SoCon Baseball Recaps for May 1, 2008
APPALACHIAN STATE 9, ELON 3
APPALACHIAN STATE 26, ELON 10
ELON, N.C. ? The Appalachian State Mountaineers rallied for eight runs in the top of the ninth in game one and then raced out to a 13-0 lead after two innings in the nightcap to sweep a Southern Conference doubleheader from the Elon Phoenix by scores of 9-3 and 26-10 from Latham Park on Thursday afternoon. Elon, which had won 17 of the last 18 meetings with Appalachian State, dropped to 34-16 overall and 16-8 in SoCon play. The Mountaineers upped their mark to 26-23, 10-11 by taking two games in the three-game set.
Game one was a pitcher’s duel and Elon broke though first in the sixth. Chris Dove singled to lead things off and stole second. On the steal, the ball sailed into centerfield and Dove took third. Donny Jobe bounced a ball to first with one out and the throw to the plate was low and went to the wall. Dove was safe at home and Jobe ended up on second. After Cory Harrilchak walked, both he and Jobe stole to move up a base. Bennett Davis then lined a single to left to score both runners and give the Phoenix a 3-0 lead. On the play, Davis was thrown out trying to take second for the second out of the frame.
In the seventh, Appalachian State got one back when Jason Rook led off the inning with his fourth homer of the year. The hit ended Steven Hensley’s bid for a no-hitter.
With one out in the ninth, the Mountaineers loaded the bases with a walk, an error and a single off of Elon closer Thomas Girdwood. Girdwood then blew the save when pinch-hitter Andrew Franco lined a single to left, scoring both Isaac Harrow and Rook to tie the game at 3-3. The second error of the inning by Davis allowed Jason Wallace to come home to score and give ASU a 4-3 lead. Rand Smith lined a single to right-center to plate pinch-runner Nick DeRose to give the Mountaineer a two-run advantage. After a walk loaded the bases, the Phoenix turned the ball over to Brian Bodjiak to face Wes Hobson. A wild pitch with two outs allowed another run to come home before they were reloaded when David Rubinstein was plunked.
Garrett Sherrill came on to retire the Phoenix in order in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the 9-3 ASU win.
Matt Andress (7-3) earned the victory after allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits in 8.0 innings. He walked two and struck out four.
Hensley threw 8.0 innings of one-hit ball. He gave up one run, walked three and fanned five. Girdwood (4-1) was charged with the defeat after allowing seven runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks in just 0.1 inning.
Davis drove in two with a 1-for-4 game while Dove finished game one 3-for-3 with a run scored and four stolen bases. Following game one, Dove had a season total of 32 stolen bases to become just the second Elon player to ever steal 30 or more bases in two seasons. With his walk, Harrilchak extended a streak which has now seen him reach base in 20 consecutive games.
ASU saw Harrow drive in three and score another with a 1-for-4 day. Rook scored twice and was 1-for-4 with a RBI.
In game two, the Mountaineer offense picked up right where it left off. Jason Altenhof and Hobson singled to start the game before moving up a bag on a fly out to center. Harrow singled to right to plate Altenhof before Rook lined a single to right, scoring Hobson.
Altenhof and Hobson singled back-to-back with one away in the second to put runners on the corners. Rubinstein grounded a single under a diving Neal Pritchard at short to drive in Altenhof and push the Mountaineer edge to 3-0. Harrow followed with a single to build the lead to 4-0 as Hobson scored. Rook ripped a single to center and the runners continued to circle the bags as Rubinstein came home. Appalachian ended up scoring another nine runs, and sent a total of 15 hitters to the plate, in the inning to claim a 13-0 lead after an inning and a half of play.
ASU tacked on three more in the fourth before Elon finally got on the board in the bottom half. Davis reached on an infield single and scored on Dallas Tarleton’s double to left-center. After Chase Austin’s single put runners on the corners, Mike Melillo homered for the third time on the year with a three-run shot to center. Walks to Matt Hill and Dove were sandwiched around a strike out, giving Elon two runners. With two away, Harrilchak tripled down the rightfield line to score both Hill and Dove and reach base for the 21st straight game, pulling the Phoenix within 16-6. Davis then delivered his team-leading 14th home run of the season to left.
Hobson’s single with one out in the top of the fifth was followed by a walk to Rubinstein. Harrow then singled through the right side of the infield to plate Hobson. A passed ball allowed Rubinstein to score the 18th Appalachian run.
With Elon down 22-9 in the bottom of the seventh, Jay Sinclair recorded his first career hit with a RBI infield single that scored Matt Hinson.
Pinch-hitter Nick Riddle’s RBI single in the eighth was the 27th of the game for the Mountaineers and equaled a school record set earlier this season. Later in the inning, Altenhof drove in two with a single to set a new school standard. The play also established a new program record for runs score.
Rook (2-4) earned the win after coming in to relieve starter Josh Dowdy. Rook went 3.1 innings and allowed two runs on three hits and four walks while striking out five. Dowdy was charged with eight runs on nine hits in 3.2 innings.
Daniel Britt (3-3) took the loss by giving up six runs (five earned) on eight hits in just 1.1 inning of action. Ryan Adams made his first career appearance on the mound, throwing a scoreless ninth inning.
Harrow concluded game two with a 5-for-8 line, scoring twice and driving in five. Rubinstein was 4-for-5 with five runs scored and four RBI while Rook drove in four and scored one with a 3-for-6 night.
For Elon, Harrilchak and Davis each had two RBI while Melillo drove in three runs. Davis went 3-for-6 and scored twice while both Mike Lobacz and Harrilchak had two hits.
Elon will play host to Campbell in a 7 p.m. non-conference contest on Saturday night. Prior to the game, the Phoenix will honor its four seniors.