UNCG 10, COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 5
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. -- Nick Starnes pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings in relief and Cory Overholtzer drove in the go-ahead run with a bases loaded walk in the seventh inning as UNC Greensboro rallied to beat 27th-ranked College of Charleston, 10-5, in the rubber game of its three-game Southern Conference series before 247 rain-soaked fans at Patriots Point Field on Sunday.
With the win, UNCG improved to 27-25 overall and 13-11 in league play. The Cougars, who lost a league series for just the second time since 2003, fell to 37-15 and 18-6. Both teams weather a 1-hour, 21-minute rain delay in the bottom of the first inning. The Cougars are tied with Western Carolina for the top spot in the league standings with just three games remaining. The Cougars host Davidson next week, while the Catamounts play host to Georgia Southern.
Trailing 5-4 entering the seventh, UNCG loaded the bases with two outs and tied the game when Brandon Harvey's grounder back to the mound was bobbled for an error allowing Tim Carrier to score to tie the game at 5-5. Overholtzer followed with a four-pitch walk that forced in Ricky Orton for a 6-5 UNCG lead. A two-run single by Adam Deleo, a Charleston error and a RBI single by Sam Martin closed out the six-run uprising and gave the Spartans a 10-5 lead.
Starnes (5-4), who picked up the win, came on in relief in the third inning and after allowing an RBI double to Alex Garabedian, blanked the Cougars on just six hits with three strikeouts the rest of the way. Jake Goldberg (6-1) suffered his first loss of the season surrendering three unearned runs in 3 2/3 innings of work.
UNCG built a 3-1 third inning lead getting a sacrifice fly from Guy Welsh in the first, an RBI single by Carrier in the second and a run-producing grounder from Harvey in the third.
Charleston answered in the third with four runs. Graham Maiden, who finished with four hits, had a RBI single to left, Ben Lasater belted a two-run double to left center and Garabedian lashed an RBI double to left give CofC a 5-3 lead. Matt Gaski's run-producing grounder in the fourth cut Charleston's lead to 5-4.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN 17, THE CITADEL 4
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? Georgia Southern was able to avoid the sweep as they picked up a 17-4 victory over The Citadel in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Riley Park. The Eagles collected four home runs in the contest, including two off the bat of A.J. Wirnsberger. The Bulldogs drop to 28-23, 11-13 SoCon while GSU improves to 31-24, 12-12 SoCon.
Wirnsberger, Jeremiah Parker and Kyle Blackburn each tallied three hits for the Eagles while Blackburn drove in four runs. Seniors Chance Smith and Zach Brown, along with junior Matt Arnold paced the Bulldogs with two hits apiece, including a triple by Arnold.
Eagle starter Josh Lairsey (3-1) enjoyed his third consecutive win as he tossed 5.0 innings, allowing four runs on six hits while fanning six and walking three. Freshman Matt Riefsnider (3-3) had a rough outing as he was pegged with the loss and went 1.2 frames, surrendering five runs on four hits while striking out two and walking three.
The Eagles took 2-0 lead in the first thanks to a pair of RBI-singles by Blackburn and Chris Shehan. The Bulldogs quickly evened it up in the bottom half of the frame as freshmen Richard Jones and Bryan Altman came through with a couple of run-scoring base hits.
Georgia Southern then put up a five spot in the second to take a 7-2 advantage. Wirnsberger began the frame with a solo-shot over the fence in left center. Parker drove in a run with a single to right before Blackburn smacked a three-run homer to right center.
The Citadel added one on an RBI-double by Smith, but the Eagles were able to get it back with Wirnsberger’s second home run of the game as he enjoyed a round-tripper in consecutive at bats.
The scoring was halted for two frames before GSU plated eight unanswered runs over the final three innings. Mike Economos recorded the Eagles’ second three-run jack of the contest as a fielding error, wild pitch, sac fly and two more RBI-singles accounted for the final five runs. The Eagles enjoyed 18 hits to The Citadel’s nine.
Relievers Drew Murray and A.J. Battisto combined to hold the Dogs scoreless for the last four innings, allowing three hits and fanning three between the two. The Citadel called six separate pitchers to the mound as freshman Nick Sprowls had the longest outing of his career, throwing 4.2 frames and collecting a career-best five strikeouts.
The Citadel recognized seven seniors prior to the game as Zach Brown, Joe Hoerter, Jamie Maxwell, Link Saunders, Chance Smith, Justin Smith and Stephen Williams were all honored for the their contributions to Bulldog Baseball.
WESTERN CAROLINA 14, WOFFORD 1
SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Jonathan Greene drove in five runs and scored twice while adding a home run and a double to lead Western Carolina to a 14-1 win over Wofford in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Russell C. King Field.
Greene was 2-for-4 in the outing with a three-run homer, an RBI double and an RBI groundout. Teammate Kenny Smith scored four times while contributing three RBIs with a bases loaded triple and two doubles to finish 3-for-4 on the day with a walk. Starter Corey Martin (5-2) picked up the win after holding Wofford to three hits and one run over six complete innings. Brock Thornburg, Chris Masters and Greg Holland all contributed one inning of relief while giving up only two hits over the final three innings.
Bradford Eaves contributed Wofford’s only run with a solo home run in the first inning. The blast was the fourth of the season for the senior outfielder and extended Wofford’s consecutive home run streak to 14 straight games.
Western Carolina took advantage of two walks and two errors in the first inning to put up a 4-0 lead. Wofford starter Adam Kearney struck out Barrett Shaft to begin the game, but walked Blake Murphy and Kenny Smith to put two men on base. Kearney then hit Jonathan Greene to load the bases and gave up a base hit to John Ingram that allowed three runs to score. The drive to right field bounced off the glove of Terrier outfielder Sterling Dye, which allowed Ingram to walk into third base while also allowing all three runners to cross the plate. Kearney then forced a ground ball, but Wofford shortstop Michael Gilmartin bounced the throw to first baseman John Brandt which extended the inning and allowed Ingram to score from third.
Eaves responded with a solo home run in the bottom of the first to reclaim one of the runs for Wofford. With a 1-0 count, Eaves raked a fastball over the left field fence for his fourth homer of the season. The hit was also marked the sixth consecutive at bat in which Eaves reached base, after posting a 4-for-4 performance in Saturday’s game against the Catamounts.
Smith capped a five-run inning for the Catamounts with a bases-loaded triple to give Western Carolina a 9-1 lead. Brent Greer drew a walk to lead off the inning and advanced to third after Shaft was hit by a pitch and Murphy walked to load the bases. Following an RBI walk to Steven Strausbaugh, senior Charles Vartanian took the mound for Wofford, but surrendered Smith’s three-bagger to right center field to clear the bases. Greene then scored Smith with a slow roller to second base before Vartanian struck out Ingram to end the inning.
Greene knocked in three more runs with a two-out home run in the top of the sixth to put the Catamounts up 12-1. Vartanian forced a groundout and a flyout early in the inning, but walked a batter between the first two outs. Smith then laced a double to right center field to put men on second and third before Greene drove in the runners with a three-run shot over the center field fence.
The Catamounts added another run in the seventh on a Wofford throwing error. Nick Liles led off the inning with an infield single and moved up a base after Andy John was hit by a pitch. Shaft then knocked a ground ball to Eric Sturkie at second base, but Sturkie threw the ball wide of Brandt at first base to allow Liles to score from second for a 13-1 Western Carolina lead.
Smith and Greene led off the top of the eighth with back-to-back doubles to claim a 14-1 lead heading into the final two innings. Smith drove his two-bagger to right-center while Greene followed with a shot to left-center to contribute his fifth RBI of the game. After a hit batter and a single through the left side loaded the bases with no outs, senior reliever Lance Player took the mound for Wofford and forced a double play and an infield popup to escape the inning without allowing a run. Player forced a weak ground ball back to himself and fired to catcher Keith Munns for the force out at the plate, and Munns completed the double play by throwing to Brandt at first base. Player then forced Greer to popup to end the inning. Player also came out in the ninth and retired the side in order to complete his playing career at Russell C. King Field by retiring five straight batters.
After Western Carolina left hander Chris Masters took the mound in the eighth and retired the side in order, Catamount closer Greg Holland mowed down the Terriers in the ninth to end the game.
Adam Kearney (2-5) took the loss for Wofford after surrendering eight runs, six earned, on one hit over the first 3 1/3 innings. Kearney walked five and struck out two of his 21 batters faced. Vartanian contributed 2 2/3 innings of work while Austin Redwine added another. Player tossed the final two innings and did not give a single hit in his outing.