GEORGIA SOUTHERN 10, WOFFORD 9 (12 inn.)
STATESBORO, GA. -- Mike Economos drove in the tying run in the bottom of the ninth with a three-run double and scored the winning run in the bottom of the 12th to lead Georgia Southern to a 10-9 win over Wofford in 12 innings Friday evening at J.I. Clements Stadium.
Economos went 3-for-4 with five RBIs, three runs scored, a double and a home run. The double came in the ninth inning with the bases loaded to erase a 9-6 deficit. He singled in the bottom of the 12th and scored from third on a fielding error to cap a comeback win for the Eagles.
John Brandt drove in four runs for Wofford in a 2-for-5 outing that included his ninth homer of the season and his third bomb in the last four games. Brandon Waring went 4-for-5 in the game with an RBI double to set a new school record for the most extra base hits in a season.
Brandt gave Wofford an early 1-0 lead with a two-out RBI single in the top of the first inning. Dye's base hit through the right side scored Sterling Dye from second base after the speedy outfielder reached base on a walk and advanced after Brandon Waring was hit by a pitch.
The Terriers claimed another run in the top of the second on a wild pitch after loading the bases with three base hits. Outfielder Emre Caglayan led off the inning with a bloop single to center field and second baseman Eric Sturkie followed with an infield single to shortstop to put runners on first and second. Michael Gilmartin would then lace a line drive up the middle to load the bases before Eagles starter Drew Murray would allow the runners to score on a wild pitch.
Wofford left fielder John Brandt saved a run in the bottom of the second by gunning down Georgia Southern outfielder Mike Economos at the plate on a two-out single by Brian Pierce. Terrier starter Austin Redwine retired the first two batters in the inning with a strikeout and a groundout, but walked Economos and allowed an infield single to put two runners on base with two outs. Pierce followed with a groundball through the left side, but Brandt cut it off and came up firing to the plate in time to connect with catcher Keith Munns, who fielded the one-hop throw and tagged out Economos.
The Eagles capitalized on their next scoring opportunity, however, as cleanup hitter Jeremiah Parker drove in Matt Miller from first base with a two-out double to narrow the deficit to 2-1. After Redwine retired the first two batters, Miller hit a ground ball to deep shortstop and beat Gilmartin's throw for a base hit. Parker then ripped an 0-2 pitch down the left field line to score Miller from first.
Brandt put Wofford on top 6-1 with a three-run opposite field home run in the top of the fourth to cap a four-run inning. Brandt's homer, his ninth of the season and his third in the last four games, came with two outs and drove in Shane Kirkley and Waring after the two reached base on a fielding error and a single, respectively. Dye provided the other run in the inning with a sacrifice fly to deep center to score Sturkie after the senior second baseman led off the inning with a double to the left-center gap.
Economos matched Brandt's blast with a two-run shot of his own in the bottom of the fourth to close the gap to 6-3. Economos' shot to dead center field drove in Chris Shehan after the Georgia Southern third baseman led off the inning with a walk. Redwine would rebound from the homer, however, and retired the next three batters in order to end the inning.
Georgia Southern designated hitter Kyle Blackburn contributed another run for the Eagles with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the fifth to narrow the deficit to 6-4. The Terrier defense prevented another run from scoring in the inning, however, after Caglayan and Gilmartin connected on a relay to gun down Blackburn at the plate while he was trying to score from first on a double by Shehan.
Wofford scored twice in the next half inning on a solo homer by Gilmartin and an RBI double from Waring to reclaim a four-run lead. Gilmartin opened the inning with his 10th homer of the season, making the switch-hitting shortstop the third Terrier this season to reach double figures in home runs. Dye then reached base with his third walk of the game and scored from first on Waring's double to the left-center gap. With the two-bagger, Waring broke a school record for the most extra base hits in a season.
Despite the four-run deficit, the Eagles continued to chip away at the Wofford lead and scored twice in the sixth to pull within two runs. Both runs scored on one play as leadoff man Jeremy Beckham came up with runners on second and third poked a ground ball to the right side of the infield that Sturkie got a glove on , but bobbled in the outfield to give the runners just enough time to score. Following the base hit and fielding error, Wofford called on Adam Kearney to take the mound, and the junior right-hander retired the next two batters to end the inning.
Sturkie made up for the error by driving in a run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh to put the Terriers up 9-6. Sturkie's shallow fly ball allowed Caglayan to display his speed from third base, as the junior center fielder took off on a dead sprint for the plate and slid head first around the catcher to swipe the plate.
With the lead in hand, Kearney faced only four batters in each of the next two innings. The Eagles would not go quietly, however, and tied the game at 9-9 in the bottom of the ninth on a three-run double from Economos. Following a leadoff double by Miller, a hit batter and another single by Shehan to load the bases, Wofford called on Charles Vartanian to get the final two outs. Vartanian took Economos to a 1-1 count, but the senior outfielder got a hold of a fastball and ripped it down the left field line to clear the bases and force extra innings.
Georgia Southern closer A.J. Battisto retired Wofford in order in the top of the 10th and Vartanian followed suit with three straight outs in the bottom half of the inning. The pitchers dueled until the 13th inning when Economos scored the winning run on a fielding error by Gilmartin after leading off the inning with a single. Economos advanced to second on a throwing error by Munns on a sacrifice bunt that the junior backstop threw past second base in an attempt for a double play. A sacrifice bunt by Pierce pushed Economos to third before Will Southwell hit a ground ball that Gilmartin bobbled deep in the hole at shortstop to allow Economos to score.
Battisto (3-0) picked up the win after holding Wofford to three hits and no runs over the last four innings while striking out five batters. Vartanian (0-2) took the loss after allowing the go-ahead run in the 12th inning, which was the only run that the senior right-hander allowed in his three innings of work.
In his 51st career start, Redwine held the Eagles to four runs over his first five innings of work. He struck out four during that span before exiting after 5 1/3 innings. Redwine allowed six total runs, five earned, on nine hits. Kearney sucked up the middle innings for Wofford and held Georgia Southern scoreless over three innings before allowing the tying run to reach base in the ninth.
FURMAN 5, WESTERN CAROLINA 3
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Cole Franklin’s two-run home run in the eighth inning broke a 3-3 tie and lifted Furman to a 5-3 win over Western Carolina in Southern Conference baseball action Friday evening at Furman Stadium.
Franklin’s two-run blast to center field, his first of the season, with one out also plated Tony Maccani, who had earlier singled, and helped Furman (13-29, 8-11 SoCon) complete the comeback. The freshman outfielder from Dallas, Texas, went 2-for-4 and also scored two runs.
Western Carolina (28-14, 11-5 SoCon) led 2-0 until the Paladins struck for three runs in the seventh to take a 3-2 lead. After the Catamounts tied the game with a run in the top of the eighth, Franklin delivered the game’s big blow to propel Furman to its sixth victory in the last eight meetings with Western Carolina.
Nick Hollstegge (2-5) was forced pitch around an unearned run in the eighth and leadoff double in the ninth to record his second win in the last three games. He surrendered two hits but struck out two, including Western Carolina hitting star Kenny Smith, to end the game. Smith went 3-for-5 in the contest, with a home run, triple, and single.
Tyler Sexton (6-2) suffered his first loss to a SoCon foe this season. He tossed eight innings, allowing nine hits and five runs, including four earned. He struck out nine and didn’t walk a batter.
Furman starter Matt Klinker pitched well, going 6 2/3 innings and allowing six hits, two runs, and four walks. He fanned five.
Western Carolina broke on top, 1-0, in the third inning when Smith drilled a two-out Klinker offering over the left field fence.
The Catamounts made it 2-0 in the sixth after Smith tripled to right center field and scored on Jonathan Greene’s sacrifice RBI.
WCU threatened in the seventh after loading the bases with two outs after a tiring Klinker, but Spencer Hale came out of the bullpen and battled back from a 2-0 count to retire Smith on a fly ball to left field to end the threat.
Furman, which had managed just four hits against Sexton over the first six frames, finally got untracked in the seventh when Franklin turned a short fly ball to center field into a leadoff double. Paul Ortenzo then bounced a grounder to shortstop Mitchell Hatley, whose attempted throw to third base to retire Franklin scooted past the bag, allowing Franklin to score.
Ortenzo, who took second base on the throwing error, moved to third on a wild pitch before coming into score on a Spence Gibbs infield single to tie the game at 2-2. At that point Gibbs was sacrificed to second, where he was pinch run for by Will Stembridge, who then moved to third on a groundout and later scored on a throwing error by Catamount third baseman Nick Liles.
Western Carolina came right back in the eighth to tie the game at 3-3. After Greene led off with a single, John Ingram reached on a throwing error by Ortenzo at first base, giving the Catamounts runners at first and third. Hollstegge rallied to retire Liles on pop out to the catcher, but pinch hitter Andy John came through with a sacrifice fly RBI to the right field fence that tied the game at 3-3.
In the decisive Furman eighth, Jay Jackson led off with a sharp single to shortstop but was picked off just ahead of a Tony Maccani single. Franklin then came through with his two-run blast over the 393’ center field fence to give the Paladins a 5-3 lead.
UNC GREENSBORO 12, ELON 3
ELON, N.C. ? The UNC Greensboro Spartans sent 10 hitters to the plate in the top of the seventh inning and scored four runs, the second four-run inning of the night for UNCG, to pull away and defeat the Elon Phoenix by a 12-3 score in Southern Conference baseball action from Latham Park on Friday night. The Spartans improved its overall record to 23-19 while moving to 9-7 in SoCon play behind the bats of Guy Welsh and Greg Feltes and the strong arm of Ryan Falcon. Elon, who has now dropped five consecutive league games, fell to 24-21 overall and 11-8 inside the SoCon.
UNCG got a run in the first when Welsh hit his fourth homer of the season, a solo shot to left with two outs.
Elon quickly evened things up in the bottom of the first. Chris Dove doubled off the wall in left before advancing to third on a passed ball. Jordy Snyder’s sacrifice fly to center plated Dove to tie the score at one.
Welsh put the Spartans back on top in the top of the third with another two out hit. This time, Welsh doubled to the gap in right, scoring both Tim Carrier and Matt Gaski.
Pat Irvine led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo shot to right, his sixth of the season, to pull the Phoenix within a run at 3-2.
A Matt Gaski double was followed by a Welsh single to put runners on the corners with nobody away in the top of the fifth for UNCG. Ricky Orton drew a 3-2 walk to load the bases before Feltes lined a single to left to drive home Gaski with the fourth Spartan run of the night. Sean Snell drove home Welsh with a single to the gap in right. Orton crossed the dish when Adam Deleo grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Feltes came home to put UNCG up 7-2 on a wild pitch.
Elon clawed back in the bottom of the fifth. Chase Austin was hit by a pitch to start the frame and scored from first on Snyder’s screaming double into the leftfield corner with one out.
Feltes hit a two-run homer in the top of the seventh to push the Spartan advantage to 9-3. UNCG would add another two runs on bases loaded walks in the inning to hold an 11-3 lead.
UNCG added a single run in the eighth inning to cap its scoring.
Welsh and Feltes combined to drive in seven runs, with each scoring twice and having three hits. Brandon Harvey also had a three-hit outing for the Spartans.
Snyder had two RBI while both Drew Davis and Dove went 2-for-4 at the plate for the Phoenix.
Falcon (5-6) put together a solid performance, allowing three runs (two earned) over 7.0 innings. He scattered six hits and struck out five to lower his ERA to 3.07 and throwing 133 pitches. Kory Judd hurled two scoreless innings to close out the game.
Steven Hensley (7-3) suffered his second straight league set-back after giving up seven runs on eight hits in 5.0 innings. Over four innings, three Elon relievers allowed five runs on eight hits.
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 7, THE CITADEL 2
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? Senior right-hander Nick Chigges tossed eight innings and held The Citadel to only five hits to lead No. 25 College of Charleston past the Bulldogs, 7-2, Friday night in Southern Conference baseball action at Riley Park. The Dogs and Cougars each collected seven hits in the contest, but five errors by the Bulldog defense were partly responsible for the 7-2 decision. The Dogs fall to 24-17, 8-8 SoCon while the Cougars improve to 32-10, 13-3 SoCon.
The Dogs’ five errors led to three unearned runs on the night. The College of Charleston actually took the early lead in the first courtesy of an unearned run as Oliver Marmol drew a lead-off walk and appeared to be gunned down at second on a steal attempt, but the throw popped out of freshman shortstop Kyle Jordan’s glove, allowing Marmol to race to third. A grounder by Chris Campbell pushed Marmol home to give the Cougars a 1-0 advantage.
Bulldog starter Wes Wrenn then retired six straight before Stuart Haywood began the fourth with an infield single. Campbell sacrificed him over before a grounder skipped under the glove of senior first baseman Zach Brown, allowing Haywood to sprint home. Ben Lasater then hit a triple off the top of the wall in right t0 plate another run, extending the Cougar lead to three.
The Citadel answered back in the bottom of the inning as sophomore right fielder Sonny Meade got things started with an infield hit to short. Brown popped out before freshman designated hitter Richard Jones earned a free pass. Freshman Chris McGuiness then roped a single to center, sending Meade across the dish to make it 3-1.
Three runs in the fifth and one in the eighth pushed the Cougars’ lead to 7-1. Haywood knocked in two with a single to center while Campbell sent in another run with a base hit back up the middle. The Citadel suffered another unearned run in the eighth as Michael Kohn notched a pinch-hit sac fly on what should have been the third out of the inning.
Sophomore catcher Sid Fallaw was responsible for the Bulldogs’ second run in the ninth as he lifted a 1-0 offering from Cougar reliever Brian Schlitter over the left field wall for his second round-tripper of the season. The scoring ended there to make the final, 7-2.
The Bulldogs put runners on first and second with less than two outs on three occasions and were unable to capitalize as Chigges continually closed the door on The Citadel offense. The Dogs left nine on base on the night.
Chigges (8-0) preserved his perfect record with the win as he tossed 8.0 innings, giving up one run on five hits while striking out four and walking four. Wrenn (3-5) suffered the loss as he threw 7.0 frames, allowing six runs (four earned) on five hits while fanning two and walking one.
With the loss, the Bulldogs have dropped three of four Friday night games in conference play.
The Dogs have actually rebounded to take two series victories against Appalachian State and Davidson after losing the Friday contest.
Haywood and Lasater led the Cougar offense as they both notched two hits on the evening while McGuiness was the only Bulldog to enjoy a multi-hit game with two of his own. Haywood and Campbell drove in four of CofC’s seven runs as they both collected two RBI.