WESTERN CAROLINA 13, APPALACHIAN STATE 7
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Junior Steven Strausbaugh homered for the fourth-straight game as both he and freshman Nick Liles finished 4-for-5 at the plate as Western Carolina pounded out 13 runs on 18 base hits to defeat mountain-rival, Appalachian State, 13-7, Saturday night at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium. Junior Blake Murphy also belted a two-run home run as the Catamounts won their fourth-consecutive since a series-opening loss last Friday at Furman.
The win ? the Catamounts’ 18th in their past 21 outings ? also secures WCU (32-14, 15-5 SoCon) its sixth-straight Southern Conference series victory. Western, which currently stands in second in the conference, picked up a game on the league-leading College of Charleston Cougars who were defeated by Elon on Saturday night.
Western starting pitcher Drew Saberhagen (6-1) scattered four earned runs on eight base hits, leaving the game after six innings to earn his sixth victory of the season. Relievers Brock Thornburg, Chris Masters and Bryan Corbett each pitched one inning apiece allowing just three Mountaineer runs on three hits.
In addition to Liles and Strausbaugh's multiple hit game, senior transfers John Ingram and Kenny Smith each finished with three hits on the night, with Smith stretching his current hitting streak to a season and team-best 13 games. Liles recorded his sixth multiple RBI game, driving in a career-best five in the win, while Strausbaugh scored a game-high four runs.
Appalachian State (24-22, 9-11 SoCon) grabbed an early lead, plating two runs in the top of the first inning on four base hits including an RBI double. However, the advantage was short-lived as the Catamounts responded in the home half of the first with four runs. Junior Barrett Shaft led off with a first-pitch single to left in front of his classmate, Murphy, who blasted a 1-1 pitch over the fence in straightaway center field to tie the game. Strausbaugh gave WCU the lead for good, following Murphy’s two-run shot with a solo homer to left center and a 3-2 advantage. After reaching on a single, junior Jonathan Greene scored on an RBI single by Liles to end the first ahead, 4-2.
Ingram delivered a two-out double to center field to score Smith from first base as Western stretched its lead to three, 5-2, in the bottom of the third inning, before the Apps closed the gap with a single run in the top of the fifth inning to pull within 5-3.
However, in the bottom of the fifth, Western capitalized on an error by the Mountaineer centerfielder which allowed Strausbaugh to reach third on a routine single to center. He was plated on an RBI single to left by Smith. With two on, Liles doubled down the right field line to score two more runs as Western surged ahead, 8-3.
After having its lead trimmed to three, 10-7, the Catamounts rounded out the scoring with a base-clearing single through the left side by Liles, scoring three with the rookie winding up at third when the dust settled.
ELON 18, COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 11
ELON, N.C. ? In a game that featured a combined 29 runs, 32 hits and 11 errors, the Elon Phoenix, led by freshman Mike Melillo's two-homer, six-RBI performance, fought for an 18-11 Southern Conference baseball victory over the number 24 College of Charleston Cougars from Latham Park on a rainy Saturday night. The win, Elon's third over a top-25 foe this season, propelled the Phoenix to a 27-22 overall record and a 14-9 SoCon mark. The Cougars fell to 35-12, 16-4 while surrendering the most runs for the program since a 19-8 defeat to Clemson in May of 2004.
Charleston scored a run without the assistance of a hit in its first at bat of the game. Oliver Marmol reached on an error, advancing to second when the throw to first sailed out of play. Ground ball outs off the bats of Michael Harrington and Chris Campbell plated Marmol with the game’s first run.
Alex Garabedian hit his 10th home run of the season with a shot to center to lead off the top of the second and push the Cougar lead to 2-0.
Elon answered in the bottom of the second. Pat Irvine and Ryan Addison drew walks to lead off the inning before Irvine scored from second on Drew Davis’ single to right. With runners on the corners, Zach Booker grounded a single through the hole on the left side of the infield to drive in Addison to knot the score at two. Melillo attempted a sacrifice bunt, but put the ball right back to starting pitcher Jeff Beliveau who threw the ball away at third on the force play. As the ball rolled down the line, Davis was able to come in to score and give Elon a 3-2 advantage. Chase Austin pushed the Phoenix lead to 5-2 with a line drive single to right-center, scoring both Booker and Melillo.
Three Elon errors in the top of the third allowed the Cougars to score two unearned runs and close the gap to 5-4.
Irvine led off the Phoenix third with a double off the wall in right-center. A Cougar throwing error put runners on second and third before Davis singled home Irvine and Addison moved to third. Pinch-hitter Ryan Adams lined a single to left to score Addison to put Elon up by a 7-4 margin. The Phoenix extended its lead to 10-4 when Melillo blasted his fourth homer of the year, a three-run bomb to right-center.
Charleston rallied back in the fourth as Joey Bergman led off with a single down the leftfield line before Jedd Cordisco hit his second homer of the season that trimmed the Elon lead to 10-6.
Adam Weaver and Irvine drew four-pitch walks to start the bottom of the fourth before Addison also drew a walk to load the bases. Davis lined a single to left to knock home Elon’s 11th run of the game and keep the bases loaded. Curtis Dowling then proceeded to strike out the next three hitters looking to escape the threat.
Back-to-back singles from Gabe Marchant and Marmol put runners on the corners to start the top half of the sixth for the Cougars. Harrington’s infield single scored Marchant, but Marmol tried to go to third on a ball that Austin dove and kept from going through the infield and Austin gunned him down at third. Maiden’s single through the right side of the infield plated Harrington from second to cut the Elon advantage to 11-8. The lead was trimmed to 11-9 as Ben Lasater doubled to right to plate Maiden. Garabedian’s single to right scored Lasater and the Phoenix lead was cut to just a run. After pinch-hitter Michael Kohn singled, Jedd Cordisco singled to left and Garabedian attempted to score from second, but Irvine’s throw to the plate was in plenty of time to get the runner at the dish and end the inning.
Addison drew his third walk of the night to lead off the bottom of the sixth and moved to third on Davis’ double down the leftfield line. Melillo struck again with the long ball, blasting his second three-run homer of the night to give the Phoenix a 14-10 cushion.
The Cougars got one back in the seventh when Maiden’s infield single scored Marmol with Charleston’s 11th run of the night.
Elon pushed the lead back to four runs when Irvine hit a solo homer to right-center with two outs. It was his seventh of the year.
On a strikeout, the Phoenix pulled off a double steal with Dove taking second and pinch-runner Matt Hill stealing home with Elon’s 18th run.
Melillo was the leader at the plate, going 2-for-5 with a career-high six RBI and a career-best four runs scored. The freshman became the first Elon player to have a multi-homer game this season by jacking a career-best two bombs. Davis finished 4-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBI. It was his second four-hit game of the year and tied a career-high. Austin's 3-for-4, four-RBI evening also aided in the Phoenix' efforts.
For Charleston, Maiden, Lasater, Garabedian and Cordisco all drove in two runs. Marmol, Harrington, Campbell, Maiden, Lasater, Garabedian and Cordisco all notched two-hit games.
Will Romanowicz (5-2) earned the win as the Phoenix starter. He went 5.0 innings and gave up six runs (three earned) on six hits and a walk. Daniel Britt came on to record the final five outs to claim his second save of the year.
Beliveau (3-2) was tagged with the loss after lasting just one inning and giving up five runs (three earned) on two hits and two walks. The Cougars used six pitchers on the night.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN 9, DAVIDSON 8
STATESBORO, GA. ? Georgia Southern overcame a big inning by Davidson, scoring four times in the sixth inning, and held on for a 9-8 win Saturday night (May 5) at J.I. Clements Stadium. The Eagles (29-22 overall, 10-10 SoCon) won their ninth straight game overall and seventh consecutive in Southern Conference play.
In the first inning, Jeremy Beckham (Griffin/Griffin) jumped on Thomas Middour’s first pitch and lined a double to the right field gap. He stole his team-leading 25th base to get down to third and scored on Mike Economos’ (Atlanta/Marist) sacrifice fly.
The Eagles padded their lead in the third inning. Jeremiah Parker (Carrollton/Carrollton), who in the first inning extended his hit streak to 16 games, drew a one-out walk. Justin Klinger (Hatfield, PA/North Penn) walked then Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) lined a RBI double. The sophomore left fielder, celebrating his 20th birthday, extended his hit streak to 12 games and gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead.
Will Southwell (Moultrie/Colquitt County) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) roped a 2-run single to center, making it 4-0. Beckham hit a single to right, but Blake Osborn nailed Southwell at the plate to end the inning.
The Wildcats (17-28, 6-14) rode that momentum into the next inning, scoring six runs all with two outs. Brian Wilkerson (Bonaire/Houston County) was cruising along until that inning. After giving up a leadoff single he recorded two quick outs. But after a walk, Tony Piacenza lined a 2-run double. Two batters later Zach Kayne delivered a run-scoring single. David Cogswell (Toccoa/Stephens County) came on in relief but Matt Webb followed with a 2-run double. Alden Crissey singled through the right side for another run, making it 6-4 Davidson. Drew Murray
(LaGrange/LaGrange) entered the game and struck out Osborn to end the inning. The sophomore right-hander, making just his second relief appearance of the season, pitched four strong innings after that to earn the win.
GS got one run back in its half of the fourth. Matt Miller (Canton/Woodstock) reached second base on Pat Brady’s fielding error. Parker walked, and on ball four Miller went to third thanks to a wild pitch. Klinger lined a RBI single past third baseman Graham Chapman to cut the deficit in half.
The Eagles used some clutch two-out hitting of their own to take the lead for good in the sixth. Miller and Parker drew consecutive one-out walks. Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) advanced the runners on a groundout. Shehan hit his second double of the game, a shot into the right field gap, that brought home both runners. Southwell then took Sean Lennox’s first pitch over the left field fence, his first homer of the season for a 9-6 lead.
Brady hit a two-out solo homer in the seventh, his first round-tripper on the year. Crissey drew a leadoff walk against Kyle Kamppi (Savannah/Benedictine) to start the ninth. The sophomore right-hander struck out Rob Wilson, but Osborn singled to put runners on the corners.
A.J. Battisto (Pottstown, PA/Pottsgrove) entered the game. Brady brought home a run on a groundout but Battisto struck out Chase FitzPatrick on a called third strike to secure the win.
“When you start a game you have all week to think about it, but in the bullpen you don’t know when you’re coming in the game. I wanted to come in today and try to shut them down. Once we went ahead, and the way our bullpen is throwing, we weren’t going to give up the lead,” said Murray.
“You have got to get a feel for what pitches are working effectively quickly as reliever. Tonight I had two of them working that I could throw for strikes at any time in the count... Each win right now is bigger than the previous one. We’re on a roll right now; we keep surprising people aShehan finished 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Beckham tied his career-high recording three hits. Shehan, Southwell and Wirnsberger (the 6-7-8 hitters in the GS lineup) combined for four hits, three runs and seven RBI.
Murray (4-6) recorded his first win in nearly six weeks, giving up one run on two hits in 4.1 innings. He struck out four and did not walk a batter. Battisto earned his seventh save. Wilkerson was charged for five runs on four hits in 3.2 innings. He walked three and struck out one.
Lennox (1-2) allowed four runs on two hits in two innings. Middour lasted four innings giving up five runs (four earned) on eight hits while walking four batters. Wilson, Osborn and Piacenza had two hits apiece.