SoCon Baseball Recaps for February 27, 2008
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 13, COASTAL CAROLINA 12
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Cole Rakar's one-out, single in the bottom of the 11th inning drove in Gabe Marchant for the game-winner as the College of Charleston baseball team defeated #26 Coastal Carolina, 13-12, before 338 fans at Patriots Point Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., on Tuesday.
Charleston, which improved to 4-0, plays host to #13 Clemson in a 5:00 start on Friday. Coastal Carolina drops its first game of the season and goes to 4-1.
Trailing 11-6 heading into the bottom of the ninth, Stuart Haywood led off with a double and scored off a RBI single by Jeremie Tice. Marchant belted a three-run homer to drive in Michael Harrington, who was on base off a walk, and Tice. With the score 11-10, Matt Leeds singled to center field to drive in Corey Ashner for the game-tying run.
In the 10th inning both teams posted a run each to bring the score to 12-12 heading into the 11th. After Marchant was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, Ashner laid a perfect sacrifice bunt down to put Marchant on second. Rakar took the first pitch he saw and drove the ball to right center to bring in Marchant and the game-winning run.
Jesse Simpson (2-0) picked up the win in relief for the Cougars allowing a run on one hit in two innings. Kent Altman (0-1) suffered the loss, surrendering two runs on two hits in one and 1/3 innings of work.
WOFFORD 10, USC UPSTATE 8
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? In a battle of cross-town teams, Wofford defeated USC Upstate 10-8 on Tuesday night at King Field. The Spartans scored eight runs in the sixth inning to take an 8-5 lead, but the Terriers fought back and scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to get the win.
Wofford opened the game with three runs in the first inning, then added a solo home run by Shane Kirkley in the third to go up 4-0. In the fifth inning, Michael Gilmartin led off with a single and was driven in by Mo Seay two batters later.
In the sixth inning, the Spartans took advantage of three errors by the Terriers. Phillip Morgan hit a home run to drive in three runs and Kyle Simpson added a three-run blast as USC Upstate sent twelve batters to the plate in the inning.
The Terriers began to cut into the 8-5 lead in the bottom of the sixth when Jake Williams drove in Adam Kearney. In the seventh, Mo Seay hit a solo shot over the centerfield wall.
In the bottom of the eighth with two out, Michael Gilmartin singled, which was followed by a double by Shane Kirkley. With two on, Mo Seay hit his second homerun of the night to centerfield to give the Terriers a 10-8 lead. Michael Gilmartin came in at the top of the ninth to close the game for Wofford and faced four batters with one strikeout to get the save.
Wofford started Tom Dolinak, who went 5.1 innings with three strikeouts. Pete Noordsy went 1.2 innings with one strikeout and Drew Sheridan went 1.0 innings and picked up his first career win. Michael Gilmartin allowed one hit for the save.
The Spartans started Phillip Myers, who went 4.0 innings with three strikeouts and four runs on five hits. A.J. Clark played 3.0 innings with three strikeouts, while Dennis McCraney had the loss allowing two runs in 0.2 innings. Justin Hayes had one strikeout and allowed one hit in 0.1 innings of work.
The Terriers will begin a four-game series with Albany on Friday at 4:00 pm at Russell King Field. The teams will play two games on Saturday beginning at 1:00 pm and will wrap up the series with a single game on Sunday at 1:00 pm.
ELON 7, UNC WILMINGTON 4
WILMINGTON, N.C. - Senior Donny Jobe and freshman Cory Harrilchak each had two hits and hit home runs as Elon coasted past UNC Wilmington, 7-4, in college baseball action Tuesday at Brooks Field.
With the win, Elon improves to 5-0 for the first time since 2005 and the second time since moving to NCAA Division I in 2000. The Seahawks dropped their second straight in falling to 1-3 on the young season.
Freshman lefthander Jimmy Reyes (1-0) earned the win in his first collegiate start after allowing two runs on five hits and three walks in five innings. Reyes fanned four on the evening.
UNCW freshman Justin Bradley struggled from the onset walking seven batters in his first collegiate start. Bradley (0-1) lasted just three innings and surrendered four runs.
The Phoenix, who batted around in the second inning, plated three as Bradley walked four, hit one and surrendered a three-run homer to right by Harrilchak.
Elon chased Bradley in the fourth when he walked the leadoff batter and Jobe lined a two-run home run to right off sophomore reliever Jesse Haney to build a 5-0 lead.
Jobe extended the lead to 6-0 with a RBI single with two-out through the right side off Haney.
UNCW narrowed its deficit in the bottom of the fifth to 6-2 on consecutive RBI ground outs by senior Jason Appel and senior Daniel Hargrave.
Sophomore Mike Rooney brought the Seahawks to within 6-3 in the bottom of the sixth with a double off the wall that scored senior Nate Hall, who drew a leadoff walk, from first with two out.
Elon added a run in the top of the eighth on a bases loaded walk by sophomore pinch hitter Ryan Adams.
The Seahawks tacked on an unearned run in the ninth on Mark Carver's RBI single that scored sophomore Rhett Miller.
Both teams return to action on Wednesday with the Seahawks visiting The Citadel for a 4 p.m. start and the Phoenix entertaining East Carolina, also at 4 p.m.
APPALACHIAN STATE 9, NORTH CAROLINA A&T 6
BOONE, N.C. ? Highlighted by Wes Hobson’s first-career grand slam, Appalachian State University baseball scored seven fifth-inning runs en route to a 9-6 victory over North Carolina A&T on Tuesday afternoon at War Memorial Stadium.
Hobson’s two-out grand slam to right field capped a seven-run fifth that turned Appalachian’s 4-2 deficit into a 9-4 lead. Hobson’s blast was one of only three hits in the seven-run frame, as ASU benefitted from four walks in the stanza. In all, Appalachian drew 12 walks on the afternoon.
As has been the case in three of the season’s first four games, the Mountaineer bullpen turned in an impressive effort. Three ASU relievers combined to surrender just one run on four hits over five innings of work to make the lead stand up. The Aggies tacked on a pair of meaningless runs in the ninth to account for the final margin.
Shortstop Jason Altenhof collected three of Appalachian’s seven hits on the afternoon, going 3-for-3 with two walks and a run. Hobson’s four RBI matched his career high as he reached five times as a freshman last season.
Freshman Taylor Miller picked up his first-career win, allowing just one run on two hits and striking out three in two innings of relief.
Appalachian (2-2) returns to the Triad on Wednesday to square off with Wake Forest. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m. at WFU’s Hooks Stadium.
GEORGIA TECH 11, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 2
ATLANTA, GA. ? Georgia Southern could not overcome a 7-run third inning, losing 11-2 at 25th-ranked Georgia Tech Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 26). The Eagles fell to 1-3 while Tech improved to 4-0.
Tech struck first when freshman Thomas Nichols hit a 2-run homer with two outs in the second inning, his first collegiate home run. The Yellow Jackets plated seven runs on seven hits during the third inning, extending their lead to 9-0.
Kyle Blackburn (Marietta/Walton) nailed a solo homer with two outs in the fourth to put the Eagles on the scoreboard. It was his team-leading second round-tripper. In the eighth Jeremy Beckham (Griffin/Griffin) lined a two-out single. Matt Miller (Canton/Woodstock) sent a RBI triple into the right field corner, making it a 10-2 game.
Tech threatened again the eighth. Ryan Steidl (Randolph, N.J./Morris Knolls) gave up the first two walks of the game by a Georgia Southern pitcher and a single to load the bases with one out. Luke Murton ended a 0-4 outing with a single that Steidl knocked down from going up the middle. The redshirt-freshman recorded his third strikeout of the game and got a flyball to limit the damage.
Beckham accounted for two of the Eagles’ six hits. Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) and pinch-hitter Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry) each had a single.
Starter Burt Barto (Columbus/Columbus) lasted 2.2 innings and was charged for eight runs on nine hits, striking out one. He lost his first decision of the year.
Freshman Tony Chisman (Conyers/Salem) pitched well in relief, allowing two runs on five hits in 3.1 innings. He did not allow a walk and struck out three. Steidl allowed the one run on two hits in two innings. He walked two to go with his three Ks.
Deck McGuire was impressive in his first collegiate start, limiting GS to one run on three hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out three. Chris House and Charlie Blackmon had three hits apiece for Tech. In their first four games (starting off the year playing 13 in a row at home) Tech has out-scored its opponents 31-3.
Game two of the midweek series will take place Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 27), first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m.