SoCon Baseball Recaps for March 8, 2008

GEORGIA SOUTHERN 12, MICHIGAN 3

GREENVILLE, N.C. ? Georgia Southern University Baseball fought through a rain delay all day Friday and another for 68 minutes to start Saturday, but the delays didn’t affect the offense as the Eagles beat 15th-ranked Michigan 12-3. The Eagles (5-5 overall) played the first of two games Saturday on the campus of East Carolina.

Georgia Southern will play later Saturday night against Pittsburgh, first pitch tentatively scheduled for 8 p.m.

The Eagles scored first, sending 11 batters to the plate in the fourth inning. A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) and Jeremiah Parker (Carrollton/Carrollton) singled to start the frame. Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) dropped down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell) executed a safety squeeze bunt, actually beating out the throw for a single as Wirnsberger scored.

Jeremy Beckham (Griffin/Griffin) hit a sacrifice fly for the second run. Leadoff hitter Matt Miller (Canton/Woodstock) hit his second home run of the year, a 2-run blast over the right field fence. Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry) and Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) singled then Kyle Blackburn (Marietta/Walton) took a four-pitch walk to load the bases and chase starter Mike Wilson. Before relief pitcher Ben Janzen could throw a pitch home he balked to make it a 5-0 GS lead.

“The bunt was coach’s call. I was able to get ahead in the count and he put the safety squeeze call on. I was supposed to bunt a strike, I got a pitch on the outer half that I could handle and was able to get it down,” said Pierce, who on the play recorded his first RBI of the year.

Benedict dropped a double into right centerfield to start the sixth. A sacrifice bunt advanced him to third then he scored on Miller’s RBI groundout.

Aaron Eubanks (Moultrie/Colquitt County) walked the first two batters he faced in the sixth, his first two free passes allowed in the game. Two batters later Jason Christian hit a 3-run shot cutting the Eagles’ lead in half, 6-3.

The Eagles capitalized with two down in the eighth. Blackburn singled, Wirnsberger was hit by a pitch then Parker hit an infield single to load the bases. Benedict worked the count full against Janzen and drew a RBI walk. Janzen uncorked a wild pitch during Pierce’s at-bat to score Wirnsberger, extending the Eagles’ lead to 8-3 lead.

GS exploded in the ninth, scoring four times... three on a strange bases loaded walk. Shehan delivered a two-out RBI single. Pinch-hitter Will Southwell (Moultrie/Colquitt County) was hit by a pitch and Wirnsberger walked to load the bases. Parker worked the count to 3-2 against Matt Gerbe. With the runners in motion, ball four flew past catcher Chris Berset. Shehan scored, and then Southwell was able to score on the wild pitch. Berset tried throwing to Gerbe covering home but his throw got past not only the pitcher but the entire infield, which allowed Wirnsberger to come home as well.

Blake Nation (Brooks/Starr’s Mill) blanked the Wolverines for 2.1 innings, allowing two hits and striking out one. Kyle Kamppi (Savannah/Benedictine Military) pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to finish off Michigan, who entered the week ranked anywhere from 15th-23rd in the national polls.

Despite the delays, Pierce said he and his teammates stayed focus.

“We basically went through the same routine yesterday and then today. We felt good yesterday when we got to the park and felt the same today. We want to come to the park every day focused. We cannot control the weather, we want to focus on things we can control,” said Pierce. “This is a fantastic start to the Classic, picking up a win against a good Michigan team. This certainly boosts our confidence heading into tonight’s game against Pittsburgh.”

Eubanks (2-1 overall) allowed the three runs on six hits in 5.1 innings. He struck out four and walked two. Miller, Shehan, Blackburn, Wirnsberger, Parker and Pierce had two hits apiece keying the 15-9 advantage over the Wolverines in hits. Miller drove in three runs.

Christian was one of three Wolverines (4-4) with two hits. Wilson (0-2) allowed five runs on eight hits in 3.2 innings

GEORGIA SOUTHERN 3, PITTSBURGH 2

GREENVILLE, N.C. ? Matt Miller (Canton/Woodstock) hit the first pitch of the bottom of the 10th inning over the right field fence, giving Georgia Southern a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh in the nightcap of the Keith LeClair Classic. The Eagles won both games Saturday, improving to 6-5 overall.

Pitt (3-5) put the leadoff batter of its half of the 10th on second base following a throwing error by shortstop Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell). The junior made up for it, fielding a grounder and nailing Nick Mullins at third base for the first out of the inning. Burt Barto (Columbus/Columbus) got Sean Conley to ground into a 4-6-3 inning-ending double play to set up Miller’s heroics.

Georgia Southern scored first thanks to a Panther error in the first frame. Jonathan King (Athens, TN/McMinn County) reached on a fielding error with one out. He looked to be picked off trying to steal second but slid around the tag for his second stolen base this year. A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) dropped a two-out RBI single into shallow left to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.

Drew Murray (LaGrange/LaGrange) carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before the leadoff hitter Mullins hit a 3-2 pitch up the middle. He advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt then third on a groundout. The Eagles brought the infield in but Danny Lopez was able to drop a bloop single into shallow right field to tie the game. Jordan Herr hit a RBI single in the seventh for a 2-1 lead.

Jeremiah Parker (Carrollton/Carrollton) walked to start the bottom of the seventh. Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) and Pierce both laid down a bunt attempt but both were able to beat it out for an infield hit. That loaded the bases with no one out, and also chased starter Rob Brant.

Relief pitcher David Kaye got Jeremy Beckham (Griffin/Griffin) to ground into a double play, but the tying run scored. The Eagles had runners in scoring position twice in the ninth, but each was thrown out at the plate off singles from Pierce and Beckham for the second and third out.

“When we had those two guys thrown out at the plate in the bottom of the ninth that took the emotion from us. Burt (Barto) did a great job on the mound and shut them down in the 10th,” said Miller. “I really didn’t want to put in my mind to hit a home run. I was looking for a fastball down the middle then try and square up to hit it. Aaron (Eubanks) threw six strong innings earlier today, Drew threw well through seven and our bullpen did a great job today.”

Murray was charged for two runs on four hits in seven innings, the longest outing by an Eagle starter all season. He struck out seven (tying for the second-most Ks in his career) and walked one. Ryan Steidl (Randolph, N.J./Morris Knolls), Kyle Kamppi (Savannah/Benedictine Military) and Barto (1-1) closed the door on the Panthers.

Pierce had three of the Eagles’ seven hits.

Kaye (0-1) gave up one run on three hits in three innings. Brant allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits in six innings, striking out nine to four walks. Four different Panthers had a base hit.

GS wraps up the Keith LeClair Classic Sunday afternoon (March 9), facing host East Carolina with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.

OHIO 13, UNC GREENSBORO 10 (12 innings)

UNC GREENSBORO 14, OHIO 9

GREENSBORO, N.C. ? After nine hours in the wind and the cold, the UNC Greensboro baseball team split a Saturday doubleheader with Ohio. The Bobcats (4-5) took game one, 13-10 after 12 innings. Back-to-back three-run rallies gave the Spartans (7-3) the 14-9 victory in game two.

In game one, both teams remained scoreless until the Bobcats put up five in the top of the third inning. The lead was cut down to two as right fielder Sean Snell sent a bases loaded double to left field to score Ricky Orton, Matt Gaski, and Tim Carrier.

Ohio topped the fourth with three more runs.

A solo homerun off the top of the right field fence by Ray Quinones and a three-run shot to right field by Greg Feltes brought the Spartans to within one of the Bobcats.

With both teams scoreless in the fifth, sixth, and seventh inning, the score remained 8-7.

The Bobcats extended their lead to three in the eighth inning.

That same inning, a third baseline single by Snell brought Gaski in for one. A follow-up single by Pedro Leon and an error by Ohio’s second baseman let Snell or Orton come around home and tie the game at 10-10.

Unable to tally a run, UNCG and Ohio finished the ninth inning and found themselves in the 12th. After three well-placed singles gave Ohio the lead, they silenced the Spartans and took game one, 13-10.

UNCG was led by Ricky Orton, Sean Snell, and Pedro Leon at the plate. Orton was 4-for-6 with two runs and a double; Snell batted 3-for-7 with four RBI, and double, and one run. Leon finished 3-for-7 with 2 RBI and a double. Ohio was led by Matt Stiffler who went 3-for-5 with three runs, two RBI, a double, and a homerun.

The win went to Ohio’s Adam Goodpasture (2-1). UNCG’s Rob Gilliam (1-2) took the loss after 3.2 innings on the mound and four strikeouts.

In game two, Ohio seemed to leave off where game one ended as they singled their way to a 5-0 lead in the top of inning one.

UNCG slowly chopped the margin down to a single run.

A passed ball by Ohio brought Carrier in for the first run. A two-run single in the fourth inning by Ray Quinones brought the score to 5-3 and in the next inning, Snell put the score at 5-4 with a double to left field to score Gaski.

The Bobcats scored single runs to top the next three innings, but each time the Spartans answered back and then some.

UNCG tallied four runs in the sixth inning to take a one-point lead. Two runs were scored off a right field double by Carrier and the other two off a Feltes single. In the seventh inning, two sacrifice flies and a wild pitch upped the Spartans lead by four.

The blue and gold tallied three one-run singles in the bottom of the eighth to take a 14-8 advantage. The Spartans held the Bobcats to just one run in the ninth to win game two, 14-9.

Leading UNCG at the plate was Tim Carrier and Corey Overholtzer. Carrier batted 3-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and two double. Overholtzer was 3-for-4 with four runs and one RBI. Ohio’s Robert Maddox III led the Bobcats at the plate going 2-for-2 with two runs, two RBI, and two homeruns.

UNCG’s freshman pitcher James White (2-0) tallied his second win of the season after facing nine batters. Matt Bjorkstrom closed out the game with a team high four strikeouts. Joe Stover (0-2) took the loss for Ohio after allowing the Spartans to take the sixth inning lead.

The two teams return to UNCG baseball stadium on Sunday for game three of the series. First pitch is set for 1pm.

For news about UNCG baseball, complete season schedule, and any other information regarding Spartan athletics log onto www.UNCGSpartans.com.

RICE 12, WESTERN CAROLINA 11

HOUSTON, TEXAS ---Western Carolina could not hold on to an early six-run lead, and fell in a last-inning thriller to the nationally-ranked Rice Owls, 12-11, Saturday afternoon in Houston, Texas.

After WCU (4-7) tied the game at 11 in the top of the eighth inning, Rice's Derek Myers dropped a double into right field to score the winning run.

The Catamounts scratched the board in the first inning, when junior J.C. Lyons' sacrifice fly to center field scored senior Barrett Shaft from third, who had singled to open the game.

Rice (7-5), who came into the game as the fourth-ranked team in the nation, answered quickly in the bottom half of the frame on Derek Myers' leadoff home run that just cleared the fence in left field, tying the game at one. Catamount starter Garrett Ozar then rang up a pair of strikeouts and a ground out to end the inning.

Shaft's second single of the game scored two Catamount base runners in the top of the second, his sixth and seventh RBIs on the year. Dylan de Graaf, who was hit by a pitch, and Tyler Kirkpatrick, who reached on a fielder's choice, were able to score on the play when the Rice centerfielder bobbled the ball and then overthrew the catcher at home plate. Brent Greer extended Western's lead to 4-1 with his second base hit of the game, plating Nick Liles from third.

The offensive barrage continued for WCU in the third, when they opened the inning with two straight base runners, who were then brought home on Kirkpatrick's fourth home run on the season, a long fly ball that cleared the deepest part of the field, just over the 400-foot sign in center field. The sophomore from Charlotte, N.C. is now tied for the team lead in homers, and has hit a long ball in two consecutive games.

Rice cut into the WCU lead in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three runs on three singles to bring the score to 7-4.

Once again, Western answered in the top of the fifth inning, getting on the board courtesy of a solo home run to center field by Murphy, for their only run of the frame.

The back-and-forth battle continued in the home half of the fifth, when the Owls plated four more runs to tie the game at eight.

Murphy pulled the Catamounts back on top with his second home run of the day, a towering shot that cleared the bleachers on top of the hill behind the left field wall, 390 feet from home plate.

The blast scored both him and Lyons, who had reached on an error in the at bat prior to Murphy. It was his third RBI of the day, and his 11th on the year, and it brought the score to 10-8, WCU.

RU finally broke through in the bottom of the seventh, touching the Catamount pitchers for three runs with two outs in the frame, to take the lead, 11-10.

Shaft came through in the top of the eighth with a two-out single that was just fair down the left field line, scoring Haynes, who had walked to get on base. The Cats were unable to plate any more runs in the frame, and went into the bottom of the inning tied at 11.

Shaft and Greer both connected on a team-high three hits on the day, with Murphy and Mathews contributing a pair of base knocks. De Graaf's triple and Kirkpatrick's home run were their only hits of the game.

Junior Mike Tavernier, who was given the loss on the game, threw two innings, allowing a pair of runs on three hits. Ozar pitched 4.1 innings, giving up eight runs and striking out four. Brandon Johnson and Drew Saberhagen combined for 2.1 innings of relief, letting up two runs with Saberhagen registering a strikeout.

The Catamounts will now travel to face another perennial national power when they head to Nashville, Tenn. for a two-game set with the Vanderbilt Commodores. Game one of the series is scheduled for Tuesday, March 11 at 4:00 p.m. Central Time.

WOFFORD 4, NIAGARA 0

WOFFORD 7, NIAGARA 1

SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? The Wofford College baseball team took both games of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon from Niagara at Russell C. King Field. The Terriers won the first game 4-0 with pitcher Ben Austin throwing eight strikeouts in the complete game. In game two, pitcher Scott Summers had six strikeouts in the 7-1 victory.

Wofford is 8-2 on the season, while Niagara is now 4-3. On the day, Sterling Dye had four hits, while Keith Munns had two hits and three RBIs. Both Wofford pitchers threw complete games, the first of the season for the Terriers.

In game one, the game was scoreless until the bottom of the third inning. Emre Caglayan led off the inning with a single, which was followed by a single by Sterling Dye. Michael Gilmartin hit a single to left field which brought home Caglayan. Shane Kirkley walked, leaving the bases loaded for Mo Seay. Seay was walked, scoring Dye. With the bases still juiced, Ryan Toniolo walked, which scored Michael Gilmartin. The inning ended with three Terriers still on base and a 3-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, Michael Gilmartin grounded out, but he was able to bring in Emre Caglayan from third base to take a 4-0 lead. Niagara left two men on base in the fifth and six innings. In the top of the seventh, Ben Austin struck out the first batter. Andrew McDonald and Tim Alberts had back-to-back singles, then Harrison Harber walked to load the bases. Ben Austin struck out the next two batters to get the complete game shutout.

In the second game of the afternoon, Wofford took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Sterling Dye led things off with a double. Shane Kirkley was able to drive in Dye.

For the Terriers in the bottom of the third inning, Michael Gilmartin walked, which was followed by a single by Mo Seay. Keith Munns then hit a three-run homer to give the Terriers a 4-0 lead. Wofford added another run in the bottom of the fourth inning when Sterling Dye singled and Jake Williams was able to score.

For the Purple Eagles in the top of the sixth inning, the first three batters reached base. Chris Leendertse grounded into a double play, but it allowed one run to score. In the bottom of the sixth, the Terriers added a couple runs on doubles from Jake Williams and Michael Gilmartin. Niagara went 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh, giving the Terriers the 7-1 win.

The Terriers will complete the series against Niagara with a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 pm on Sunday. On Monday night, Wofford will host Quinnipiac at 7:00 pm.

ELON 7, NORTH CAROLINA A&T 2

ELON 9, NORTH CAROLINA A&T 4

ELON, N.C. -- Steven Hensley struck out 11 to move into fourth place on Elon's career strikeout list in game one, while Ken Ferrer fanned six hitters in the nightcap to lead the Elon Phoenix to a doubleheader sweep of the visiting North Carolina A&T Aggies by scores of 7-2 and 9-4 from Latham Park on Saturday afternoon.  Elon, coming off of its first defeat of the season on Wednesday, rebounded to up its record to 12-1 on the season with the sweep while the Aggies dropped to 3-8 on the year.

Game one was a tightly contested game as aces Hensley and Tim Johnson dueled on the mound.  The Aggies struck first in the third inning.  Phillip Brewington drew a one-out walk and stole second with two down.  A hot shot off the bat of Jeremy Jones went through the right side of the infield, scoring Brewington.  On the play, Elon was able to gun down Jones at second base to end any more of a threat in the frame.

The Phoenix evened things up in the fifth when Donny Jobe reached on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded, allowing Greg Annarummo to cross the plate.

After A&T went back on top 2-1 when CJ Beatty singled home Nelson Santos in the top of the sixth, Elon answered back with a four-run bottom half to move on top for good.  Chase Austin got things going with a one-out single.  After pinch-hitter Matt Hill walked, Annarummo delivered the big blow, a two-run triple to the rightfield gap.  Harry Austin kept things going by earning a 3-2 walk and stealing second.  With two down, Jobe put down a bunt and beat the throw to first driving home Annarummo.  Harry Austin also scored on the play as the throw to first sailed down the rightfield line.

Elon tacked on two in the eighth, the first on an Aggie error and the second on a wild pitch.

Hensley (3-0) was dominant in the opener, striking out a season-best 11 over 8.0 innings of work.  The junior scattered seven hits and gave up just two runs.  Hensley now has struck out 226 batters in two-plus seasons and he surpassed both Nathan Holcomb (224; 1998-2001) and Herbie Johnson (225; 1964-66) on the career chart.  He is now just seven K's shy of Whit Bryant (1999-2002) and his 233 punch-outs for third.

Johnson (1-1) allowed five runs (three earned) on five hits in 5.2 innings.  He struck out seven. Entering the day, Johnson had walked just one hitter in 17.1 innings, but on Saturday he allowed five free passes.

Elon jumped on top in the bottom of the first in game two and did it without a hit,  Jobe was plunked with one out and stole second with two away.  Bennett Davis and Ryan Adams each walked to load the bases before a wild pitch plated Jobe.

The Aggies came back and grabbed a 2-1 lead in the third.  Nick May got things stared with a single.  He moved to third on a failed pick-off and then scored when Jones doubled to left-center.  After Jones was erased trying to take third, Santos walked.  With two outs, Santos went all the way to third on the second failed pick-off of the inning.  He would then score on the third Phoenix miscue of the inning.

The errors did not have an affect on the Phoenix bats, however, as Elon stormed back with six in its half of the third.  Both Chris Dove and Jobe got on to start, but were caught stealing.  

With two outs, Pat Irvine got things rolling with a walk.  Davis cleared the bases with a two-run homer down the leftfield line, his third of the season.  Adams kept the offense rolling with a double to the rightfield corner.  Dallas Tarleton drew a full count walk and Neal Pritchard delivered Adams with a single to right.  Mike Lobacz laced a single to right and Tarleton raced home with Elon's fifth run of the game and runners ended up on second and third thanks to the throw home.  Cory Harrilchak drove home both Pritchard and Lobacz with a triple to right which gave Elon a 7-2 edge.

A sacrifice fly from Adams in the fourth plated Irvine before A&T tried to rally back in the sixth inning.  With one away and runners on first and second, BJ Curtis delivered a single to left-center to load the bases.  Following a strike out, James Howard drew a 3-2, bases-loaded walk to force home CJ Beatty.  Mayo's infield single plated Joe McIntyre to trim the Phoenix lead to 7-4.  Elon made a pitching change and J.D. Reichenbach came on to quickly fan Jones to end the Aggie threat.

The final run of the contest was scored by Elon in the seventh when Annarummo scored on a Pritchard ground ball.

Ferrer (2-0) struck out six in 5.2 innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits. Reichenbach, Harrilchak and Jared Kernodle combined to hurl the final 3.1 innings and not allow a hit, walk or run while fanning five.

John Primus (0-2) was tagged with the loss after giving up seven runs on six hits and five walks in 3.0 innings of action.

In the two games, Harry Austin finished 2-for-3 with two runs while Annarummo went 2-for-4 with three runs and two RBI for the Phoenix.

A&T's offense was led by a 4-for-7, two-RBI performance from Jones while Beatty went 2-for-6 with a run scored and one driven in.

Elon will go for the series sweep on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. from Latham Park.

TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO 20, COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 12

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 20, TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO 16

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. - Michael Harrington had a school record eight RBI as the College of Charleston rallied for a 20-16 win over Texas-San Antonio, to earn a split in its double header Saturday at Patriots Point. The Roadrunners outslugged Charleston in the opener, 20-12.

The Cougars and the Roadrunners will both enter tomorrow's rubber match, first pitch at 12 pm, with 9-3 records.

In game two, Harrington's grand slam in the bottom of the second helped Charleston grab a 7-2 lead. Later, Harrington added a three-run shot in the bottom of the sixth to give the Cougars a 12-10 lead.

Curtis Dowling (2-0) picked up his second victory of the season in relief, and Jesse Simpson recorded his second save of the year.

In the first game, the Roadrunners were led by James Keithley's five hits and five RBI, including a grand slam. Steven Vasquez recorded the victory for Texas-San Antonio, and improved to 2-1 on the season.

QUINNIPIAC 15, DAVIDSON 10

DAVIDSON 10, QUINNIPIAC 7

DAVIDSON, N.C. ? Chase FitzPatrick keyed a five-run sixth inning, and freshman pitcher Mike Frongello retired the side in order in the top of the seventh as Davidson won the nightcap of a doubleheader 10-7 to earn a split against Quinnipiac Saturday afternoon at Wilson Field. The Bobcats outlasted Davidson 15-10 in the first game.

With Davidson trailing 7-5 late in game two, Shane Hammond drew a walk with one out to start the rally, and Hugh Eden followed with a single. A Bobcat error loaded the bases, and Zach Kayne drove in a run with a ground out.

FitzPatrick drove in two runs with a single, and the ?Cats added runs on a passed ball and a balk to take a 10-7 lead. Frongello got three straight infield groundouts in the seventh to pick up the victory.

Trailing 6-1 after Quinnipiac scored two runs in the top of the fifth, Davidson answered with four runs in the home half of the frame in a two-out rally. Brett Shore ignited it with a double and scored on a FitzPatrick single. Jay Honeycutt drove in a run with a single, and Danny Weiss followed with a two-run double that trimmed the lead to 6-5. The Bobcats added a run in the top of the sixth to make the margin 7-5, setting the stage for the Davison comeback.

The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the second inning of the first game when Chris FitzPatrick was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Davidson pushed the margin to 4-0 in the third with a two-out rally. Weiss drove in two runs with a double, and a Tommy Piacenza single scored Weiss.

The Bobcats came back with three runs in the fourth and erupted for six runs in the top of the fifth to open a 9-4 cushion. Honeycutt’s team-leading sixth home run of the season trimmed the margin to 9-5 in the bottom of the frame.

Quinnipiac pushed its lead to 13-5 with a four-run seventh. The Wildcats came back with two runs in the bottom of the inning, thanks in part to a Honeycutt single that scored Shore, who reached on a single, but Quinnipiac came back with two runs in the top of the eighth to make the score 15-7.

Davidson capped its scoring with three runs in the bottom of the eighth. Matt Ray and Eden singled, and Shore drove in a run with a base hit. Chase FitzPatrick drove in two runs with a two-out double to make the score 15-10.

The Wildcats are slated to host Yale at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 9, at Wilson Field.

FURMAN 12, ALBANY 1

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Jay Jackson tossed six strong innings to earn his third victory of the 2008 season in leading Furman to a 12-1 win over Albany Friday in the first of a three game series this weekend at Furman Stadium.

The two teams will play a Sunday doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Jackson (3-0) yielded a double and a walk to lead off the game, but then retired the next 14 batters he faced to power Furman (6-2) to the victory. The junior right-hander and former Christ Church Episcopal standout allowed a run in the sixth before ending the frame with a bases loaded strikeout. He fanned nine in the contest and allowed a run on five hits and surrendered one walk.

Paladin relievers J.P. Goldsberry and Blaine Hart pitched no-hit ball over the final three frames.

Albany (2-6) managed just five hits against Paladin pitching. Great Dane starter Nate Novak (0-2) absorbed the loss after allowing six runs, five walks, and three hits over 2 1/3 innings.

Furman was paced at the plate by Matt Hemingway, who went 2-for-4 with a two RBI and two runs scored, and Ryan Lee, who also went 2-for-4 and scored a pair of runs. Connor Lind drove in a game high three runs for the Paladins, who banged out 10 hits in the contest.

The Paladins broke on top in the first after Marcus Rose led off with a double to center field, advanced to thid on a sacrifice, and came home on a wild pitch.

Furman added two more in the second on a pair of bases loaded walks by Lind and Bobby Hubbard, and stretched their advantage to 6-0 with a three-run third, highlighted by a two-run single to left field by Matt Hemingway.

The Paladins padded their lead with a run in the fourth and two in the fifth that made it 9-0 before Albany got on the board with an RBI single by Dave West in the sixth.

THE CITADEL 6, WRIGHT STATE 4

CHARLESTON, S.C. ? The Citadel scored six runs in the first three innings and held on late Saturday afternoon for a 6-4 victory over Wright State in the third game of The Citadel Shootout in front of 370 at Riley Park.

Richard Jones and Sonny Meade posted equally impressive offensive outputs, both going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Jones hit his first home run of the season as the Bulldogs recorded their eighth win of the season.

The Citadel (8-3) scored six runs on nine hits and went errorless in the field for the first time since facing No. 23 Louisville on March 1. Wright State dropped to 0-8 on the year after scoring four runs on nine hits and committing two errors in the field.

Wes Wrenn (1-1) recorded his first win of the season after going 6.0 innings and giving up four runs on nine hits. Asher Wojciechowski, Raymond Copenhaver and Matt Reifsnider each went one full inning each with Reifsnider earning his second save of the season. The Bulldog pitching staff combined to strike out 12 Wright State batters.

Bryce DeWeese (0-1) was responsible for the loss for Wright State after giving up five runs (three earned) on six hits in two innings of work.

The Citadel closes out The Citadel Shootout on Sunday, March 9 as the Bulldogs host UNC Asheville (5-7) at 2 p.m. at Riley Park. For complete coverage of Bulldog Baseball, visit the official home of The Citadel Athletics at CitadelSports.com.

YALE 7, APPALACHIAN STATE 2

BOONE, N.C. --- Appalachian State University baseball managed just six hits against stingy Yale pitching in a 7-2 loss to the Bulldogs on Saturday evening at Wilson Field.

Yale (2-2) jumped out to a 6-0 lead through just two-and-a-half innings and never looked back en route to the win in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

Yale's Alex Christ (1-0) surrendered just four hits and struck out six in five innings of work to earn the win. Mountaineer starter Josh

Due to heavy rain in the Davidson area, this weekend's schedule has been altered. Appalachian will square off with Yale again on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. and face off with Quinnipiac immediately after the first game.