SoCon Baseball Recaps for March 21, 2008
UNC GREENSBORO 9, APPALACHIAN STATE 3
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University baseball scored three times in the first inning but couldn't manage anything else against UNC Greensboro starter Greg Martin en route to a 9-3 loss to UNCG on Friday evening in the Southern Conference opener for both teams at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
Jason Rook (Greensboro, N.C./Western Guilford) rapped a triple to left center field and Wes Hobson (Winston-Salem, N.C./North Forsyth) and Andrew Franco (Niceville, Fla./Niceville) each collected RBI in Appalachian's three-run first. However, Martin (2-0) stymied ASU's offense over the next seven innings, holding the Mountaineers scoreless on just four hits to pick up the win.
The Spartans got two runs back in the second and took the lead for good with three runs in the top of the sixth. Appalachian (11-9, 0-1 SoCon) helped the UNCG's cause in the sixth, as a botched rundown allowed the first run to score and rendered all three runs unearned.
UNC Greensboro (13-5, 1-0 SoCon) tacked on a single run in the seventh and three more in the ninth (two unearned courtesy of another ASU error) to account for the final margin.
Hobson was the only Mountaineer with multiple hits, as he went 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored on the evening. ASU starter Josh Dowdy (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield) surrendered just two earned runs and struck out five over 5.2 innings but suffered the loss to fall to 1-4 on the season.
Pedro Leon led the Spartans offensively with a 4-for-5, three-run effort, while Ray Quinones went 2-for-3 and drove in three runs.
The two teams continue their three-game weekend series on Saturday with a 3 p.m. first pitch at Smith Stadium.
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 31, DAVIDSON 3
DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Jeremie Tice, Gabe Marchant and Cole Rakar hit grand slams and the College of Charleston set a school record for most runs in a game en route to a 31-3 win at Davidson in the Southern Conference baseball opener for both schools on Friday.
Charleston improved to 14-7 overall and 1-0 in league play, while the Wildcats are 7-9 and 0-1. Charleston broke the previous school mark set in its 28-14 win over George Mason earlier this season.
Tice, who had a two-run homer in the first inning, hit a grand slam in the second that gave Charleston a 7-0 lead. Marchant and Rakar belted grand slams as part of Charleston's school record-tying 11-run fifth inning that stretched the Cougars' lead to 26-2. Rakar, a freshman, added a two-run homer in the sixth innings and finished with six runs batted in.
Tice went 4-for-4 with seven RBI and five runs scored. Brandon Sizemore had three hits and four RBI, Austin Morgan collected three hits in four at bats with five RBI and four runs scored. Michael Kohn reached base five times with four walks and a hit by pitch. Stuart Haywood had two hits and scored four times.
As a team, the Cougars banged out 24 hits, drew 13 walks and were hit by pitches three times.
Danny Meszaros (2-1) picked up the win allowing three runs with four strikeouts over six innings. Evan Goldberg blanked the Wildcats on one hit with four strikeouts over the final three innings for his first save. Chris Kennedy (0-2) suffered the loss.
Georgia Southern Wins SoCon Opener, Beats Western 19-10 Chris Shehan leads offensive attack with four hits
GEORGIA SOUTHERN 19, WESTERN CAROLINA 10
STATESBORO, GA. ? A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) hit a grand slam during a five-run second inning as Georgia Southern rolled to a 19-10 win over Western Carolina Friday night (March 21) at J.I. Clements Stadium. It was the Southern Conference opener for both teams.
The Eagles (12-8 overall, 1-0 SoCon) jumped on Western early, scoring four runs in the first. Ty Wright (Montrose/West Laurens) fell behind in the count but battled back to draw a leadoff walk. Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry) walked then Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) singled to load the bases.
Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) hit a 2-run single up the middle. Jeremiah Parker (Carrollton/Carrollton) brought home another run on a groundout then David Richardson (Dahlonega/Lumpkin County) hit a sacrifice fly as the Eagles would bat around.
Western (6-12, 0-1) cut into the Eagles’ lead hitting a sacrifice fly in the second. However, GS used the long ball to extend its lead all coming with two outs.
Porter reached on a fielder’s choice, Shehan singled and Parker was hit by a pitch. With two outs Wirnsberger hammered a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left field, his second grand slam this season and fifth home run overall. Richardson followed two pitches later with a solo shot to the left field gap. His fourth homer this season (all in his last four games played) matched his previous three-year total.
Drew Murray (LaGrange/LaGrange) walked the first two batters of the fourth inning, but battled back getting consecutive batters out on a called third strike. However, Brent Greer drilled a 3-run shot to centerfield, making it 9-4. J.C. Lyons added a solo shot in the fifth.
The Eagles chalked up three runs in the fifth and five more in the sixth to put the game out of reach. Porter extended his hitting streak to a team season-high 14 games thanks to a RBI single. Shehan followed with a 2-run double.
During the sixth Jeremy Beckham (Griffin/Griffin) hit a RBI single then Wright followed with a sacrifice fly. From there with two outs Benedict, Parker and pinch-hitter Will Southwell (Moultrie/Colquitt County) all hit consecutive RBI singles, extending the lead to 17-5.
Blake Murphy hit a 2-run shot in the eighth then Shaft added a RBI groundout but the Eagles scored two more times in their half. Parker hit a sacrifice fly then Richardson drew a bases loaded walk to make it 19-9. The Catamounts added a sac fly for the final margin.
Shehan finished with four hits and matched his career-high of four runs scored. Porter recorded two hits and four runs scored. Benedict drove in three as did Parker and Richardson. Seven starters in all had at least two hits. Beckham, one of five seniors on the team, had only two hits in his career against the Catamounts (2-for-22) and matched that total in one game.
“The key for us tonight was to be aggressive early, get good pitches to hit early in the count and try not to miss them,” said Beckham. “You always want to score early and get into the other team’s bullpen. If you do that then you’ve got a really good chance to put a lot of runs on the board.”
Murray (2-0) allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits in five innings. He walked four and struck out five.
Tyler Sexton fell to 0-3 allowing 12 runs (11 earned) on 10 hits in 4.1 innings. Greer and Lyons had three hits apiece.
The series continues Saturday (March 22), first pitch scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
ELON 9, WOFFORD 2
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? The Wofford College baseball team was defeated 9-2 by Elon on Friday night at Russell C. King Field. It was the first Southern Conference game of the season for the Terriers. The Phoenix scored six runs in the first three innings to build an insurmountable lead.
Wofford is now 14-6 on the season and 0-1 in the Southern Conference, while Elon is 18-3 and 3-1 in conference play. The Terriers were led by Emre Caglayan who was 3-of-4 from the plate and Mo Seay with a two-run homer in the fourth inning.
Pitching was the story of the night, as Preseason All-Southern Conference pitcher Steven Hensley went 7.0 innings with 10 strikeouts for the Phoenix. For Wofford, Scott Summers settled down after the second inning and struck out six batters. John Cornely had three strikeouts and Reid McElveen added two strikeouts for Wofford.
The Phoenix started the game with a leadoff home run by Chris Dove to left center. In the second inning, three Phoenix hit doubles as four runs scored on four hits in the inning and Wofford committed one error. Elon added one more run in the third inning as Dallas Tarleton hit a double to bring in Chase Austin from first base.
Wofford got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning. Michael Gilmartin opened the inning with a walk, then Mo Seay hit a home run over the left field fence for a 6-2 score.
Neither team could generate much offense in the fifth and sixth innings, with the Phoenix going three-up and three-down in both frames. In the seventh inning, Elon added one run on a fielders’ choice by Pat Irvine and a second run on a single by Cory Harrilchak for an 8-2 lead.
In the seventh, the Terriers loaded the bases but could not score a run in the inning. Elon took a 9-2 lead in the eighth inning with a sacrifice fly by Chris Dove for a 9-2 advantage. Wofford left one runner on base in the eighth and left two on base in the bottom of the ninth.
Each starting pitcher was over 110 in the pitch count: Steven Hensley had 117 and Scott Summers had 118 pitches. Wofford left eleven runners on base, while Elon stranded seven. Elon had six stolen bases and Wofford had two.
The Terriers will close the series against Elon with two nine inning games
FURMAN 11, THE CITADEL 4
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? Chris McGuiness went 3-for-4 but The Citadel committed four errors in the field and gave up 17 hits to an offensively charged Furman team as The Citadel dropped an 11-4 decision to the Paladins Friday night.
The Citadel (12-7, 1-3 Southern) dropped their fourth game in six tries after only scoring four runs on seven hits. Furman (11-6, 1-0 SoCon) scored 11 runs, only nine of which were earned, on 17 hits against four Bulldog pitchers.
Matt Crim (2-2) took the loss for The Citadel, giving up nine runs ? seven earned ? on 10 hits while pitching for 5.0 innings. Crim walked two and struck out five in his first-ever SoCon series opener start.
Jay Jackson (5-0) gave up only four runs ? three earned ? on six hits across six full innings on the mound. Jackson struck out six and only walked three.
McGuiness led The Citadel offensively, going 3-for-4 while scoring once and driving in a run. McGuiness and Sonny Meade (2-for-4) were the only Bulldogs to record multiple hits in the game, compared to four Paladins who recorded two or more hits. Two of McGuiness’ three hits were back-to-back doubles in the second and third innings for the sophomore from James Island, S.C.
The Citadel tallied five doubles on the evening, the most since hitting five doubles in a 9-7 loss at Appalachian State on April 13, 2007, also a SoCon series opening game.
Marcus Rose led Furman offensively, going 4-for-6 with four RBI and a run scored. Campbell Lewis added three hits in five at bats with two RBI and a run scored. The Paladins scored seven of their 11 runs in the first three innings, jumping off to a 7-3 lead at the end of three innings.
The Citadel and Furman will face off in the 209th installment of one of the South’s oldest rivalries on Saturday, March 22 at 2 p.m.