UNC GREENSBORO 9, APPALACHIAN STATE 3
UNC Greensboro topped Appalachian State in a first-round game in the Southern Conference Baseball Tournament by a 9- 3 margin Wednesday morning at Riley Park.
The fourth-seeded Mountaineers were handcuffed by UNCG’s Ryan Falcon who surrendered one run and five hits in seven innings of work while striking out seven batters. Leftfielder Tom Prosser (Etowah, Tenn./Roane State) led ASU at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. Andrew Franco (Niceville, Fla./Tallahassee C.C.) also had two hits for the Mountaineers (32-25).
The fifth-seeded Spartans (29-28) were paced by Tim Carrier’s 2-for-5 with four RBI day that included a two-run home run. Ricky Orton added three RBI with a 3-for-5 performance.
UNCG scored its first three runs in the top of the second inning on an RBI double and a two-run single. Designated hitter Brandon Harvey brought home the first run with a double to deep center field to score Sean Snell from first base. After a ground out and a walk second, baseman Carrier singled to center field to drive in Corey Overholtzer and Harvey from second and third base, respectively.
The Apps got a run across on starter Falcon in the fifth inning. Falcon only allowed one hit through the first four innings but the first two batters, Prosser and Chris Baker (Clarkston, N.C./East Columbus), reached base with a double and a single. Nick DeRose (Winston-Salem, N.C./Reynolds) then drove Prosser in with a sacrifice fly to right field.
The score remained 3-1 until the Spartans’ bats exploded for five runs in the seventh. The first two runs of the inning were courtesy of Carrier’s two-run homer to right center. UNCG added two more on Orton’s double to centerfield that scored Matt Gaski and Guy Welsh, both of whom walked to reach base. UNCG ended its scoring in the frame with a sacrifice fly off the bat of Sean Snell that scored Orton. Orton completed his afternoon in the ninth inning with a solo shot to right field.
The Apps threatened in the bottom half of the ninth as they loaded the bases with no outs via back-to-back walks and a hit batsman. UNCG quelled the ASU charge with a double-play on a hard hit ball to second base that scored Jerod Faggart (Concord, N.C./NW Cabarrus). Jason Altenhof (Santa Fe, Fla./FCC Jacksonville) then singled in Prosser to account for ASU’s third run before a flyball ended the inning.
WOFFORD 19, COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 6
Brandon Waring homered twice and drove in six runs to lead No. 9 seed Wofford to a 19-6 upset over No. 1 seed College of Charleston in the second round of the Southern Conference baseball tournament Wednesday afternoon at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park. The win is the 27th of the season for Wofford, which breaks the school's Division I record of 26, set in 2002.
Waring, a first team All-Southern Conference selection, went 5-for-6 with a pair of homers, six RBIs and five runs. Senior John Brandt added four RBIs and a home run while going 3-for-5 at the plate. Starter Austin Redwine (6-5) held College of Charleston to five runs, four earned to outduel SoCon Pitcher of the Year Nick Chigges for the win. Redwine scattered 11 hits and a walk over 7 2/3 innings while striking out five. The senior workhorse tossed 129 pitches in his second-longest outing of the season.
Wofford tagged Chigges (11-1) for 12 earned runs on 11 hits over 4 2/3 innings. Cougar left fielder Michael Harrington and first baseman Graham Maiden turned in three hits apiece while Harrington and Chris Campbell each added a home run for College of Charleston.
The Terriers (27-31) jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the third inning and led by as much as 15 runs. College of Charleston came within two runs after scoring three in the bottom of the fourth, but could not keep up with the Wofford offense.
Wofford jumped on Chigges early and scored three runs in the second inning on back-to-back home runs. Following a leadoff single by Waring, Brandt mashed a two-run homer off the light pole in right center field for his 14th round tripper of the season. First baseman Adam Wood then forced Chigges into a 3-1 count before driving a solo shot just inside of the right field foul pole to put Wofford up 3-0.
Maiden led off the bottom half of the second with a base hit through the right side for College of Charleston (39-18), but Terrier right fielder Sterling Dye came up firing to first base in time to catch Maiden off the bag after he rounded toward second. Redwine then forced a popup and a ground ball to end the inning and keep Wofford's momentum rolling.
Waring added to Wofford's lead with a two-run shot in the top of the third to put Wofford up 5-0. Shortstop Michael Gilmartin slapped a base hit up the middle to start the inning before Waring drove a 1-2 pitch to straight away center field. Waring battled and fouled off several pitches before blasting Chigges' offering out of the park for his 23rd homer of the season.
College of Charleston matched Wofford with a pair of back-to-back homers and a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth to narrow the deficit to 5-3. Harrington and Campbell both knocked solo shots on consecutive pitches to start the inning while Maiden followed with a double down the right field line. Redwine settled down and struck out Ben Lasater for the first out of the inning, but sent Maiden to third with a balk. Catcher Alex Garabedian then lifted a fly ball to left field to allow Maiden to tag up for the third run of the inning.
Wofford rallied for seven runs in the next half inning to take a 12-3 lead. Gilmartin led off with a ground rule double down the left field line and advanced to third on a tweener through the left side by Bradford Eaves. Designated hitter Shane Kirkley then drew a walk to load the bases with no outs, and Waring fought off an inside pitch to drop a single into right field that scored Gilmartin. Brandt followed with a sacrifice fly to right field to send in Eaves while Dye drove in another run with a bloop single to right field. Second baseman Eric Sturkie sent two more runs across the plate with base knock to right field before the Cougars called on Jake Goldberg to relieve Chigges. Goldberg inherited two base runners and allowed both to score as Gilmartin poked a base hit through the left side and Eaves pulled a single down the third base line.
College of Charleston threatened to score again in the bottom of the fifth, but Gilmartin and Sturkie turned a double play to prevent any Cougars from crossing the plate. Leadoff man Oliver Marmol reached base on a fielding error by Gilmartin and advanced to third on a single to right center by Harrington. Campbell then slapped a ground ball between third and short, but Gilmartin ranged to his right, backhanded the ball and spun and threw to Sturkie at second in time to start the inning-ending double play.
Wofford put together a six-run two-out rally in the top of the seventh to go up by 13 runs. Waring and Brandt provided the first three runs with back-to-back base hits before Wood and Dye hit back-to-back doubles for the last three runs. Waring came to the plate with the bases loaded and drove in two after with a ground ball through the left side for his fourth hit of the game. Brandt added the next RBI with a base knock up the middle while Wood followed with a double down the left field line to score Waring. Dye capped the offensive rally by driving in Brandt and Wood with a two-bagger to left-center field.
College of Charleston added three runs in the bottom of the eighth to break a three-inning drought. Michael Kohn tripled off the left center field fence and scored on a base knock by backup catcher Tony Esquith. Wofford then brought in Lance Player to relieve Redwine, but Joey Bergman tagged the senior right hander for a base hit through the left side. Esquith would then score from second after Gilmartin committed a fielding error, and Clay McCord added the final run of the inning with an RBI single to center field that scored Bergman.
Waring added his second home run of the game in the top of the ninth to reclaim the 13-run lead. Waring's solo blast came with a 1-1 count and was the 100th of the season for the Terriers, who become only the second team in the nation to reach triple digits in home runs. The homer also marked the fifth time this season that Waring has hit multiple home runs in a single game.
Wofford advances to the quarterfinals where they will face No. 5 seed UNC Greensboro at 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 24. UNC Greensboro bested No. 4 seed Appalachian State 9-3 Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinals. No. 1 seed College of Charleston will face Appalachian State at 10 a.m. on Thursday.
ELON 14, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 7
Pat Irvine’s grand slam in the bottom of the second inning broke a 3-3 tie and paced the number three-seeded Elon Phoenix to a 14-7 victory over the number six-seeded Georgia Southern Eagles in the first round of the Southern Conference Baseball Tournament.
Elon moves to 30-27 for the year, reaching the 30-win mark for the eighth straight season. Georgia Southern falls to 33-27.
Steven Hensley (8-5) earned the win for Elon after throwing 7.0 innings and giving up four runs on seven hits while striking out eight. With his first strikeout of the game, Hensley became just the third pitcher in Elon history, and the first since 1977, to notch 100 strikeouts in a season. J.D. Reichenbach tossed 2.0 innings in relief and gave up three runs (no earned runs) on two hits while fanning two batters.
Elon got on the board in the bottom of the first inning. Adam Weaver led off with a double to left centerfield and Chris Dove bunted for a single to move Weaver to third before Irvine grounded out to second base, allowing Weaver to go home.
Georgia Southern responded with three runs in the top of the second inning. Hensley retired the first two batters before Chris Shehan knocked a solo home run to tie the game 1-1. Griffin Benedict earned a walk before A.J. Wirnsberger doubled to left centerfield to send Benedict home. Brian Pierce then singled into left field to score Wirnsberger and give GSU a 3-1 lead.
In the bottom of the second inning, Ryan Addison singled up the middle to lead off the inning and Zach Booker doubled down the right field line to put runners on second and third. Jordy Snyder knocked a sacrifice fly to centerfield to send Addison home and cut the lead to one, 3-2. Chase Austin then popped a ball into shallow right field for a double, allowing Booker to get home to tie the game 3-3. Weaver and Dove each earned a walk to load the bases before Irvine blasted a ball over the right field fence for the grand slam, the first Georgia Southern has given up this season, to put Elon ahead 7-3.
Elon added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Chris Vasami singled through the right side and Snyder earned a walk before Austin doubled down the left field line to score Vasami. Weaver then knocked a sacrifice fly to centerfield to plate Snyder before Dove doubled to left centerfield to send Austin home and give Elon a 10-3 lead.
In the top of the sixth, Georgia Southern’s Jeremiah Parker took the first pitch of the inning over the centerfield wall to cut the lead to six, 10-4.
Elon responded with a run of its own in the bottom half of the frame. Drew Davis led off with a single up the middle and Mike Melillo singled to move Davis to third base before Vasami knocked a sacrifice fly to right field to score Davis and give Elon an 11-4 lead.
The Phoenix added three more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Austin led off with his third double of the day and Weaver earned a walk before Dove singled up the middle to score Austin. Dove stole second to put runners on second and third before an error by the GSU third baseman on an Addison hit allowed Weaver and Dove to cross home plate, giving Elon a 14-4 lead.
Georgia Southern put three runs on the board in the top of the ninth inning when Parker ripped a three-run homer out of left field, his second round-tripper of the day to cut the Elon lead to seven, 14-7.
Aaron Eubanks (3-5) suffered the loss for the Eagles after throwing 1.2 innings and giving up seven runs on seven hits. GSU used four more pitchers to finish the game.
Austin led Elon from the plate, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI. Dove was 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBI while Davis, Addison and Vasami each posted two hits and Irvine tallied five RBI.
Parker led the Eagles’ offense, going 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI while Brian Pierce was 3-for-4 with one RBI.
Elon will face the winner of the Western Carolina/The Citadel game at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday night while Georgia Southern will battle the loser of that contest at 1 p.m.
THE CITADEL 7, WESTERN CAROLINA 2
Seventh-seeded The Citadel knocked off No. 2 Western Carolina, 7-2, in the first round of double-elimination play in the Southern Conference Tournament Tuesday night at Riley Park.
Sophomore hurler Matt Crim tossed seven innings of shutout ball and tied a career-best eight strikeouts while freshman catcher Richard Jones belted his third home run in as many games.
The Bulldogs held the Catamounts scoreless all the way until two outs in the bottom of the ninth when Blake Murphy drew a bases loaded walk. Senior hurler Link Saunders came in to record the final out and pick up his sixth save of the year as he caught Kenny Smith looking to end the game.
Jones put the Bulldogs on the board first for the second consecutive night with a solo shot to right in the second inning. Jones has homered in the last three games, belting a round-tripper in his first at bat in the last two. Junior third baseman Matt Arnold was able to race home from third on a passed ball to give the Dogs a 2-0 advantage.
The Citadel struck again in the fourth as senior center fielder Chance Smith ripped a run-scoring double to the gap in left center. Junior left fielder Chris Swauger followed that up with a base hit up the middle to make it 4-0 Bulldogs.
Swauger earned his second RBI of the evening with a solo bomb off the batter’s eye in the ninth before sophomore Sonny Meade was awarded a free pass. Brown followed that up with a two-bagger off the top of the wall in right to plate freshman Matt Simonelli, who entered the game as a pinch-runner for Meade. Jones then sent Brown across the dish with a single to right, extending The Citadel lead to seven.
After holding opponents to 22 consecutive scoreless innings, the Bulldogs surrendered two bases-loaded walks with two outs in the ninth.
Crim (7-3) earned the victory for the Dogs as he tossed 7.0 scoreless innings, allowing only two hits while fanning eight and walking four. Western starter Tyler Sexton (8-3) suffered the loss as he lasted 3.2 frames, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits while striking out two and walking one.
Swauger, Jones and Arnold each collected three-hits on the night as Arnold extended his career-best hitting streak to 13 games. Nick Liles lead the Catamount offense with three hits of his own, including a triple.
No. 7 The Citadel will now face No. 3 Elon in game 10 of the SoCon Tournament on Thursday, May 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Riley Park. The Bulldogs were 1-2 versus the Phoenix during the regular season when they visited Riley Park. The Dogs are 2-1 when facing Elon in the SoCon Tournament. The last time the two met in the tourney was in 2006 when The Citadel eliminated top-ranked Elon with a 14-11 victory.