APPALACHIAN STATE 10, UNC ASHEVILLE 2
BOONE, N.C. -- Sparked by Isaac Harrow's seventh home run of the season, Appalachian State University baseball scored the final 10 runs of the game in Wednesday's 10-2 victory over UNC Asheville at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
In front of a raucous home crowd, Appalachian (24-20) completed its first season sweep of UNC Asheville (18-33) in six years. ASU claimed one-run wins in each of the first two meetings of the season between the two teams.
Thanks to the Mountaineers’ fifth double-digit scoring output in seven games, Wednesday's victory came much easier. In addition to the offensive outburst, seven Mountaineer pitchers combined to hold the Bulldogs to just two runs on seven hits. After falling into an early 2-0 hole, the Apps surrendered just one hit to the final 16 batters UNCA batters of the game.
Trailing 2-0, Appalachian knotted the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Andrew Franco and a sacrifice fly from Harrow. An inning later, ASU broke the game wide open with five runs on five hits, highlighted by an RBI triple from Tom Prosser and Harrow’s mammoth two-run homer. Harrow’s blast cleared the 370-foot mark in left center field by at least 30 feet and tied him with Franco for the team lead with seven dingers on the campaign.
The Mountaineers closed out the scoring with two more runs in the sixth and another in the eighth.
Freshman Jerod Faggart led all players with three hits on the evening, while Harrow collected a game-high three RBI. Nick DeRose scored three of the Apps’ 10 runs.
Zach Quate allowed just one run and struck out three in two innings of relief to earn the win and up his record to 2-3 on the season. For the second time in eight days, Appalachian saddled UNCA’s Michael Bogaert (2-7) with the loss.
Having already equaled its 24 wins from a season ago, Appalachian embarks on a string of six-straight Southern Conference games, beginning with a three-game series at archrival Western Carolina this weekend. Fourth-place ASU (9-9 SoCon) and second-place WCU (30-14, 13-5 SoCon) open their three-game set at 7 p.m. Friday in Cullowhee, N.C.
WAKE FOREST 6, UNC GREENSBORO 5
GREENSBORO, N.C. ? Wake Forest’s four-run fifth inning was enough to lift the Demon Deacons to a 6-5 win over UNC Greensboro on Wednesday evening at UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Wake Forest (28-22) jumped out to a one-run advantage in the first when Brett Linnenkohl hit a lead-off home run over the rightfield fence. UNCG quickly responded in the same inning to tie the game, 1-1. Ricky Orton recorded his 20th RBI of the season when he sent a single through the right side to score Tim Carrier, who doubled earlier.
After adding a run in the second, the Demon Deacons struck for four runs in the fifth. Wake opened with back-to-back singles by Linnenkohl and Ben Terry. Willy Fox drove in a run on a sacrifice fly, while a Dustin Hood single plated Terry. The Deacons closed out the inning with a RBI double and a RBI single to take the 6-1 lead.
UNCG (23-22) closed the gap by plating three runs in the home half of the fifth, making it 6-4 in favor of Wake. Junior Matt Gaski reached on a one-out single up the middle and advanced to second on a catcher’s interference. Orton laced a double down the leftfield line, scoring Gaski.
Greg Feltes drove in Guy Welsh with a sacrifice fly to right, while Orton came home when Sean Snell reached on a Deacon error.
The Spartans pushed across a run in the seventh to cut the Deacons lead to one, 6-5. Gaski opened the inning with an infield single and advanced to second on a Wake throwing error. Welsh followed with a hit up the middle, moving Gaski to third and Orton grounded into a double play, but allowed Gaski to score on the play.
Kirby Wedekind (2-0) took the win and gave up just one run on four hits in four innings of work on a scheduled staff day. Josh Ellis picked up his seventh save of the season after pitching a scoreless and hitless ninth.
Starter Alex Shelton (1-4) took the loss after allowing two runs on three hits in two innings on the mound. Kory Judd held Wake Forest scoreless in three innings of relief and struck out two.
The Spartan offense was led by Orton, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI. Gaski finished with two hits and two runs on the evening.
WINTHROP 16, COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 14
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. -- Phil Carey hit a grand slam and Billy Froehlich added a three-run shot as Winthrop downed 24th-ranked College of Charleston, 16-14, before 357 at Patriots Point Field on Wednesday.
Winthrop improved to 27-19 with the win, while the Cougars fell to 34-11. The Cougars open a three-game Southern Conference series at Elon at 7:00 on Friday.
Carey's grand slam in the ninth was his third homer of the season and gave the Eagles a five-run advantage. Froehlich's lined a three-run shot to right in the fourth that gave Winthrop the lead for good at 8-5.
Winthrop also got two-run homer from Tommy Lentz in the first inning. Lentz's homer was his sixth of the season and gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead. Eddie Tisdale's solo homer to center in the sixth stretched Winthrop's lead to 12-10.
Charleston got a two-run, second inning homer from Alex Garabedian and an eighth inning solo shot from Ben Lasater. Michael Kohn added a two-run homer and Jedd Cordisco a solo shot in the ninth for the final margin.
Jonathan Settle (4-2) picked up the win in relief despite surrendering three runs on four hits over 1 1/3 innings of work. Robert Jeroszko (0-2) suffered the loss.