FURMAN 6, CLEMSON 3
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Bobby Hubbard’s two-out, two-run triple in the eighth inning broke open a close game and lifted Furman to a 6-3 win over nationally 16th-ranked Clemson Wednesday evening at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
The victory marked the second straight triumph for Furman (16-34) over Clemson (32-17) following last year’s 5-4 win over the then sixth-ranked and College World Series-bound Tigers, also at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, and fourth decision in the last six meetings between the two schools. The Paladins swept Clemson in a pair of games during the 2003 campaign. The triumph also represents Furman’s 11th win over a Top 20-ranked oppnent since 2001.
With Furman leading 4-2, Hubbard’s big hit to right center field against Clemson reliever Chris Fidrych came on a 1-2 pitch and plated Connor Lind and Paul Ortenzo, giving the Paladins a 6-2 advantage.
Clemson’s Taylor Harbin opened the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run off Paladin reliever Spencer Hale, but freshman Nicholas Karow came in with one down and closed the door on any Tiger comeback, allowing only one hit and recording three strikeouts over the final 1 2/3 innings to earn his second save in consecutive nights. On Tuesday he notched his first collegiate save after working a 1-2-3 ninth in a 9-7 win over Charleston Southern.
Hale (1-2) earned his first collegiate victory after surrendering three hits and a run in 3 1/3 innings of solid relief.
Will Feemster made the victory possible with four solid innings of work in his first collegiate start. The junior right hander and product of Greenville’s J.L. Mann High School allowed two hits and two runs, both earned, while walking two and notching a pair of strikeouts.
The Paladins out-hit Clemson 11-6 and got a pair of base hits from four players, including Lind, Ortenzo, Marcus Rose, Charlie Bailes. Furman had five sacrifice bunts in the contest.
Lind got the Paladins started in the first inning with a leadoff double. After advancing to third base on a sacrifice, he came home on a fielder’s choice grounder off the bat of Jay Jackson.
Andy D’Alessio’s two-out, two-run single in the third inning gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead.
Later in the sixth, Charlie Bailes and Will Stembridge delivered back-to-back one out singles and came around to score when Ortenzo stroked a P.J. Zocchi offering into the right center field gap to give Furman a 3-2 lead.
The Paladins made it 4-2 in the seventh after Rose doubled down the left field line and later scored on a Jay Jackson single to left field.
In the decisive eighth, Ortenzo led off with a walk, and with one out Lind singled to right to put runners on the corners. Rose struck out, and after a pitching change, Hubbard greeted Fidrych, the new Clemson reliever, with a double to left center field that scored Ortenzo and Lind for a 6-2 advantage.
Zocchi (3-2) took the loss for Clemson.
Furman is off this weekend before returning to the field next Tuesday against Georgia State in Atlanta in a 6:00 p.m. game.
WESTERN CAROLINA 12, OHIO STATE 2
COLUMBUS, OHIO - Western Carolina jumped on top early, scoring 10 unanswered runs through the first four innings and again blasted three home runs as the Catamounts completed the two-game sweep of the Ohio State Buckeyes with a 12-2 win Wednesday afternoon at Bill Davis Stadium.
The win moved Western ahead in the all-time series with the Buckeyes, 6-5, and made the Catamounts 11-6 all-time against current members of the Big Ten.
Western (34-15) loaded the bases in each of the first two innings, capitalizing on three-straight, one-out walks in the first inning before junior Jonathan Greene singled to left center to score his classmate, Blake Murphy, giving the Catamounts an early, 1-0, lead. Yet, a double-play along the middle of the Buckeye infield held WCU to just the single run.
The Catamounts managed to hold OSU scoreless in the bottom of the first after a lead-off single by designated hitter Jacob Howell was erased after Murphy gunned Howell down at second caught stealing. A one-out single by centerfielder Matt Angle was eventually erased as WCU starting pitcher, Tyler Johnson, picked him off to end the inning.
In the top of the second, Western broke the game open with five runs on three base hits, including a three-run home run by senior Kenny Smith, which extended his current hitting streak to 16 games. Freshman Nick Liles opened the frame with a single through the right side when two batters later, short stop Mitchell Hatley singled up the middle to put two on with one out.
Lead-off hitter, junior Barrett Shaft, was hit by a pitch to load the bases for the second-straight inning before junior Steven Strausbaugh singled to center field, driving in two runs in Liles and Hatley. With runners on first and second, Smith blasted his 17th homer of the season over the fence in left field for the 6-0 lead.
The opening four-inning barrage ended in the fourth inning as the Catamounts pushed across four runs, including a three-run homer by senior John Ingram, to stake itself to a 10-0 lead. Shaft opened the frame by being hit by a pitch for the second time on the day before Strausbaugh, who raised his seasonal average above .300 for the first time this season, singling to left field to put two aboard. The next batter, Smith, hit an RBI single to left, scoring Shaft from second, for the seven-run lead. With two out in the inning, Ingram laced a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left for the second, three-run long ball and a 10-0 advantage.
Ohio State (28-17) answered with one run in both the home half of the fourth and fifth innings, trimming Western's advantage to eight, 10-2, but a two-run home run in the top of the ninth by Greene provided the final tally, 12-2.
Johnson (2-3) worked five innings for the Catamounts allowing two earned runs while scattering eight base hits with one walk. Both sophomore Brian Corbett and freshman Daniel Ottone each tossed two scoreless innings apiece while only surrendering two hits over the final four innings.
Four Catamounts posted multiple RBI games led by Strausbaugh and Smith who each finished 3-for-4 on the day. Smith homered while posting four RBI, with Strausbaugh tallying two singles and a double with a pair of runs driven in. Greene and Ingram each drove in three runs apiece on the afternoon and both homered in the win.
Western Carolina returns to Southern Conference action this Friday through Sunday as the Catamounts travel to Spartanburg, S.C., to face the Wofford Terriers. Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 6:00 pm, with Saturday and Sunday slated to begin at 1:00 pm.
DUKE 5, UNC GREENSBORO 4
GREENSBORO, N.C. ? Brett Bartles’ two-run home run in the top of the ninth tied the game at 4-4 and Gabriel Saade’s RBI triple in the same inning gave Duke the 5-4 win over UNC Greensboro on Wednesday night at UNCG Baseball Stadium.
After being down 4-2 going into the ninth, Bartles sent a deep shot to centerfield to tie the game at four a piece. Duke (27-20) took their first lead of the game on Saade’s RBI triple to left-center that scored Alexander Haasan.
After 3-1/2 scoreless innings, UNCG (25-24) put two runs on the board in the bottom of the fourth to take the 2-0 lead. Ricky Orton and Greg Feltes recorded back-to-back two-out singles and Sean Snell reached on a hit by pitch to load the bases. Designated hitter Brandon Harvey connected on a 2-2 pitch and sent a double down the leftfield line to score Orton and Feltes.
The Spartans added two runs in the bottom of the fifth to go up 4-0. Tim Carrier reached on a hit by pitch and advanced on a wild pitch before being plated by a Guy Welsh single up the middle. Orton followed with a two-bagger to left-center to bring Welsh home and give UNCG the four-run advantage.
Duke finally got on the board in the top of the eighth on a two-run homer by Jonathan Nicolla. Saade reached on a walk before Nicolla sent his first roundtripper of the season over the left-center wall.
Michael Ness (4-3) picked up the win after pitching 3-1/3 innings and only gave up one hit. Michael Seander earned his ninth save of the year after giving up just one hit in the ninth.
Kory Judd (4-4) took the loss after allowing two runs on one hit in relief for the Spartans. Starter Rob Gilliam allowed just two runs on four hits in 7-2/3 innings of work. The freshman from Chapel Hill, NC struck out a career-high seven batters.
Orton finished 2-for-4 with one RBI and extended his hitting streak to 18 games. Harvey went 2-for-4 with two RBI for UNCG.
The Spartans return to Southern Conference action when they travel to the College of Charleston for a three-game series beginning Friday.
APPALACHIAN STATE 23-4, DAVIDSON 2-6
DAVIDSON, N.C. ? Senior Blake Osborn hit a go-ahead three-run double in the fifth, and four Wildcat pitchers combined to hold Appalachian State to no earned runs as Davidson salvaged a doubleheader split in a 6-4 victory on Wednesday evening, ending a nine-game losing streak. The visiting Mountaineers (27-23, 12-12) pounded out 27 hits in the first game, five by Jason Altenhof, to hand Davidson (18-31, 7-17) a 23-2 defeat.
In the nightcap, Davidson trailed 2-0 in the fifth, but loaded the bases on consecutive singles by sophomore Matt Webb, and seniors Alden Crissey and Rob Wilson with one out. Osborn got behind in the count 1-2 against Garrett Sherrill, but he drilled a shot into the right-center gap to clear the bases with a two-bagger for a 3-2 Wildcat lead. Sophomore Chase FitzPatrick followed with a double of his own to drive in Osborn.
Davidson tacked on a couple more runs in the sixth. Sophomore Brett Shore led off the frame with a drag bunt single, and sophomore Zach Kayne then extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a perfectly executed hit-and-run, sending Shore to third with a single through the right side. Webb lofted a sacrifice fly for one run, then the ’Cats loaded the bases against reliever Zach Quate on a Crissey double and an intentional walk to Wilson. After an infield pop for the second out, a ball escaped the catcher for a passed ball, allowing Kayne to scamper home.
Appalachian State took advantage of some sloppy play in the seventh to get those two runs back, as back-to-back errors with two out extended the inning and allowed one run to score. Isaac Harrow hit an RBI double before Kayne moved to the mound from his position at second base and got the final out on a fly to center. Webb pitched the final two innings, allowing just one base runner, to earn his eighth save of the season.
Freshman Thomas Middour (5-6) ended a personal five-game losing streak with 5.2 strong innings. Both runs scored off of him were unearned as he yielded six hits and a pair of walks with two strikeouts.
Crissey had three of Davidson’s 14 hits in the victory. Altenhof and Harrow each had two safeties for ASU.
The Mountaineers scored in eight of the nine innings in the first game, quickly burying the Wildcats. Wilson (2-8) had his streak of five straight quality starts for the Wildcats come to an end, surrendering eight runs, five earned, on nine hits in just three innings.
Altenhof came to the plate eight times, collecting two doubles, three singles, a walk, two runs and four RBIs. Tom Prosser went 3-for-6 with five RBIs, all coming in the first four frames, and Chris Baker just missed the cycle with his 4-for-7 performance, banging out two singles, a triple and his fourth homer of the year while amassing five RBIs.
Matt Andress (5-4) went six solid innings for the victory, allowing just two runs on nine hits and two walks while fanning six. Calvin Teague and Chris Patterson allowed just two hits over the final three innings.
The lone two runs for Davidson came in the sixth on RBI singles by Shore and Webb.
Davidson has a week off for exams before finishing the regular season with a three-game series at league-leading and 27th-ranked College of Charleston on May 17-18. Appalachian State travels to Longwood on Friday for a game at 2 p.m.
SOUTH CAROLINA 12, THE CITADEL 3
COLUMBIA, S.C. ? South Carolina starter Mike Cisco collected a career-high 10 strikeouts and was backed by four Gamecock home runs as seventh-ranked South Carolina defeated The Citadel, 12-3, in non-conference baseball action Wednesday night at Sarge Frye Field.
Justin Smoak gave the Gamecocks the early lead in the first with a two-out, solo shot over the wall in right field for his 16th homer of the season. South Carolina extended their lead to 3-0 in the second courtesy of back-to-back jacks by Jon Willard and Steven Reinhold.
Freshman left-hander Raymond Copenhaver took over on the hill for the Dogs in the third and forced Smoak to pop out in foul territory before allowing a walk to Phil Disher. Trent Kline grounded into a 163 double play as Copenhaver returned in the fourth and retired the Gamecocks in order for the first time of the contest. South Carolina did not stay off the board long as Reese Havens went deep for the fourth Gamecock round-tripper of the night as he drilled one over the center field fence to lead off the fifth.
The Bulldogs were able to put a runner in scoring position in the sixth as senior right fielder Joe Hoerter punched a base hit through the right side to begin the frame. Mike Cisco registered two straight outs but then threw two wild pitches that allowed Hoerter to move all the way to third. Sophomore Sonny Meade worked a full count, but Cisco won the battle as Meade went down swinging to end the Bulldog threat.
The Citadel was able to avoid the shutout in the seventh as freshman catcher Richard Jones ripped a two-bagger off the wall in left center with one out. Freshman second baseman Bryan
Altman hit a slow roller to second for the second out. Junior third baseman Matt Arnold notched an infield single that Cisco threw in the dirt past first base, allowing Jones to sprint home from second to make it 4-1.
The Gamecocks retaliated in the bottom half of the frame as Disher registered an RBI-single and James Darnell raced to the plate on a squeeze by Trent Kline, extending the SC lead to five runs. South Carolina scored six more in the eighth thanks to a bases loaded walk, a pair of RBI-singles by DeAngelo Mack and Havens and a two-run double off the bat of Kline.
Freshman pinch-hitter Matt Riefsnider barely missed a grand slam in the top of the ninth as he crushed one off the top of the wall in left center for a double that pushed in two to make the final, 12-3.
Cisco (4-2) picked up the win as he went 7.0 innings, allowing one unearned run on four hits while fanning 10 and walking one. Freshman lefty Chris McGuiness (2-2) suffered the loss as he tossed 2.0 frames, giving up three runs on five hits.
The Bulldogs sent six hurlers to the mound, four freshmen and two seniors, as the Gamecocks collected 15 hits to The Citadel’s five. Altman extended his hitting streak to 12 games in the contest while Reifsnider led the Dogs with two RBI. Disher paced the Gamecock offense as he enjoyed his third consecutive three-hit game.
The Citadel will return home this weekend, May 11-13, to host Georgia Southern for a pivotal three-game Sothern Conference series. The Bulldogs will honor their seven seniors on Senior Day this Sunday, May 11 prior to the start of the game.