third innings in relief of starter Brock Thornburg who went four and two thirds. The senior allowed three earned runs on seven hits with three walks and a strikeout. Corbett scattered four hits and one earned run.
APPALACHIAN STATE 12, UNC ASHEVILLE 11
BOONE, N.C. -- Nick DeRose hit a game-tying home run in the seventh inning and doubled to lead off the ninth, setting up David Rubinstein’s walk-off RBI single that gave Appalachian State University baseball a 12-11 victory over UNC Asheville on Tuesday afternoon at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
After UNC Asheville erased a three-run Appalachian lead with four runs in the top of the seventh, DeRose’s solo homer down the left field line in the bottom of the stanza tied the contest at 11-11. The score remained knotted until the bottom of the ninth, when DeRose led off with a double to left field.
Following a perfectly executed bunt by Jason Altenhof and a intentional walk to pinch hitter Jason Rook, Rubinstein ended the ballgame with a line drive single that caromed off the wall down the left field line. The walk-off single brought DeRose home with the winning run and capped a three-hit, three-RBI day for Rubinstein. With his 20th multi-hit game of the season, Rubinstein raised his team-leading batting average to .393.
Eight of the Mountaineers’ 12 runs came courtesy of a season-high five home runs. Isaac Harrow led the long-ball barrage with his first-career two-homer day. Chris Baker, Rubinstein and DeRose also homered for Appalachian (23-19).
Despite being saddled with a blown save for allowing all four UNCA runs in the seventh, Garrett Sherrill retired the final seven batters he faced to earn the win and move to 8-4 on the season. His eight victories are tied for fifth in ASU single-season history.
Elliott Arrington led UNC Asheville (17-28) with a 2-for-4, five-RBI performance at the plate.