SoCon Baseball Recaps for May 6, 2008
UNC GREENSBORO 4, HIGH POINT 3
GREENSBORO, N.C. ? A left center single by senior shortstop Matt Gaski in the tenth gave UNC Greensboro the 4-3, come from behind victory over High Point University, Tuesday afternoon at UNCG Baseball Stadium. With the win, UNCG earned their 30th victory of the season and won their 12th game overall against High Point.
Earning the win on the hill for the Spartans (30-19, 14-7 SoCon) was Greg Smith (4-1). The freshman from Manorville, NY came into the game midway through the seventh and gave up just one unearned run while retiring two. Senior starter Clay Gibson (2-0) led both sides with four strikeouts. HPU’s (18-26) top pitcher Bubba O’Donnell (4-2) took the loss after reaching the rubber in the ninth. He struck out one and gave up two runs, one of which was the game-winner.
The UNCG lineup was topped by senior Tim Carrier who was 2-for-2 with a pair of runs scored. Sophomore Corey Overholtzer went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Senior Sean Snell was the only batter from either side to tally an extra base hit. The Panthers were led at the plate by Randy Schwartz who was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI.
High Point came out with an early lead scoring one apiece off of a sacrifice to leftfield and a left side single in the opening inning. In the seventh, they upped the lead by one more as Max Fulginti singled up the middle to bring in Randy Schwartz from third.
Trailing 3-0 heading into the home half of the seventh inning, senior Ricky Orton scored the first run for the Spartans off of a left field line double by Sean Snell. In the next at-bat, UNCG made it a one-run game as Corey Overholtzer ripped a single through the right side to plate senior Greg Feltes from third.
With both teams silent in the eighth, Tim Carrier led off the ninth with a centerfield single. He was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Snell before another single through the right side by Overholtzer brought him around home for the tying run.
A three up, three down top of the tenth brought UNCG up to the plate once again. Senior Adam Deleo led off with a 0-0 count single ripped up the middle and was soon moved to second off of a sacrifice bunt by junior Pedro Leon. With the winning run standing on second, Gaski drove a 2-1 count far enough into right center to round in Deleo and give the Spartans the 4-3 come from behind win over the Panthers.
On Wednesday, UNCG will hold a 6pm diamond meeting with the Aggies of North Carolina A&T. This weekend, the blue and gold will hit the road for their final conference three-game away series against the Georgia Southern Eagles in Statesboro, GA. Friday’s game is set for 7pm with a 6pm Saturday game and a 1:30pm Sunday game to follow.
DUKE 2, DAVIDSON 1 (10 innings)
DURHAM, N.C. ? Michael Ghizzoni squeezed home Jeremy Gould with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning as Duke posted a 2-1 baseball victory over visiting Davidson Tuesday night at Jack Coombs Field.
Gould started off the inning with a single, moved to second on an error on a failed pickoff attempt at first base and went to third on a wild pitch. After Chris Kennedy struck out Gabriel Saade for the first out of the inning, Ghizzoni laid down the bunt to drive in Gould.
Hugh Eden, Brett Shore and Chase FitzPatrick each recorded a hit for Davidson (10-33), but the Wildcats managed three hits as a team in the contest.
John Edwards made his first career start on the mound for Davidson and threw five innings, allowing one run and six hits. Bobby DeMuro gave up two hits in three scoreless innings of work, while Kennedy tossed 1.1 innings and allowed an unearned run.
Eden led off the game with a home run as the Wildcats took a 1-0 lead. The Blue Devils (34-14-1) tied the game in the second when Jake Lemmerman drove in Jonathan Nicolla with a single.
It was the second one-run loss to Duke this season for Davidson, and six of the Wildcats’ last 10 games have been decided by a run.
The ?Cats are back in action tomorrow when they host Elon in a doubleheader at 4 p.m. at Wilson Field. It’s the last home series for Davidson and will conclude Thursday with a single contest at noon.
CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 6, FURMAN 5
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Kory Morian homered and drove in a pair of runs to lead Charleston Southern to a 6-5 win over Furman in baseball action Tuesday evening at Latham Stadium.
After teammate Mark Perry homered to open the second inning, Morian made it back-to-back roundtrippers with a blast to left field to give Charleston Southern (16-28) a 3-2 lead that it would never relinquish. He later delivered an RBI single in the sixth inning in what proved to the game winning run for the Buccaneers.
Trailing 6-2, Furman (29-16) cut it to 6-5 in the eighth on Joey Rodgers’
three-run clout down the left field line. In the ninth Paladin leadoff hitter Reese Wade drilled a ball off Buccaneer reliever Payton Tweddale’s leg to first baseman Nick Chinners, who stepped on the bag for the easy out. Campbell Lewis followed with a line drive single to right field, and after Tweddale retired Brian Harrison on a foul pop, Furman’s Matt Hemingway was called out at first base on a close play to end the game.
Perry led CSU’s 13-hit attack with a 3-for-4 performance and scored two runs. Chinners and Taylor Black also banged out three hits, and Nick Thornburg belted the third of three Buccaneer home runs with a solo shot to lead off the sixth.
Campbell Lewis and Brian Harrison had two hits apiece for Furman, which collected nine hits in the contest.
Brandon Roberts (1-3) allowed only four hits in 6 2/3 innings and pitched around five walks and three hit batsmen to earn the victory.
Making his first career start, Ryan Lang (0-1) took the loss after working 2.0 innings and giving up five hits and three runs.
Tweddale earned the save, hit sixth of the season.
Furman stranded 12 base runners, including at least one in every inning.
The Paladins return to action on Wednesday when they face Clemson at Fluor Field at the West End in downtown Greenville. First pitch is set for 7:15.