SoCon Baseball Recaps for May 16, 2008
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 10, WESTERN CAROLINA 4
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 20, WESTERN CAROLINA 9
CULLOWHEE, N.C. -- Jeremie Tice belted two homers in each game and the College of Charleston set Southern Conference records for most homers and most runs in a season en route to doubleheader sweep of Western Carolina, 10-4 and 20-9, before 274 at windy Hennon Stadium on Friday.
With the sweep, the Cougars improved to 36-18 overall and 18-8 in league play. The Catamounts, who entered the day with an 8-game winning streak, fell to 27-26 and 13-13. Charleston's 578 runs on the season eclipsed the old league mark of 560 set in 1997 by the Catamounts. Charleston's 117 homers broke the old SoCon mark of 116 set by Western Carolina in 1988.
The series fnale is 2 p.m. on Saturday. Charleston must win the final game of the series to earn a share of their fourth regular-season SoCon title over the past five campaigns.
In the opener, Tice, who now has 21 homers and 77 RBI on the season, hit a pair of solo homers. Mike Hentz and Michael Harrington added two-run homers, and Clay McCord hit a solo shot.
Jesse Simpson (8-2) picked up the win surrendering four runs with eight strikeouts over the first 5 1/3 innings. Michael Kohn blanked the Catamounts over the final 1 2/3 innings for his third save. Mike Tavernier (4-4) suffered the loss surrendering six runs over six innings.
In the nightcap, Tice hit a two-run homer in the first, a three-run double in the third and a two-run homer to right in the fourth that gave Charleston a 9-3 lead. Brandon Sizemore blasted his 16th homer of the season, a three-run shot to left, in the fifth. Clay McCord added a two-run homer to right center in the sixth inning.
Jake Goldberg (4-3) picked up the win working the first five innings. Jordan Tiegs allowed a run over the final three innings for his first save of the season. Drew Saberhagen (4-7) was the starter and loser for Western Carolina.
For the twinbill, McCord and Tice finished with seven hits each, while Sizemore collected five hits in 11 at bats. The Cougars scored 30 runs and belted nine homers on the day.
WOFFORD 12, APPALACHIAN STATE 7
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? The Wofford College baseball team hit four home runs on the way to a 12-7 victory over Appalachian State on Friday night at Russell C. King Field. The Terriers had home runs by Sterling Dye, Michael Gilmartin, Shane Kirkley and Mo Seay in the Southern Conference win.
Wofford is now 22-32 on the season and 5-20 in the Southern Conference, while Appalachian State is 30-24 overall and 13-12 in conference play. The Terriers were led in by Michael Gilmartin and Mo Seay, who each had four hits in five at bats.
After a scoreless first inning, the Mountaineers took the lead in the top of the second with an RBI single from Adam Beasley to left field. In the bottom of the second, Mo Seay and Josh McKinney singled. A blast by Sterling Dye to center field scored three runs for a 3-1 lead.
The Mountaineers tied the game in the top of the third with an RBI single by Isaac Harrow and a single by Jason Rook combined with an error to make it a 3-3 game. Wofford responded again to take the lead. Michael Gilmartin and Shane Kirkley singled, then Keith Munns hit a ball to centerfield that hit the top of the fence and bounced back into play for a two RBI triple.
In the top of the fourth, Appalachian State got one run back on a solo home run by Adam Beasley. But the Terriers plated six runs in the bottom of the fourth to put the game away. Sterling Dye reached on a fielders choice and was driven in by a home run to right field by Michael Gilmartin. Shane Kirkley then homered to left field for an 8-4 lead. Jake Williams singled, then Keith Munns reached on an error that scored Williams. Mo Seay then hit a blast to right field for two runs and an 11-4 lead after four innings.
Wofford added a run in the bottom of the sixth when Mo Seay singled up the middle to score Shane Kirkley. Appalachian State made a run in the top of the eighth, scoring three runs. Jason Altenhof had an RBI single, then Wes Hobson doubled to score two more runs. However that was the end of the scoring for the night and the Terriers came away with the 12-7 victory.
Wofford starter Scott Summers (6-7) went the first four innings on a pitch count. He allowed seven hits and four runs with four strikeouts. Ben Austin picked up his first save of the season by going five innings with seven hits and three runs allowed and two strikeouts. Wofford only allowed one walk on the night.
For Appalachian State, starter Matt Andress (8-4) went 3.2 innings with ten hits, ten runs and two strikeouts. Taylor Miller pitched two innings with two hits and two runs with three strikeouts. Trevor Mullins went a third of an inning without a hit. Nick Terry closed the final two innings with two hits and a strikeout.
On the night, Wofford had four home runs, the most since five in a game against Yale on March 16. The win was the first conference victory for the Terriers since April 6, a stretch of fifteen games. Keith Munns recorded his first career triple on the night. Shane Kirkley hit career home run 49, two shy of tying the school record.
Wofford will conclude the regular season with a doubleheader against Appalachian State on Saturday, May 17 beginning at 1:00 pm. The Terriers’ eight seniors will be honored before the first game.
DAVIDSON 6, UNC GREENSBORO 2
GREENSBORO, N.C. ? A solo home run by Matt Webb in the fourth gave Davidson a one-run lead over UNCG Greensboro. After adding on five more, the Wildcats held off the Spartans for a 6-2 victory on Friday evening at UNCG Baseball Stadium. With the win, the Wildcats took the final regular season Southern Conference series from the hands of UNCG.
UNCG will go into the 2008 Southern Conference Baseball Tournament with an overall record of 31-25 and a league mark of 15-12. Davidson will head to Charleston with a 12-37 season record and a 4-23 mark in the conference.
The finale win went to Davidson starter John Edwards (1-0) who pitched for 5.0 innings with just one strikeout. Mike Frongello (2-4) earned his fifth save of the season after coming to the mound in the eighth. Senior reliever Wes McCall (1-7) took the loss after allowing Davidson’s first three runs of the game. While on the rubber, he led both sides with five strikeouts.
At the plate for UNCG, senior designated hitter Greg Feltes was 1-for-2 with run and freshman third baseman Ray Quinones was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Davidson’s Chris FitzPatrick went 2-for-3 and Matt Webb was 1-for-4 with an RBI, a run, and a solo home run.
A solo home run to lead off the fourth inning by Matt Webb gave the Wildcats their first scratch on the board. Webb sent a 1-2 pitch over the left field wall for his fifth homer of the season.
In their next at-bat, Davidson upped the margin by two more. Eden came down from third off of a wild pitch and Brett Shore rounded home on a Zach Kayne double to right field.
In the home half of the second, UNCG put up their first run of the game as sophomore center fielder Corey Overholtzer, senior catcher Adam Deleo, and freshman third baseman Ray Quinones sprayed consecutive singles into the outfield. With runners on first and second, Quinones drove the ball far enough into right center to allow Overholtzer to cross the plate and put the score at 3-1 in favor of Davidson.
With two away, the Spartans nearly took the lead away from the Wildcats as senior shortstop Matt Gaski drove a hard ball out to right field. The ball crossed over the fence line, but Wildcat right fielder Chase FitzPatrick jumped up, reached over, and robbed the homer to close out the inning and preserve the Davidson lead.
Reliever Rob Gilliam came in for senior Wes McCall in the top half of the eighth. With none out and inherited runners on second and third, the Chapel Hill, NC native blew past the first two batters in eight pitches. He then allowed a bases loaded walk before pitching into a ground out to second base to close out the inning and hold the Wildcats at bay.
With a one-run lead, Davidson jumped ahead even further with three runs scored in the top of the ninth. Shore was brought in off of a left field single by Chase FitzPatrick and in the next at-bat, both Danny Weiss and Chase FitzPatrick rounded home on a right field double by Tommy Piacenza.
Unable to comeback from the four-run deficit, UNCG dropped its final conference regular season game, 6-2, to Davidson.
2008 Southern Conference Baseball Tournament action will get underway Tuesday, May 20 in Charleston, S.C.
FURMAN 10, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 2
GEORGIA SOUTHERN 6, FURMAN3
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Connor Lind’s two run-seventh inning single broke a 2-2 deadlock and keyed Furman to a 10-2 win over Georgia Southern in game one of a Southern Conference doubleheader at Latham Stadium Friday afternoon. In game two Georgia Southern scored three unearned runs in the eighth inning to overcome a 3-2 deficit en route to a 6-3 victory to earn the split.
The win in game snapped a six-game losing skid for Furman and marked the Paladins’ 30th win of the season, a plateau reached only five times in program history but all this decade. In game A.J. Wirnsberger went 4-for-5 and two Chris Shehan belted his 20th home run of the season to become only the second 20-home run, 20-stolen base performer in GSU history.
Friday’s doubleheader split kept the Paladins (30-22, 16-10 SoCon) and Eagles (32-22, 16-10 SoCon) tied for third place in the SoCon standings heading into Saturday’s 4:00 p.m. finale, where the winner will earn the No. 3 seed and the loser the No. 4 seed for next week’s SoCon Tournament in Charleston.
Regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s game, Furman will finish the regular season as the most improved team in the league this year after being picked ninth in a preseason poll of SoCon head coaches.
In game one Furman pitcher Jay Jackson threw six strong innings against the nation’s top scoring team before departing with a 2-1 lead. The junior Paladin righthander limited the Eagles to one run on four singles and walk while striking out eight.
After Phillip Porter’s RBI single in the seventh tied the game at 2-2, Furman broke the game open with five runs in the bottom of the frame.
Lind’s two-run single through the left side off Eagle starting pitcher Kyle Kamppi gave the Paladins a 4-2 lead. Bobby Hubbard then greeted Kamppi’s replacement, A.J. Gilbert with a two-run double to right field that scored Marcus Rose and Lind. After stealing third, Hubbard came home on Reese Wade’s sharp single to center field to stretch the Furman cushion to 7-2.
Furman tacked on three more runs in the eighth, highlighted by Rose’s two-run single to left center field.
Spencer Hale (2-1), who record the final out the seventh, earned the victory while Kamppi (5-4) absorbed the loss in game one. Five Paladin pitchers combined to record 13 strikeouts in the contest.
Lind went 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored to pace Furman’s 11-hit attack. Marcus Rose added two hits, two RBI and three runs, and Reese Wade drove in three runs for the Paladins.
Brian Pierce’s 2-for-4 outing in game one led GSU, which was limited to no extra base hits for the first time this season.
In the nightcap A.J. Wirnsberger paced Georgia Southern to the 6-3 victory with a 4-for-5, 2-RBI performance.
Wirnsbarger’s RBI triple to right center field in the sixth inning tied the game at 2-2, and in the decisive eighth his one-out single through the left side tied the game at 3-3. Later in the inning he scored from second base on a two-out infield error to give the Eagles a 4-3 lead.
Jeremiah Parker added a solo home run in the ninth inning to make it a 6-3 contest.
Game two featured a pair of solid outings by starting pitchers Drew Murray of Georgia Southern and Furman’s Mason Smith. Murray allowed three runs over six frames while walking two and striking out five. Smith, meanwhile, surrendered two runs on six hits. He walked three and fanned five.
Tony Chisman (1-0) worked a perfect seventh, striking out two, to record his first collegiate victory.
Ian Parry (4-4), the victim of the Paladin error in the eighth that led to the three unearned runs, took the loss.
Blake Nation allowed a pair of hits to open the Furman eighth but recovered by retiring the Paladins’ Brian Harrison on a deep fly ball to left center field with the bases loaded to end the inning. He worked a scoreless ninth to register his seventh save.
Chris Shehan got Georgia Southern on the board with a leadoff home run, his 20th of the season, in the sixth inning.
Jay Jackson, making his first start in the field since sustained an injured left hand in an 11-9 win over Davidson on May 4, went 1-for-3 with a RBI double in the sixth that provided Furman with a 3-2 lead.
THE CITADEL 9, PRESBYTERIAN 6
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? Matt Arnold drove in three runs and scored three runs stealing home to score in the sixth and Matt Crim tied a career-high eight strikeouts as The Citadel held on for a 9-6 victory over Presbyterian Friday in front of 591 at Riley Park. The two teams will meet in the regular season finale on Saturday at 1 p.m. as The Citadel honors its four seniors in a special ceremony before the game.
Arnold, who was officially 1-for-1 after getting walked twice and hitting sacrifice fly, drove in three runs while stealing two bases in the game. Arnold’s second run of the game came in the sixth inning as he stole home on a double steal lay with Trey Thomas attempting to steal second. Thomas eventually advanced to second after a PC error.
The Citadel (27-27) held a 9-2 lead heading into the top of the ninth before allowing four Presbyterian runs, pulling the Blue Hose within three. Presbyterian (13-39) threatened with runners on first and third before hitting into a double play to end the game.
Matt Crim (6-6) tied a career-high eight strikeouts in his 6.2 innings on the mound while only allowing one run off three hits and walking two. Andrew Cockerham (1-4) took the loss after allowing six runs ? five earned ? on four hits in 4.0 innings on the mound.
The Bulldogs took the lead in the second as Arnold hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Richard Jones from third, putting The Citadel up 1-0.
The Citadel extended their lead in the fourth after Arnold hit a two-run triple down the right field line to score Sonny Meade and Chris McGuiness.
The Bulldogs added two more in the fifth as Chris Swauger hit a two-run home run over the left field wall with Conrad Kellahan waiting on first. Swauger’s blast was his 37th career home run and the eighth of the season for the senior.
After The Citadel scored one more run in the bottom of the sixth, Presbyterian finally got on the board in the top of the seventh with two runs scored as William Bucholz drove in a run on a groundout to third and Steven Henry’s single to right field scored Zac Rhinesmith.
A bases loaded walk and a Trey Thomas sacrifice fly gave The Citadel their final two runs of the game in the bottom of the eighth, lifting the Bulldogs to a 9-2 lead over the Blue Hose.
Nick Sprowls started the ninth inning on the mound for the Bulldogs and failed to record an out, allowing all three batters faced to reach base on a walk and consecutive singles. Chris Boyce followed but still allowed another run to score. Presbyterian threatened with runners on first and third until Matt Reifsnider earned his ninth save of the season after entering and forcing Casey Carlson to ground into a double play to end the game.
The Citadel and Presbyterian will close out the regular season on Saturday, May 17 at 1 p.m. at Riley Park. There will be a short ceremony prior to the game to honor The Citadel’s four seniors ? Matt Arnold, Conrad Kellahan, Timmy Martin and Chris Swauger ? before first pitch.