SoCon Baseball Recaps for February 29, 2008
ELON 7, DELAWARE STATE 1
ELON, N.C. -- Steven Hensley carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and the Chris Dove homered for the second consecutive game to lead the Elon Phoenix to a 7-1 non-conference baseball victory over the visiting Delaware State Hornets from Latham Park on Friday evening. The Phoenix improved to 7-0 for the first time since 1998 and the first time since moving to NCAA Division I play for the 2000 campaign. Elon is one of only 7-0 teams in the nation (Virginia). The Hornets fell to 0-5.
Hensley (2-0) baffled Delaware State hitters all afternoon before Justin Bittner doubled to left with two down in the sixth. The Phoenix hurler ended up surrendering three hits in 6.2 innings of work while fanning seven Hornets.
Scoreless into the fourth inning, Elon got on the board with a Neal Pritchard bases loaded sacrifice fly to center which plated Bennett Davis.
The big inning for the Phoenix came in the fifth as Elon struck four five runs on six hits. For the second straight game, Dove led off an inning with a home run. Following a pitching change, Pat Irvine laced a one-out double to center and went to third when the outfielder booted the ball. Davis' single knocked home Irvine to put the Phoenix on top 3-0. Dallas Tarleton's single to right put runners on the corners for Chase Austin. Austin sent an 0-1 pitch just inside the bag at third to drive in Davis. Mike Lobacz walked to load the bases before Pritchard lined a single to right to score both Tarleton and Austin to give Elon a 6-0 advantage. The hit also extended his hitting streak to seven games.
Davis' double to the leftfield gap allowed Irvine to score Elon's final run in the sixth inning.
The Hornets ended the shutout in the seventh. Ryne Mailen led off with a single before going to third on a Jose Sanchez single. Chris Kidd then grounded into a double play which scored Mailen.
Davis finished the game 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a team-best three RBI while Tarleton (2-for-4) and Austin (2-for-3) also had multi-hit outings. Donny Jobe singled in the bottom of the eighth to run his hitting streak to seven games.
David Langton (0-2) took the loss after giving up two runs on three hits and four walks in 4.0 innings. Chase Kornemann was tagged for four runs on four hits in just 0.1 inning of work.
For Elon, Brian Bodjiak threw the final 2.1 innings and did not allow a hit while striking out three.
The two teams will play game two of this three-game set on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
UNC GREENSBORO 18, CONNECTICUT 1
GREENSBORO, N.C. ? With six runs in the first inning alone, the UNC Greensboro Spartans broke away and ran as they defeated the University of Connecticut Huskies, 18-1, on Friday evening at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
UNCG (3-1) started off the game going three and out before making a full lineup appearance at the plate. Despite the six-run tally, the blue and gold hardly swung a bat as Bob Van Woert and Trent DeLazzer of UCONN (0-4) threw a combined three walks, two wild pitches, and one hit batter. Seniors Tim Carrier, Sean Snell, and Adam Deleo each tallied a single in the first.
Both teams were held scoreless in the second, but the Spartans went 1-2-3 to top the third before putting up four more runs.
Snell started the inning with a double down the left line and was quickly brought in by a right center triple from the first baseman Corey Overholtzer. Deleo singled up the middle to bring Overholtzer in from third. Carrier singled through the right side to bring around Deleo and third baseman Ray Quinones who had just sent a two-bagger to left field.
The fourth inning read much like the third as the Huskies went three up, three down. After the third pitching change of an eventual five for UCONN, the Spartans rallied once again to bring in three runs and take an authoritative 13-0 lead.
Overholtzer tallied one RBI with a double to left center and Deleo added the remaining two with a hard-hit single up the middle.
The score remained at 13-0 until the Spartans tacked on four more in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Freshman Brent O’Berry notched his first collegiate RBI with a left field single to bring around fellow freshman Drew Gehringer. Overholtzer was given a four-pitch walk to put two on the bags. With runners at first and second, Deleo cranked in his fourth and fifth RBI of the game with a triple-shot to right center. Carrier brought in the inning’s final run with a right field single.
The Huskies tallied their only run of the game late in the eighth inning, but the Spartans answered right back as Gehringer sent a long solo over the outfield fence. This marked his first collegiate homerun.
UNCG ended their time on the field much as it began as they outted the Huskies, 1-2-3.
The Spartans were led at the plate by Adam Deleo who went 4-for-5 with six RBI, two runs, and a triple. Tim Carrier was also 4-for-5 with an added three RBI and one run. Harold Brantly, Jr., Mike Olt, Brad Olt, and Peter Fatse each tallied a hit for the Huskies.
Senior Matt Gibbs (2-0) earned his second win on the season. In his six innings on the mound, he retired six batters and gave up just two hits and one walk. Freshman Alex Shelton (0-0) held onto the win for UNCG as he struck out four and walked just two. UCONN’s Van Woert (0-2) took the loss.
The Spartans are back on Saturday for game two against the Huskies. First pitch is set for 1pm at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
WOFFORD 12, ALBANY 5
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? The Wofford College baseball team defeated Albany 12-5 on Friday night at Russell C. King Field. The Terriers scored seven runs in the fifth inning and pitcher Ben Austin recorded nine strikeouts as Wofford improves to 4-0 on the season. Albany is 1-3 on the season.
The Great Danes took an early lead when David West was driven in by Mike Konstanty in the top of the first. The Terriers responded in the same inning when Mo Seay hit a two-run homer to left center. Wofford added a run in the second when Kyle Behrendt scored on a sacrifice fly by Jake Williams.
After two scoreless innings, the Terriers broke things open in the bottom of the fifth inning. A passed ball allowed Shane Kirkley to score, then Mo Seay scored on a sacrifice fly by Kyle Behrendt. A single by Jake Williams scored two runs. With two runners on base, Sterling Dye hit his first home run of the season to give the Terriers a 10-1 lead.
In the top of the sixth, Zac Halloran doubled to left field, which scored Gary Pitcheralle. After a quick bottom of the sixth for Wofford, Albany got things going in the top of the seventh. Tom Zink was hit by Dawson Smith’s first pitch of the game and two batters later was at third base. Ryan Gugel reached first on a fielder’s choice and scored Zink. Mike Konstanty flied out to center scoring a run as well to make it a 10-4 game.
With Wofford at bat in the seventh, Michael Gilmartin flied out to centerfield, scoring Jake Williams. Sterling Dye scored on a double by Shane Kirkley to give the Terriers a 12-4 lead. In the top of the eighth, Gary Pitcheralle scored from third on a balk for the final run of the day and a 12-5 final.
Wofford starter Ben Austin improved to 2-0 on the season. He went six innings and posted nine strikeouts, which tied a single-game high set last season against Davidson. Dawson Smith, Jordan Mickleberry and Chip Hunt each went an inning for the Terriers.
The Great Danes started Casey Welsh, who is 0-2 on the season and struck out four batters. Also seeing time on the mound for Albany were Matthew Herrick, Dave Kubiak, Hunter Moffatt and Aaron Tilley.
For Wofford, Emre Caglayan had three hits, while Jake Willams and Sterling Dye each had three RBIs. Zac Halloran had hits in all three at-bats for Albany and Mike Konstanty had two RBIs.
The Terriers will continue the four-game series with Albany with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1:00 pm. The series will wrap up with a single game on Sunday at 1:00 pm.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN 13, TOWSON 12
STATESBORO, GA. ? Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry) capped a career-high night with a walk-off RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning as Georgia Southern rallied for a 13-12 win over Towson Friday night (Feb. 29) at J.I. Clements Stadium. The Eagles improved to 2-4 while Towson fell to 2-2.
Down two in the ninth, Jeremiah Parker (Carrollton/Carrollton) started off with a single to right. Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) was hit by an offering from Jon Dupski (0-1). Jonathan King (Athens, TN/McMinn County) reached on a fielder’s choice, putting runners at first and second with one out.
Pinch-hitting Will Southwell (Moultrie/Colquitt County) bounced a 2-run double down the right field line to tie the game. Two batters later, Porter sent a 3-2 pitch through the right side and Southwell easily scored the game-winner to cap the come-from-behind win.
“I really wanted to focus on seeing the ball and I got some good pitches to hit,” said Porter, who finished with a career-high five hits. “During the final at-bat I wanted to wait for the right pitch and I got the one I wanted. It just happened to be my night.”
Drew Murray (LaGrange/LaGrange) walked leadoff batter Nick Natoli to start the game. He advanced to third on a stolen base and groundout then scored on Steve Yarsinsky’s single up the middle.
Parker singled with one out in the second. He was picked off base by pitcher Josh Squatrito for the second out. Benedict hammered his team-leading third home run, a solo shot to right centerfield to tie the score.
Miller made a diving catch in front of rightfielder Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) in the gap for the second out of the fourth inning. Greg Furmanek singled then Jason Stifler hit a 2-run shot to give Towson a 3-1 lead.
The Eagles got one run back in the fourth thanks to Benedict’s sacrifice fly. However, Towson plated two more runs in the fifth to chase Murray. Furmanek greeted reliever Michael Hester (Evans/Greenbrier) with a 2-run double down the right field line, extending the lead to 7-2.
GS returned the favor in its half of the fifth. Matt Miller (Canton/Woodstock) drew a one-out walk. Porter, making his first start of the year, tied his previous career-high hit total (3) and set a new mark in doubles (2) hitting a two-bagger over the head of centerfielder Kevin Collins. Miller slid around the tag to score. Shehan hit his second homer of the year, a blast to the left field gap cutting the deficit to 7-5 and chasing starter Squatrito for freshman Spencer Patton.
Kyle Blackburn (Marietta/Walton) continued the rally with a single up the middle and A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) followed with a walk. Parker advanced the runners over then Benedict lined a shot over Collins to plate both runs and tie the game.
Miller hit a one-out double in the sixth. He scored on Porter’s fourth hit in as many at-bats, and then the junior outfielder took second on the throw home. Shehan was intentionally walked then Blackburn ripped a 2-run double into the left field gap, extending the Eagles’ lead to 10-7.
The Tigers scored two more runs with two outs when Furmanek hit a 2-run shot in the seventh inning. Gary Helmick tied the game with one down in the eighth on a solo homer. Towson scored again with two outs, taking a 12-10 lead on Matt Collins’s 2-run shot. Of Towson’s 12 runs, 10 came with two outs.
Porter also matched his personal-high of three RBI. Blackburn, Wirnsberger, Parker and Benedict had two hits apiece as the Eagles out-hit Towson 16-13. Benedict drove in a team-high four runs, one of five Eagles with at least two RBI. The 1-4 batters in the Eagles line-up combined for nine hits, seven RBI and eight runs scored.
Kyle Kamppi (Savannah/Benedictine) picked up the win in relief. He gave up two runs on two hits in 1.2 innings, striking out one. Murray was charged for seven runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out four.
Dupski was charged for all three runs in the ninth on three hits. Squatrito allowed five runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings. Furmanek finished with three hits, four RBI and two runs.
Game two of the series takes place Saturday afternoon (March 1), first pitch scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
WEST VIRGINIA 8, WESTERN CAROLINA 7
After jumping out to an early lead, the Western Carolina baseball team was unable to hold on and fell to the West Virginia Mountaineers, 8-7, in the opening game of the Baseball at the Beach tournament on Friday afternoon.
WVU’s Chris Enuarato blooped a single to right field to score the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning, completing the comeback for the Mountaineers, who were down by as many as four runs in the game.
Western Carolina (2-2) got on the board in the top of the first inning on junior J.C. Lyons’ two-run home run over the wall in deep left center field to put the Cats up 2-0. It was Lyon’s second homer of the season, and he has now scored at least one run in all four games on the year.
Senior left-hander Tyler Sexton came out strong in the home half of the inning, striking out the first batter he faced. He then got the next two batters to ground out and fly out after only one pitch, for a 1-2-3 opening of the afternoon, on. His efficiency continued to the second inning, where he only needed six pitches for three consecutive flyouts, brining his two-inning pitch total to 12.
The Cats opened the third inning with a picture-perfect bunt single by senior second baseman Jason Haynes, who dropped the ball in between the WVU right side infielders, then out running the pitcher to the bag. Sophomore Nick Liles then followed with a tailing fly ball down the right field line that dropped just fair for a double. WCU then made it three hits in a row with senior Barrett Shaft’s line drive double just inside the foul line in left field, bringing home Haynes and Liles to put the Cats up 4-0.
In the bottom of the third, the Mountaineers broke through with three runs, started by Grant Buckner’s single to center field, followed by a hit batter, and a double by Tyler Kuhn to clear the bases. Kuhn was then brought home on a long fly just out of the reach of WCU’s Lyons in center field to bring the score to 4-3. Sexton was able to get the next batter to ground into an inning-ending double play, stopping the WVU rally.
WCU responded in the fourth inning, starting off with a pair of walks by sophomore Brent Greer and freshman Ryan Mathews. Greer was then brought home on a line drive single between first and second base by classmate Dylan de Graaf to push the Catamount lead to 2, 5-3. The Cats then stretched their lead to 7-3 in the fifth inning, courtesy of senior Blake Murphy’s RBI double sandwiched between a pair of singles by Shaft and Lyons. Murphy just beat out the throw home to score on Lyon’s hit that skirted out of the glove of the West Virginia second baseman. It was Lyon’s third RBI of the game, and his team-leading eighth on the year.
West Virginia (3-2) struck in the bottom of the sixth, scoring two runs to tie the game at seven. Sophomore Chris Masters came on in relief with two outs and two men on base, ending the inning for WVU with a fly ball to shallow right field.
The Catamount bats went cold in the last half of the game, in which Western was held hitless from the sixth until the ninth inning, opening the door for West Virginia.
Sexton threw 5.2 innings on the day, striking out four and allowing six earned runs on nine hits, with no walks. Masters, who allowed one run in 2.2 innings while registering three strikeouts, was charged with his first loss of the season.
Lyons and Shaft led the Catamounts with two hits apiece, with Lyons now with a hit in each of the season’s first four games. Liles’ double also gives him at least one base hit in four consecutive games, and is tied for the team lead with seven hits total.
WCU will look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon when they take on the Patriots of George Mason University. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Charles Watson Stadium/Vrooman Field.
CLEMSON 7, COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 7
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. -- Wilson Boyd, Doug Hogan and Ben Paulsen homered, and Clemson scored the go-ahead run in the eight inning on a throwing error as the 13th-ranked Tigers rallied for a 7-6 win over the College of Charleston before 2,083 at Patriots Point Stadium on Friday.
With the win, the Tigers improved to 5-0. Charleston, which plays host to Jacksonville State in a noon doubleheader on Saturday, fell to 4-1. Clemson plays at 3rd-ranked South Carolina at 1:30 on Saturday.
Brandon Sizemore's two-run homer to left and Jeremie Tice's RBI grounder gave Charleston a 3-0 first inning lead.
In the top of the third inning, Clemson's Stan Widmann singled with two outs and Boyd followed with a two-run homer to left to cut Charleston's lead to 3-2. Doug Hogan homered to left center on the next pitch to tie the game at 3-all.
Paulsen's solo homer to left leading off the sixth gave the Tigers a 4-3 lead. J.D. Burgess walked and eventually scored on a two-out wild pitch that extended Clemson's lead to 5-3.
Michael Kohn's towering homer to left leading off the bottom of the seventh cut Clemson's advantage to 5-4. Charleston's Austin Morgan, who reached on a one-out error, scored to tie the game at 5-5 on Mike Hentz's two-out double down the left field line.
In the top of the eighth, Clemson's Kyle Parker singled with one out, moved to second on a ground out and eventually stole third. After D.J. Mitchell walked, J.D. Burgess' double to right center scored Parker to tie the game at 6-6. Mitchell scored on the play to give the Tigers a 7-6 lead on a Charleston throwing error.
Alex Martin (1-0) picked up the win for Clemson after retiring the only batter he faced in the seventh. Matt Vaughn struck out three over two scoreless innings of work for his second save. Jesse Simpson (2-1) suffered the loss.
CANISIUS 10, APPALACHIAN STATE 1
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. ? Canisius starting pitcher Alex MacKenzie baffled Appalachian State University hitters for eight innings as Appalachian fell to the Golden Griffins, 10-1, on Friday afternoon at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium.
Appalachian (3-3) managed just six hits against MacKenzie and scored its only run on a wild pitch in the second inning. The right-handed junior needed just 99 pitches to go eight innings against a Mountaineer team that was averaging nearly eight runs a game coming in to the contest. He struck out three and walked only one to move to 2-0 and drop his ERA to 1.54 on the young season.
Third baseman Isaac Harrow and left fielder David Rubinstein accounted for five of the Mountaineers’ six hits. Harrow was a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles and Rubinstein went 2-for-4. Rubinstein also registered a double, the 44th of his career, which moved him alone into fifth place on Appalachian’s all-time doubles list.
On the other hand, Canisius (5-0) drilled ASU pitching for 10 runs on 16 hits. Designated hitter Brian Burton led the onslaught, going 4-for-5 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored. Second baseman Kevin Mailloux chipped in with a 3-for-5 effort, which included a towering home run to right field.
The loss was Appalachian’s first in five all-time meetings with Canisius. The Golden Griffins’ 5-0 start is its best since 1954.
The Mountaineers will look to rebound when the two teams continue their four-game weekend series with a doubleheader beginning at noon on Saturday at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium.
THE CITADEL 2, NORTH CAROLINA A&T 1 (12 innings)
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? Sophomore Kyle Jordan drove in Chris McGuiness from second base with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning as The Citadel topped North Carolina A&T in a pitcher’s duel Friday evening, 2-1. The Bulldog win opened up the first day of action at the Charleston Firefighter Memorial Challenge presented by the Charleston Crab House at Riley Park.
McGuiness singled to get on base and advanced to second on a balk call to get into scoring position. Jordan is now hitting .427 with a runner in scoring position, second only to senior Chris Swauger.
The Citadel (3-2) scored two runs on nine hits while committing two errors. North Carolina A&T (3-3) scored only one run on four hits, also committing two errors. The Aggies left seven runners on base, including runners on second and third in the top of the ninth.
Freshman Asher Wojciechowski earned a no decision despite pitching 8.0 innings and striking out eight while only giving up three hits. The Beaufort, S.C. native has now struck out 17 in two appearances this season with a 0.82 ERA this season.
Matt Reifsnider (1-0), who came in after Raymond Copenhaver faced two batters in the ninth, earned his first win of the season after pitching two full innings and striking out four. Reifsnider struck out the first three batters he faced, ending a threatening inning in which the Aggies had runners on second and third.
Marquise Frink (1-1) was credited with the loss after pitching 1.0 inning and giving up the winning run off the bat of Jordan. Tim Johnson started the game for the Aggies, pitching an impressive 8.1 innings while striking out eight and giving up seven hits.
The Citadel’s first run of the game came as junior Sonny Meade hit a solo home run to right field in the sixth inning.
NC A&T took the early lead in the second with one out as Joe McIntyre drew one of Wojciechowski’s two walks of the game. The Bulldogs recorded the second out of the inning as Wojciechowski forced CJ Beatty to pop up to third base. Nelson Santos then tripled to right field to score McIntyre and giving the Aggies the 1-0 lead. Despite Joe Wade walking and then stealing second, Neil Rosser would ground out to second to end the inning and any further threat to score the Aggies had in the inning.
Action in the 2008 Charleston Firefighter Memorial Challenge presented by the Charleston Crab House will continue Saturday as North Carolina A&T faces NC State at 11 a.m. The Citadel will face No. 23 Louisville at 2:30 p.m. with a special ceremony honoring the “Charleston 9” taking place in between the games.