SoCon Baseball Recaps for February 24, 2008

GEORGIA SOUTHERN 18, BOSTON COLLEGE 6

STATESBORO, GA. ? Matt Miller (Canton/Woodstock) tied two Georgia Southern single-game records and Andy Moye (Alpharetta/Alpharetta) pitched five solid innings as the Eagles defeated Boston College 18-6 Sunday afternoon at J.I. Clements Stadium. The Eagles recorded their first win of the 2008 season (1-2 overall).

Miller finished the day 5-for-5 with five runs scored and four RBI. His runs scored and three doubles both tied a GS single-game record, while matching his career-high hit total for the third time. Miller, who also homered and singled, became the fourth current Eagle to match the doubles record and his 11 total bases were the most since Mike Economos had 10 in the 2007 season-opener in Hawaii.

Moye, a redshirt-freshman making his collegiate debut, walked BC’s first batter on four straight pitches. Facing a 3-2 count on Sam Shaughnessy (who hit three home runs in game two yesterday), Moye picked Marc Perdios off first base then struck out Shaughnessy swinging. Moye fanned Tony Sanchez to end the first.

Miller led off the Eagles’ half of the first with a double down the right field line. He eventually scored on A.J. Wirnsberger’s (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) two-out single through the left side.

GS plated three runs the next frame. Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell) delivered a one-out single up the middle. Jeremy Beckham (Griffin/Griffin) executed a hit-and-run, and then advanced on the throw to put two runners in scoring position. Miller ripped a double to right field, scoring both. Miller went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Jonathan King’s (Athens, TN/McMinn County) sacrifice fly for a 4-0 lead.

In the third, Kyle Blackburn (Marietta/Walton) hit a one-out double, which chased starter Nick Asselin. Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) greeted relief pitcher John Leonard with a shot over the centerfield fence, giving GS a 6-0 lead.

In the fourth inning, Barry Butera lined a 3-2 pitch with two outs over the right field fence for a 2-run homer. However, those would be the only runs surrendered by Moye.

The Eagles broke the game open in the fourth inning. Miller tied the doubles record hitting number three to start the frame. Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) drew a one-out intentional walk and Jeremiah Parker (Carrollton/Carrollton) walked to load the bases.

Wirnsberger hit a sacrifice fly then Blackburn lined a RBI single. With two runners on, Benedict hammered another home run off Leonard, his first-ever two-HR game and set a career-high of five RBI. That put the Eagles ahead 11-2.

During the fifth, GS plated another five runs. Miller hit a 2-run homer. Parker hit a sacrifice fly, Wirnsberger recorded a RBI groundout then Blackburn hit his first homer of the year, a solo shot off the new scoreboard in left field for a 16-2 advantage.

Boston College loaded the bases off sophomore A.J. Gilbert (Marietta/Kell) and scored a run off a balk. However, Gilbert recorded a strikeout and groundout to get out of the jam.

Miller matched his hits career-high with a single to start the sixth.

“I’m glad we got out there, played hard today and got that first win. This is a big boost for us. Yesterday we left guys on third base with only one out, but to get A.J.’s (Wirnsberger) two-out RBI single in the first really gave us a lift,” said Miller. “With the runs we put on the scoreboard today this is definitely a big win. We got this one under our belt, which should help us heading into the Georgia Tech series.”

BC (2-1) scored a run in the eighth and two more with two outs in the ninth.

Moye scattered two hits, walked one and struck out four in his debut. Tony Chisman (Conyers/Salem) pitched a scoreless seventh inning, as he was one of eight Eagle pitchers to make their collegiate debut during the three-game series. Kyle Kamppi (Savannah/Benedictine) matched his career-high of three strikeouts working the last 1.2 innings.

Benedict scored two runs to go with his two homers and five RBI. Blackburn added three hits and three runs scored. King recorded two hits, his third-straight multi-hit game to start his Georgia Southern career. After allowing 25 runs on 32 hits during yesterday’s doubleheader loss, GS out-hit Boston College 16-7.

Asselin gave up five runs on six hits in 2.1 innings. Butera led BC with three hits and three RBI.

Georgia Southern travels to in-state rival Georgia Tech for a two-game series. Tuesday (Feb. 26) and Wednesday’s first pitch are both scheduled for 4 p.m.

UNC GREENSBORO 7, KENT STATE 5 (10 innings)

GREENSBORO, N.C. ? The UNC Greensboro Spartans found themselves in extra innings for the second time already this season on Sunday afternoon. The previous day, Kent State took a 7-5, 10th-inning decision, but this time it was UNCG that came out on top with a 4-3 victory. Senior Sean Snell received credit for bringing in the game-winning run.

With neither team able to collect more than a single, the game remained knotted at 0-0 through three innings. As they did in both games the previous day, Kent State was the first to put a run up on the board. Ben Klafczynski made the round to home midway through the top of the fourth inning.

The Golden Flashes kept the Spartans quiet to close out the inning and opened the fifth with yet another run to take a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Snell made a dangerous, foul territory catch. KSU’s Jared Humphreys held a 2-2 count at the plate with two on and two outs. He sent a shot out to right field that looked to be heading out of play, but Snell was able to make the grab and hold on despite a collision with the fence.

A single to right field from centerfielder Drew Gehringer brought in Adam Deleo and cut the Flashes’ lead in half to open the eighth. KSU gifted the tying run with a balk from Kyle Hallock at the mound to bring Gehringer in from third.

The ninth inning fielded no runs and sent game three into extra innings.

With the bases loaded, Jason Patton sent a sacrifice fly out to leftfield to bring in Klafczynski. A single by Brett Weibley loaded the bags once again, but righthander James White sent the next two batters packing. KSU took the field holding a one-run lead.

Designated hitter Greg Feltes tied the game with a one-out double to leftfield to bring in second baseman Tim Carrier. With Feltes now on second, Snell made his second great play of the game. He sent a long-ball out to leftfield and brought Feltes in for the game-winning slide at home.

Shortstop Matt Gaski led the Spartans at the plate going 2-for-2 with two walks.

White (1-0) not only nabbed the victory for the Spartans, but he also recorded his first collegiate win. Michael Sanders (0-1) took the loss for the Flashes after giving up the game-winning hit.

The Spartans return to UNCG Baseball Stadium on February 29 when they take on the University of Connecticut Huskies for a three-day series. Friday’s game is set to begin at 4pm with two 1pm start times to follow.

ELON 10, LA SALLE 5

ELON, N.C. -- The Elon Phoenix raced out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first and never looked back as the squad knocked off the visiting La Salle Explorers by a 10-5 score in non-league baseball action from Latham Park on Sunday afternoon.  With the victory, Elon swept the season-opening four-game series and begins the year 4-0 for the first time since the 2005 campaign.  La Salle fell to 0-4.

With one out in the bottom of the first, Elon's Donny Jobe reached on an infield single.  Pat Irvine's single to right and Bennett Davis' hit-by-pitch loaded the bases.  After a strikeout, Neal Pritchard hit a ball up the middle which was deflected by the Explorer pitcher for an infield single which plated Jobe.  Dallas Tarleton followed by blasting a shot off the wall in left-center, just nearly missing a grand slam, that cleared the bases to build a 4-0 Phoenix advantage.

Elon tacked on a couple more in the second, the first on a bases loaded sacrifice fly from Pat Irvine that drove home Cory Harrilchak and moved Chris Dove to third.  Now with runners on the corners, Jobe took off from first as Kevin McGovern's pick-off attempt came to the bag.  Jobe beat the throw to second from the La Salle first baseman while Dove broke home to complete the double steal and put Elon up by a 6-0 margin.

The lead grew to 7-0 in the third when the Phoenix again pulled off a successful double steal of first and home.  This time, Harrilchak broke to second and when the throw from the catcher wen to second base, Tarleton took home.

La Salle chipped away at the Elon lead in its next two at bats, scoring once in the fourth on a single to left off the bat of Shane Frangiosa drove home Brian Meagher who had walked earlier in the frame.  The Explorers threatened for more that inning, but stranded three runners when Elon's J.D. Reichenbach got Anthony Biello to fly out to end the inning.  

In the fifth, two Explorer runs crossed the dish.  A sac fly from John Rickards knocked home John Malloy before TJ Chism doubled home Justin Handler.

Elon added single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.  In the fifth, Matt Hinson hit his second homer of the season while Irvine touched of his first long ball of the campaign in the sixth. 

La Salle pushed across solo runs in both the seventh and eighth, including a homer from Malloy in the eighth, his second of the year.

Brian Bodjiak (1-0) picked up the win in relief of Reichenbach.  Bodjiak went 2.0 innings and surrendered one run on four hits for his first career victory.  Reichenbach struck out four and gave up five hits in 4.0 innings.

For the Explorers, Rickards (0-1) took the loss by allowing six runs on six hits in just 1.0 inning of action.  

At the plate, Elon saw Jobe turn in a 3-for-5 performance.  He also scored once, drove in one and stole two bags.  Both Dove and Irvine logged two-hit outings.  Irvine scored twice and upped his season RBI total to nine by driving home two.

Malloy ended the afternoon 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI while Frangiosa finished 2-for-4 with a RBI.

Elon's next test will come on the road as the Phoenix visits UNC Wilmington for a 4 p.m. contest on Tuesday afternoon.

WESTERN CAROLINA 12, MARSHALL 8

CULLOWHEEC, N.C. - For the second consecutive game, the Western Carolina Catamounts rallied back from an early-inning deficit to score a victory, pulling out a 12-8 win over the Marshall Thundering Herd Sunday afternoon at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium.

The win gives the Catamounts the 2-1 series victory over Marshall with back-to-back, come-from-behind wins on the weekend.

After being held hitless through the first three innings, Western (2-1) used a leadoff double down the left field line by junior J.C. Lyons to spark a three-run fourth to pull within two, 5-3. With Lyons and sophomore Brent Greer - who reached on the first of his team-high four hits - aboard, sophomore Tyler Kirkpatrick connected on a line drive home run over the centerfield fence to clear the bases.

Marshall (1-2) pushed across a pair of runs in the top of the fifth to answer before Western's offense exploded in the home half of the frame with six runs, pulling ahead of the Herd, 9-7 - a lead that would hold for the rest of the game.

Senior Barrett Shaft sparked the one-out rally with a liner over the head of the Marshall first baseman and into the right field corner, legging out his first triple of the season. Shaft then scored when classmate Blake Murphy reached on a throwing error by the MU third baseman which pulled the defensive player off the bag at first. The scoring barrage continued as freshman transfer Ryan Mathews drove in a pair on a single to left center field.

With Mathews and Kirkpatrick aboard, junior Andy John strode to the plate with two outs and a chance to give the Cats their first lead. The opportunity seemingly passed WCU by when John skied a foul ball high into the air behind home plate. Marshall catcher Tommy Johnson circled underneath the ball for what appeared to be the third and final out of the inning. But the ball bounced off Johnson's glove, dropping to the ground giving WCU new life. On the very next pitch, John took advantage of the break and blasted a shot over the fence in right field for a three-run homer, his first of the season and second of his career.

Leading 9-7 in the seventh inning, Western made things interesting when Marshall's Nate Lape hit his second home run of the game to pull the Herd within one run at 9-8. But WCU reliever, junior transfer Mike Tavernier closed the door on the rally with a strike out and a ground out to end the threat.

In the top of the eighth, the Catamounts added three more insurance runs on only one hit, with the most damage coming courtesy of a pair of sacrifice hits and capitalizing on Marshall miscues. Lyons drove in one with a sacrifice fly to center, with Greer plating a run on a single to left. The third run was tallied when Murphy rushed home on a wild pitch by Marshall's Arik Sikula to push the score to its final tally, 12-8.

The Herd threatened once more in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases with two outs and the tying run coming to the plate. But Tavernier again buckled down and struck out Victor Gomez looking to end the game and seal the victory.

Tavernier, who came in the game in the fifth inning and pitched the remaining four and one-third innings, picked up his first win of the season. He only allowed one earned run on one hit while striking out six on the afternoon. Starting pitcher Drew Saberhagen rang up five strikeouts in his four and two-thirds innings, tying his career high.

Greer was one of two Catamounts with multiple hits as seven of the nine Catamounts reached on base hits in the game. Greer finished 4-for-5 with four singles and two RBI while classmate Nick Liles finished 2-for-4 with a walk.

For Marshall, Ian Kadish was saddled with the loss after surrendering two unearned runs in 2.1 innings of work in relief of starter Dan Straily who allowed seven runs on six hits in 4.2 innings. Two members of the Herd - Lape and Johnson - each hit two home runs apiece to lead MU offensively.

Western travels to the "Baseball at the Beach" tournament this weekend in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Catamounts will face West Virginia, George Mason, Marshall and the host Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Feb. 29 through March 2.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE 14, APPALACHIAN STATE 4

RALEIGH, N.C. ? Appalachian State University baseball jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but NC State responded with 13 unanswered runs and handed Appalachian a 14-4 setback on Sunday afternoon at Doak Field.

Appalachian (1-2) grabbed the three-run lead on a solo home run by Brett Stewart in the second inning and Stewart’s RBI single and a run-scoring double by Jerod Faggart in the fourth.

However, NC State (2-1) erupted for four runs in the bottom of the fourth, five in the fifth and two in both the sixth and seventh to turn the 3-0 deficit into a 13-3 lead. The teams exchanged runs in the eighth to account for the final score.

Stewart finished 2-for-3 with the two RBI and a pair of runs and Faggart went 3-for-3 to lead the Mountaineers offensively.

Starting pitcher Jason Rook allowed only two hits and struck out six in 3.1 innings of work, but was charged with all four runs in the fourth to suffer the loss.

Drew Martin went 4-for-4 with three RBI to pace the Wolfpack.

Appalachian returns to action this week with contests at North Carolina A&T and Wake Forest on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Tuesday’s first pitch versus N.C. A&T is set for 3 p.m. at War Memorial Stadium in Greensboro while Wednesday’s affair at Wake is slated for 2:30 p.m.

DELAWARE 6, THE CITADEL 4

CHARLESTON, S.C. ? The Citadel was unable to rally back from a 6-0 deficit Sunday, despite Chris McGuiness’ first career grand slam, as the Bulldogs dropped the rubber game to Delaware in the series, 6-4. McGuiness went 3-for-4 on the day with four RBI and two extra-base hits for the Bulldogs.

The Citadel (1-2) scored four runs off of 12 hits with eight of the 12 hits coming in the last four innings. Meanwhile, Delaware (2-1) recorded six of their seven hits on the day in the first two innings.

Freshman Matt Talley (0-1) was credited with the loss after giving up four runs on four hits in 1.1 innings pitched. Five Bulldog pitchers took the mound with junior Wes Wrenn seeing the most action, pitching for 6.0 innings and striking out three.

Brian Rorick (1-0) was credited with the win for Delaware after going 5.2 innings. Rorick was responsible for the four Bulldog runs on the game. David Slovak (1) was credited with the save after pitching the final 1.2 innings and striking out three of the seven batters he faced.

Delaware’s offense started the game hot, scoring all six runs in the first two innings. Early in the game, Adam Tsakonas hit a solo home run over the right field fence to give the Blue Hens the early lead. Alex Buchholz followed with a single and then stole second. Designated hitter Jared Olson sent Buchholz home after ripping a double to left-center field. Talley then walked reed to put runners on first and second but struck out Ryan Cuneo and forced Matt Harden to pop up to the mound to end the inning.

Delaware’s offense attacked in the second inning, scoring four more runs. Talley walked Josh Dean but Dean was out at second, caught stealing. Jon Duvall drew a walk to put a runner on first and Kyle Davis ripped a single to left field to score Duvall. The Citadel’s Raymond Copenhaver replaced Talley and he promptly struck out Tsakonas. Buchholz then hit a double to left, scoring Duvall and Davis.

Olson followed, sending a two-run shot over the right field fence off the hand of Raymond Copenhaver to add two more runs to the Blue Hens’ total.

The Citadel’s only runs came in the sixth inning when McGuiness hit a grand slam to right field; only his second hit in the three-game series.

The Bulldogs put runners in scoring position in each of the next three innings but would fail to bring anyone else across the plate, leaving 11 runners stranded throughout the game.

The Citadel returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 27 when the Bulldogs continue to face foes from the Colonial Athletic Association as UNC Wilmington comes to Charleston. The Bulldogs and Seahawks will face each other for the first time since 1994 at Riley Park at 4 p.m.

GEORGETOWN 13, DAVIDSON 2

RADFORD 20, DAVIDSON 3

DAVIDSON, N.C. ? Junior Chase FitzPatrick stayed hot with four hits on the day, but the Davidson baseball team fell 13-2 to Georgetown and 20-3 to Radford on a chilly day Sunday at Wilson Field.

Tim Adleman threw a strong seven innings, allowing just two runs and four hits to lead Georgetown (1-2) in the first contest. He struck out five and walked one and retired the first nine Wildcats he faced in order.

FitzPatrick garnered two of the five hits for the Wildcats (2-2), and sophomore Jay Honeycutt had a two-run home run, his second dinger of the season. Erick Fernandez was 4-for-5 to lead the Hoyas, and Sean Lamont went 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs.

Georgetown scored five runs in the second and four in the fifth as the Hoyas jumped out to a 13-0 lead. Davidson got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh, when Honeycutt’s two-run home run plated FitzPatrick, who reached on a single.

FitzPatrick was 2-for-4 with a double, and freshman Matt Ray collected two hits, including a double, in the night cap versus the Highlanders.

Leading 5-0, Radford (2-1) broke the game open with five runs in the top of the sixth on the strength of a pair of two-run doubles from Reggie Keen and Jonathan Spears. Davidson got two runs in the bottom of the inning thanks to an RBI double by sophomore Tommy Piacenza and a one-run single by freshman Danny Weiss, which made the score 10-2.

Radford added a run in the top of the seventh and exploded for nine runs in the eighth to put the game away. Wildcat freshman catcher Shane Hammond drove in a run in the ninth for the final 20-3 margin.

Davidson returns to action Wednesday, when the Wildcats host Virginia Tech at Wilson Field at 4 p.m.