SoCon Baseball Recaps for April 23, 2008
UNC GREENSBORO 8, NORTH CAROLINA STATE 7 (10 innings)
GREENSBORO, N.C. ? In their fourth extra inning game of the season, UNC Greensboro came away with an 8-7, 10th inning victory over N.C. State on Wednesday evening at UNCG Baseball Stadium. This was their first victory over an ACC team since shutting out Duke, 6-0, last April and the second time in two years that the Spartans have taken a victory away from the Wolfpack in Greensboro.
The game went though three different lead changes before Matt Gaski ripped a shot out to right field in the bottom of the 10th inning to bring freshman Ray Quinones in for the game winning run. Logan Smith and Ed Jayjack both notched career first home runs as the Spartans improved to a record of 25-15 while still holding onto a 10-5 Southern Conference mark. With the loss, 22nd-ranked N.C. State drops to 27-13 with a 12-8 record in the ACC.
UNCG’s Alex Shelton (4-3) gained the victory after coming to the mound to start the seventh. While on the rubber he allowed just one run and one extra base hit. State’s Travis High (1-1) took the loss after giving up one run and one hit. UNCG’s Greg Smith and the Wolfpack’s Jeff Stallings and Jimmy Gillheeney tabbed three strikeouts apiece.
Logan Smith and Ed Jayjack were both 1-for-1 with a run, an RBI, and a home run while hitting in the eight spot. Ray Quinones was 2-for-4 with a run and a pair of doubles. N.C. State’s Marcus Jones went 2-for-3 with a run and a double.
The Spartans took their second lead over an ACC team this season after notching a run in the home half of the first inning. Junior Pedro Leon led off the lineup with a double sliced out to right center. Four bats later, a sacrifice fly off the bat of senior Tim Carrier brought Leon in for the lead.
The Wolfpack made it a 1-1 game in the top of the second as Ryan Pond was brought in off of a groundout to the shortstop.
With the aid of N.C. State, UNCG regained the lead in inning three. After reaching on a linedrive up the middle, senior Sean Snell rounded his way home off of a wild pitch, a throwing error by the catcher, and then another wild pitch allowed him to cross home.
In the top of the fourth, State took its first lead of the game off of back-to-back two out hits. The one-run lead was cut short when senior Logan Smith knotted the game at 3-3 as his second hit of the season rocketed over the right field wall. The solo marked the team’s 41st of the season and Smith’s first homer of his career.
In their next at-bat, N.C. State rallied for three to take the lead once again. An infield single by Jeremy Synan got things started as he drove Marcus Jones from third. The next batter in the lineup, Dallas Poulk, rounded in both Synan and Ryan Pond with a hit out to left field to break the tie and give State the 6-3 advantage.
In the sixth, redshirt sophomore Ed Jayjack sent a 1-1 count over the right field wall to cut the lead down by one. Jayjack’s bomb was not only his first career home run, but it was his first recorded hit as a Spartan. An inning later, Snell let loose with a right center triple to right center to bring in Leon and make it a one-run game.
With the tying run sitting on third, Carrier slapped a seventh inning line drive towards the N.C. State shortstop. Unable to make the full grab, Foschi knocked the ball out of the air and tossed it to first in time to nab the third out and hold onto the Wolfpack lead.
In the top of the ninth, Russell Wilson hit the third solo of the game up and over the left center wall to give the Wolfpack the insurance run. They had the chance to up it by one more, but a dead-on throw by catcher Adam Deleo picked Jones off at third for the second out. A fly out by Synan closed out the inning with just one run tallied by State.
Down by two with one out, Carrier tallied his first hit of the night with a game tying, dual RBI single through the left side. Carrier’s clutch hit plated Leon and Gaski to knot the game at 7-7 and send it into extra innings.
UNCG came out strong in the 10th taking N.C. State three up, three down before freshman Ray Quinones led off with a stand-up double to left center. With one away, Gaski connected with a 1-1 count to round Quinones home and give the Spartans their first victory over an ACC team this season.
The blue and gold remain at home as they battle with the Elon Phoenix for the top spot in the conference. Friday night’s game is set to begin at 6pm with both Saturday and Sunday’s games starting at 1pm at UNCG Baseball Stadium.
ELON 8, WINTHROP 3
ROCK HILL, S.C. ? The Elon Phoenix jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one inning and cruised along to pick up a 9-3 non-conference baseball victory over the home-standing Winthrop Eagles from the Winthrop Ballpark on Wednesday night. The Phoenix earned its 31st win of the year to go along with just 13 losses. The Eagles dropped to 16-24 and were swept in the two-game season series by Elon.
Chris Dove started the game by drawing a walk. Dove quickly stole second and went to third when the throw down sailed into centerfield. Donny Jobe’s sacrifice fly to center drove in Dove with the game’s first run. Bennett Davis followed by lining a single to left. Cory Harrilchak’s ground out let Davis take second. After Davis swiped third, Chase Austin grounded a ball to second for what should have been the third out of the inning, however, the throw to first was in the dirt and could not be handled, allowing Davis to score Elon’s second run.
In the bottom of the second, Winthrop’s Billy Froehlich walked to begin the at bat. Eddie Rohan followed by knotting the game up at 2-2 by hitting his seventh home run of the year, this one clearing the wall in left-center.
The Phoenix reclaimed the lead in the fourth with back-to-back hits from Harrilchak and Chase Austin. Harrilchak doubled down the rightfield line and scored Chase Austin’s single to center. Neal Pritchard followed with a double off the wall in left, plating Chase Austin and giving Elon a 4-2 edge. Dallas Tarleton hit the third double of the inning, this one just out of the reach of a diving Eddie Tisdale at first, to drive in Pritchard.
Aaron Bonomi hit his second home run of the season, a solo shot with one out in the bottom of the fifth, to pull the Eagles back to within 5-3.
Harrilchak started the sixth with a walk, stole second and moved to third on Chase Austin’s sac bunt. Pritchard plated Harrilchak with a sacrifice fly to right.
Jobe led off the eighth with an infield single and raced over to third on a failed pick-off throw that went down the rightfield line. Harrilchak drew a one-out walk before Chase Austin ripped a double inside the third base bag and into the leftfield corner to score both runners. After a balk advanced Chase Austin to third, Pritchard drew a walk to put runners on the corners. Chase Austin scored Elon’s ninth run when Dallas Tarleton lifted a sac fly to center.
J.D. Reichenbach (1-1) picked up his first victory of the season after a 6.0 inning outing in which he allowed three runs on five hits while walking three and striking out two.
Tyler McBride (1-1) took the loss in just his second start of the year. McBride gave up five runs (four earned) on five hits and a walk. He also fanned three.
Chase Austin drove home three and scored twice with a 2-for-3 night at the plate. Both Pritchard and Tarleton drove in two with one hit.
Froehlich had two hits, the only multi-hit outing for the Eagles while Rohan had two RBI.
The SoCon leading Phoenix will travel to second-place UNC Greensboro for a three-game set beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday night.
APPALACHIAN STATE 9, GARDNER-WEBB 3
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - David Rubinstein (Charlotte, N.C./South Mecklenburg) homered for the third-consecutive game and Zach Quate (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield) struck out seven in six innings to lead Appalachian State University baseball to a 9-3 win over Gardner-Webb on Wednesday afternoon at Varsity Field.
Rubinstein's two-run blast was the last of four-consecutive hits to open the third inning and gave Appalachian (21-22) a 4-0 lead. ASU would not relinquish the advantage the rest of the way, scoring two runs in the fifth inning, one in the sixth and two more in the ninth.
Quate made the early lead hold up by limiting Gardner-Webb (19-22) to three runs (two earned) over his six innings of work to move to 4-2 on the season. He scattered seven hits while fanning the career-best seven. Freshman Taylor Miller, who like Quate starred as a prep at Raleigh's Wakefield H.S., closed out the win by tossing three innings of scoreless, one-hit relief.
Wes Hobson (Winston-Salem, N.C./North Forsyth) and Rand Smith (Bolivia, N.C./South Brunswick) led the Mountaineers' 12-hit attack with three hits apiece, while Rubinstein's third homer in the last three games gave him a team-best seven on the season.
After splitting a pair of midweek games at Tennessee and GWU, Appalachian returns home this weekend for a three-game Southern Conference series versus Davidson. The set opens with a 7 p.m. affair on Friday evening at ASU's Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
WESTERN CAROLINA 8, MERCER 7 (10 innings)
MACON, Ga. - Capitalizing on both a wild pitch and passed ball, sophomore Dylan de Graaf scampered home for the game-winning run as Western Carolina edged the Mercer Bears, 8-7, in 10 innings at Claude Smith Field Wednesday evening.
The Catamounts put two aboard in the first extra frame when freshman Ryan Mathews singled up the middle and de Graaf walked. Two batters and one out later, de Graaf advanced from second to third on a wild pitch by reliever Boone Webster, with a passed ball on reserve catcher, Casey Stuart, allowing go-ahead run to come home.
Mercer put runners at the corners with two outs in the bottom of the tenth, but a ground ball up the first base line was kept fair by senior Barrett Shaft to end the game.
Senior Tyler Sexton tossed the final three innings of hitless, scoreless relief, working around three walks - including a pair of intentional passes - with a strikeout to secure his second win of the season. The High Point, N.C., native pitched around a bases loaded, one-out jam in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings.
Freshman Brandon Johnson surrendered five earned runs in 4.2 innings in his first collegiate start, giving way to juniors Corey Martin and Drew Saberhagen for 2.1 innings before Sexton closed the game out. Martin allowed two hits, two walks with two strikeouts, while Saberhagen fanned three while giving up two earned runs on three base hits.
Shaft led WCU at the plate with a perfect 4-for-4 showing with an RBI. The Lilburn, Ga., native moved into sole possession of second place all-time on Western's career hits chart, moving past former Catamount great, Matt Raleigh, in the process. His classmate Blake Murphy posted the only other multi-hit game finishing 2-for-4 with four runs driven in, including a three-run home run.
Sophomore Nick Liles extended his current hitting streak to 12 games with a single in the third inning, finishing 1-for-6 on the night.
Mercer (18-26) lit the scoreboard first in the home half of the second inning with a two-out solo homer by centerfielder John Dortch. The lead was short-lived, though, as the Catamounts exploded for five runs in the third.
Two singles sandwiched around a Mercer error tied the game at one. Liles singled up the middle with classmate Brent Greer lacing one at Bear third-baseman Nick Dimauro who bobbled it to put two aboard ahead of Shaft, who drove in the game-tying run with a single to right field. The next batter, Murphy, blasted a three-run homer over the fence in left field to push the Catamounts ahead, 4-1. Sophomore Reid Rollison plated the fifth run after reaching on a four-pitch walk, trotting home on a sacrifice fly to center for a 5-1 advantage.
The Bears closed the deficit to two with a three-spot in the home half of the fourth. Designated hitter Joe Winker lifted a one-out, two-run home run, with shortstop Billy Shaughnessy doubling and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Dortch to make it 5-3.
With the game tied at five through five innings, WCU pulled back ahead with two runs in the top of the sixth inning. Greer doubled down the left field line and later scored from third on a Bears wild pitch to make it 6-5. Murphy drove in his fourth run of the game with a single to right field, plating Shaft from second to give the Cats a two-run lead, 7-5.
But Mercer pushed across single runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to knot the game at seven, with Western going in order in the top half of the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. The Bears threatened to end the game in regulation by loading the bases in the bottom of the ninth before Sexton induced a line drive and a foul out to sophomore third baseman, Tyler Kirkpatrick.
Western, which won in the state of Georgia for the first-time this season (1-5), stranded nine runners while the Catamounts forced Mercer to leave 14 on base. The win evened the all-time series at one, avenging last year's, 13-10, loss in Cullowhee.
Western Carolina hosts Furman this weekend in a three-game Southern Conference set at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium beginning Friday evening at 7:00 pm. The series continues with a 6:00 pm first pitch on Saturday and concludes with a 2:00 pm start on Sunday afternoon.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN 6, KENNESAW STATE 4 (11 innings)
KENNESAW, GA. ? Ty Wright (Montrose/West Laurens) lined a 2-run double in the 11th inning, sending Georgia Southern to a 6-4 win over Kennesaw State Wednesday night (April 23). It marked the Eagles’ (22-18 overall) first win in four attempts against Kennesaw.
David Richardson (Dahlonega/Lumpkin County) battled back from a 2-2 count against Michael Bohana to lead off the 11th with a walk. Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell) squared around to bunt but took a four-pitch walk. Two batters later Wright hit a line drive down the left field line, plating both runners for the eventual game-winners.
Blake Nation (Brooks/Starr’s Mill) in his fourth inning of work retired the first two batters before Jay Morrow lined a single. Clint Roques sent a shot to shallow right field but Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry) made a sliding grab to end the game.
The Owls (21-22) put the first two runners of the second inning in scoring position after a hit batter and double. Aaron Eubanks (Moultrie/Colquitt County) got two infield pop-ups but KSU plated two runs on consecutive RBI singles from Tyler Stubblefield and Jacob Robbins.
Georgia Southern took advantage of relief pitcher Wes Tignor entering the game. Will Southwell (Moultrie/Colquitt County) hit a leadoff double in the fifth. Two batters later Pierce dropped a single to put runners at the corners. Kevin Bowles (Statesboro/Statesboro) reached on a fielder’s choice when KSU failed to get any outs while trying to turn a double play. Wright hit a RBI double then Porter plated a run on an infield single that snuck past Tignor.
The Eagles extended their lead to 4-2 in the sixth. A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) reached on a leadoff double, the second straight inning doing so. Southwell dropped down a sacrifice bunt then Richardson singled past a drawn-in infield.
Justin Davis (Pulaski/Metter) pitched a solid fifth inning but Kennesaw got a double and single to start the sixth. Head coach Rodney Hennon brought in A.J. Gilbert (Marietta/Kell). The sophomore lefty struck out Drew Fowlkes but walked Stubblefield to load the bases. Robbins lined a shot but Southwell made a game-changing, diving stop at first base. He popped up and threw home in time for the force out, saving at least two if not all three runs on the play. Bucky Smith hit a grounder to Bowles at second base for the inning-ending force out.
Kennesaw threatened again in the seventh. A leadoff double and infield single put runners at first and second, prompting coach Hennon to bring in Tony Chisman (Conyers/Salem). Jace Whitmer was retired on a flyball. Jerome Wooley lined a shot to Wirnsberger at third. He threw over to Bowles to double off Ric Bishop at second base to end the frame.
In the eighth KSU worked two leadoff walks off Chisman as coach Hennon brought in Nation. Stubblefield tried bunting with two strikes but it went foul for a strikeout. After a wild pitch advanced the runners, Robbins scored a run on a groundout but Nation struck out Smith to end the threat.
Nation picked up the first two outs of the ninth on a groundout and strikeout. He hit Whitmer then uncorked a wild pitch letting pinch-runner Roques to second. Pinch-hitter Martin Baker lined a 1-2 pitch into right field for a game-tying single. He tried stealing second but catcher Jeremiah Parker (Carrollton/Carrollton) nailed him to send it to extra innings.
For the fourth time in six games, and fifth overall, Wright drove in three runs. He added three hits, including two doubles. Porter added two infield singles and a RBI. Richardson had two hits and Pierce scored two runs.
Eubanks allowed just two runs on six hits in four innings. Nation (2-3) pitched a career-high four innings and struck out a career-best six batters. He allowed one run on two hits.
Four Owls had two hits apiece and Robbins drove in two. Bohana (2-3) allowed two runs on one hit in three innings. He struck out five and walked two. Starter Kenny Faulk gave up a leadoff single to Wright for the only hit allowed in four innings, retiring the final 11 Eagles he faced in order.
The Eagles resume Southern Conference play this weekend at Wofford. The three-game series begins Friday night (April 25), first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m.
DUKE 8, DAVIDSON 7
DAVIDSON, N.C. - Jake Lemmerman drove in Tom Luciano with a one-out single in the top of the ninth inning to lift Duke to an 8-7 baseball victory over Davidson at Wilson Field Wednesday night.
Luciano walked to start the Duke ninth, stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Ryan McCurdy. Lemmerman drilled a grounder that took a high hop and tipped off pitcher Mike Frongello's glove and into left field for the game-winning hit.
Sam Payne drew a one-out walk, and Brett Shore followed with a single down the left field line in the Davidson ninth. After Payne was picked off second base, Hugh Eden singled, putting runners on the corners with two outs. With an 0-2 count, Zach Kayne swung through an Alex Hassan slider that wound up hitting him, resulting in a strikeout to end the contest.
The Blue Devils (29-13-1) came all the way back from a 7-0 first-inning deficit by shutting out Davidson and allowing five hits the rest of the contest.
Matt Webb led Davidson (10-25) from the plate with a 3-for-4 performance with an RBI. Brett Shore went 3-for-5 with a triple and two RBIs, Danny Weiss was 2-for-3 and Zach Kayne went 2-for-5. Davidson used eight pitchers in the contest.
The Wildcats struck for seven runs in the bottom of the first inning with the help of six singles, a triple and two Duke errors. Kayne started the rally with a one-out single, and Weiss, Webb, Pat Brady, Shane Hammond and Eden had singles in the inning.
The big blow came with two on and two outs when Shore drilled a triple into the gap in right center field and came around to score on an error on the relay throw to third, making the margin 7-0. The Wildcats left two runners on in the second and the bases loaded in the third but were unable to extend the lead.
Duke chipped away with the help of some timely hitting and five Davidson errors. The Blue Devils got an unearned run in the second, scored three runs in the fourth (two unearned) and Gabriel Saade made the score 7-6 with a one-out, two-run homer over the wall in left center field in the fifth. Duke tied the score 7-7 in the sixth, when Matt Williams led off with a double and scored on a single by Nate Freiman.
The Wildcats return to action Wednesday, May 7, when they host Elon in a doubleheader at 4 p.m. at Wilson Field. It will be the last home series for the Wildcats.
SOUTH CAROLINA 10, WOFFORD 1
COLUMBIA, S.C. ? The Wofford College baseball team was defeated 10-1 by #9 South Carolina on Wednesday evening at Sarge Frye Field. Justin Smoak had three home runs, including a grand slam in the sixth inning, to lead the Gamecocks with eight RBIs.
Wofford is now 20-22 on the season and 4-11 in the Southern Conference, while South Carolina is 31-11 on the season. The Terriers were led by Sterling Dye with two hits and Emre Caglayan with an RBI.
The Gamecocks got on the board in the bottom of the first with a two-run homer over the right center fence by Justin Smoak. In the top of the second, Keith Munns was hit by a pitch and Neil Robinette and Mo Seay both walked to load the bases with one out. However Sam Dyson struck out the next two Terriers to leave three runners stranded.
South Carolina added a run in the bottom of the second when Reese Havens drove in Andrew Crisp with a single for a 3-0 lead after two. Neither team scored in the third inning. Scott Wingo hit a two-out solo home run to right center for the Gamecocks in the bottom of the fourth for a 4-0 lead.
Wofford picked up their first base hit of the night in the top of the fifth on a bunt single by Emre Caglayan and Sterling Dye hit a single in the top of the sixth.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Gamecocks loaded the bases with one out. Justin Smoak then hit his second home run of the night, this time to left center to score four runs and give South Carolina an 8-0 lead.
The Terriers had two runners in the top of the seventh as Keith Munns was hit by a pitch and Neil Robinette walked. Mo Seay reached on a single through the left side to load the bases with one out. A ground out to first by Emre Caglayan scored Munns, but the inning ended with two left on base with the score 8-1.
South Carolina added two runs in the bottom of the eighth when Justin Smoak hit his third home run of the night for a 10-1 lead. Wofford added a single from Keith Munns in the top of the ninth, but was left on base.
Wofford pitcher Jordan Mickleberry went 5.0 innings with nine hits, four runs and three strikeouts. Pete Noordsy threw for a third of an inning and gave up four runs on two hits. John Cornely got two outs in the sixth. Ben Austin struck out three straight batters in the seventh. Dawson Smith went the eighth inning with three hits and two runs.
For South Carolina, starter Sam Dyson threw 6.0 innings and allowed only two hits with six strikeouts. Sean Wideberg went an inning with one hit and one run. Alex Farotto threw the eighth with one hit and a strikeout and Craig Thomas went the ninth with one hit and two strikeouts.
Wofford left six runners on base, while South Carolina stranded nine. The Terriers committed the only error of the night. Michael Gilmartin led off the order for the Terriers for the first time this season. Emre Caglayan was caught stealing for the first time this season; he is now 11-of-12 in stolen bases. The announced attendance of 5,124 is the largest crowd so far this year to see the Terriers.
The Gamecocks, ranked ninth, were the third team that the Terriers have faced this season with a national ranking. Clemson was #17 and Arizona State was #1 when they played the Terriers. Wofford and South Carolina will meet again on May 7 at Russell C. King Field.
Wofford will host Georgia Southern in a three-game Southern Conference series beginning Friday night at 7:00 pm. The teams will also play on Saturday at 4:00 pm and Sunday at 1:00 pm.