College of Charleston 7, Western Carolina 4
Mt. Pleasant, S.C. - Clay McCord (Atlanta, Ga.) and Joey Bergman (Jacksonville, Fla.) belted solo homers and freshman right-hander David Peterson (Walnut Creek, Calif.) worked into the eighth inning propelling the College of Charleston to a 7-4 Southern Conference win over Western Carolina before 562 at Patriots Point Stadium on Sunday.
Charleston, which won two-of-three games in the series, improved to 13-3 overall and 5-1 in league play. The Catamounts fell to 11-4 and 4-2. The Cougars play host to Mercer at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Western Carolina plays host to High Point at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
Charleston grabbed a 5-0 first inning lead. Bergman scored on a throwing error and Joash Brodin (Olympia, Wash.) delivered an RBI single to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead. Matt Mansilla's (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) three-run double scored Mike Hentz (Port St. Lucie, Fla.), Brodin and Ryan Daniels (Victoria, Tex.) to stretch Charleston's lead to 5-0.
After WCU's Lee Murray drove in a run with a two-out infield hit in the top of the second, McCord led off the bottom of the second with a homer to right center, his first of the season, for a 6-1 Charleston advantage.
The Catamounts scored single runs in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings to cut the Cougars' margin to 6-4. Murray hit a solo homer to left in the fifth and J.C. Lyons had RBI singles in the sixth and eighth innings.
Bergman homered to left center, his fourth of the season, with one out in the eighth for the final margin.
For Charleston, Austin Morgan, McCord and Brodin collected two hits each. Brent Greer paced the Catamounts' 12-hit attack with three hits in four at bats. Teammates Ross Heffley, Stephen Nataro, Lyons and Murray added two hits each.
Peterson picked up the win scattering 12 hits over 7 2/3 innings of work. He allowed four runs, walked none and struck out five. Owen Brittle (Moncks Corner, S.C.) worked the final 1 1/3 innings for his second save of the season. Corey Martin (3-1) suffered his first loss of the season allowing six runs on five hits and a walk in one inning of work.
The Citadel 12, Appalachian State 3 (Game 1)
The Citadel 19, Appalachian State 2 (Game 2)
BOONE, N.C. ? The Citadel scored 31 runs and banged out 41 hits en route to sweeping a doubleheader from Appalachian State University baseball by scores of 12-3 and 19-2 on Sunday afternoon at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
Appalachian (6-10, 1-7 SoCon) never led in either of the two games.
Game One was a tight affair through six innings, with ASU trailing just 4-3 going into the seventh. But The Citadel broke open the close ballgame with three runs in the seventh inning and five more in the eighth.
Game Two was a rout from the get-go, as the Bulldogs plated seven runs in the top of the first and went on to score in seven of the game’s nine innings.
Catcher/designated hitter Richard Jones led the onslaught for The Citadel (8-7, 4-2 SoCon), going 7-for-9 with two doubles, two home runs, six RBI and four runs scored on the afternoon. He was especially imposing in Game One with a 5-for-6 effort that included a pair of doubles, a homer and three RBI.
Asher Wojciechowski was the most impressive of the five Bulldog hurlers that limited Appalachian to five runs on 12 hits over the two games. The right-hander tossed a complete game in the opener of the twinbill, scattering just five hits to move to 1-0 on the season. Matt Crim got the win in the nightcap, allowing only one run on five hits over six innings of work.
Despite being arguably the most effective of the 10 Mountaineer pitchers that saw action in the twinbill, senior Aubrey Edens was saddled with the loss in Game One after allowing four runs (three
earned) in six innings. Making his first-career start, sophomore Taylor Miller surrendered seven runs (five earned) in two-thirds of an inning to suffer the loss in Game Two.
Chris Alessandria had two of the Apps’ five hits in the opener and Nick DeRose recorded three of the squad’s seven hits in the nightcap.
With the losses, Appalachian suffered its third-straight series setback to open Southern Conference play. ASU lost each of its first three conference series and was 1-9 in SoCon play a season ago but rallied to win five of its final six league sets and 13 of its final
17 SoCon games overall.
The Mountaineers return to action on Tuesday afternoon when they host Wake Forest at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
The Citadel continues SoCon next weekend with a three-game series at Western Carolina with game one scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday.
Georgia Southern 11, UNC Greensboro 6
GREENSBORO, NC ? Three UNC Greensboro errors turned into five unearned runs and Georgia Southern scored four runs in the ninth inning to pull away late for an 11-6 win on Sunday evening at the UNCG Baseball Stadium. The two teams were only able to get in one of the three games scheduled for this weekend due to rain.
Jonathan King went 2-3 with two RBI and three runs scored to help lead the Eagles (13-2, 1-0) at the plate.
Freshman Trevor Edwards had two RBI to highlight the day for the Spartans (2-9, 0-4) and sophomore Ray Quinones added two doubles and an RBI.
After rain continued to fall all morning, the start of the game was pushed back until 3:45. The Eagles immediately went to work and turned back-to-back UNCG errors into an early 4-0 lead.
With two outs and a runner on second, Ty Wright reached on an error after Kris Richards’ throw forced first baseman Ed Jayjack off the base. With runners on the corners, A.J. Wirnsberger hit another ground ball to Richards who threw it over the head of Jayjack, which put runners on second and third and made the score 1-0. Jonathan King followed with a single to make it 2-0 and a wild pitch and a double by Georgia Southern would make the score 4-0 after the top of the first inning.
The Spartans refused to go down without a fight as they got a run of their own in the bottom half of the first. With two outs, Quinones hit his first double of the game and narrowed the score to, 4-1, after Edwards hit a RBI single to right field.
UNCG trimmed the Eagle lead to 4-2 after Joey Frabasile reached on a single and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Pedro Leon.
After Spartan starter Greg Martin settled down in the second and third inning he ran into more trouble in the fourth inning. With one down, Will Southwell was hit by a pitch and Brian Pierce followed with a home run that just cleared the right field wall to push the Georgia Southern lead to 6-2.
Once again the Spartans fought back to narrow the lead to 6-4 in the bottom of the fifth. Alex Frederick and Leon led off the inning with a pair of singles before an Eagle double play left only Frederick on third with two down in the inning. Quinones stepped to the plate and hit his second double of the game to score Frederick from third. Quinones would later score on another Edwards single to right field to make the score 6-4 after five innings.
The Eagles would score one again in the top of the sixth inning to go ahead 7-4 thanks to another Spartan error. King led off the inning with a walk and stole second before advancing to third on a groundout. King would later score from third after a fielding error by UNCG.
UNCG again rallied in the bottom half of the inning to bring the score within 7-6. Jayjack got on first with a leadoff single and moved to second after Frabasile was hit by a pitch. The two runners advanced to second and third thanks to a wild pitch. Michael Wall was up next and reached first on a fielder’s choice after the first baseman fielded a ground ball and threw home to try to catch Jayjack scoring from third. His throw was just a little late and the Spartans pulled to within 7-5. Frabasile would score on the next play when Frederick gounded out to second base.
After a scoreless seventh and eighth inning, the Eagles pulled away in the ninth inning to make the final score 11-6. Georgia Southern hit two singles and a double in the ninth and took advantage of two walks to score the four runs.
UNCG returns to the diamond on Tuesday evening as the Spartans kick off a two-game series with Lafayette. The two teams will play at 6 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Georgia Southern stays in Greensboro to take on North Carolina A&T tomorrow (Monday) afternoon at 1 p.m.
Samford 9, Furman 4 (Game 1)
Furman 6, Samford 5 (Game 2)
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Campbell Lewis belted a walk-off, three-run home run in the ninth inning to give Furman a 6-5 win over Samford and doubleheader split Sunday afternoon at Latham Stadium after the Bulldogs captured a 9-4 verdict in game one.
With the win in Sunday’s rubber game, Furman claimed the series two games to one and improved to 8-7 overall and 3-3 in league play. Samford is now 6-10 overall and 3-3 in SoCon action.
Lewis’ three-run shot off Samford closer Kyle Nichols (0-1), who took the loss, was the second walk-off clout of his career.
Trailing 5-3 in its final at bat, Furman rallied after Aaron Thompkins opened the ninth with a groundout. After Justin Holloway induced a walk, pinch-hitter Will Miller followed with a single up the middle, bringing up Lewis, who had entered the game defensively in the fifth inning. Two pitches later he drilled a Nichols fastball over the left field fence for the game winner.
Lewis’ shot helped Furman overcome heavy hitting by Samford, which cracked four home runs to help erase a 2-0 deficit en route to a 5-3 Bulldog advantage.
After the Paladins pushed across a pair of runs on four hits in the third, Samford’s Matthew Bennett and Trey Hayes greeted Furman starter J.P.
Goldsberry with back-to-back roundtrippers in the fourth to tie the game at 2-2.
The dinger parade continued in the fifth when Wayne Miller drilled a leadoff home run to left field off Furman reliever Bobby Lyne to put Furman ahead 3-2.
Furman tied the game in the fith when Connor Lind scored from third base before Marcus Rose was thrown out at second while attempting to steal.
Samford turned again to the long ball in the seventh. With one out Mason Meredeth singled and David Shulze took the first pitch by Paladin reliever Jay Friedman out of the ballpark for a two-run clout, giving the Bulldogs a 5-3 lead.
Samford’s heavy lumber appeared to be enough for starter Andrew Jones, who worked eight innings, allowing nine hits and three runs while striking out four, but Nichols, who in seven appearances this season hadn’t allowed allowed a run, let it slip away in the ninth.
The Bulldogs claimed a 12-11 advantage in hits in game two, with Wayne Miller leading the way with a 3-for-5 performance. Furman was paced at the plate by Rose, who went 3-for-4 to finish with seven hits in the twinbill. Lind also had three hits for the Paladins in game two.
Spencer Hale (2-0) claimed the win for Furman after working a scoreless ninth.
In the first game Samford’s David Knapp (2-0) scattered 10 hits over six innings to lift the Bulldogs to a 9-4 victory.
A two-run Stephen Ballard single in the second helped stake Samford to a 4-0, and the Bulldogs tacked on a three unearned runs in a four-run fourth off Paladin starting pitcher Barry Benton (0-2) on the way to an 8-1 advantage.
Michael Johnson’s RBI triple in the fifth extended the lead to 9-1, helping the Bulldogs cruise to the victory.
Knapp (2-0) was the beneficiary of the strong run support in gaining the victory. He also helped strand 13 Paladin baserunners in the contest.
Furman’s Marcus Rose led all hitters by going 4-for-5 at the plate.
Wayne Miller topped Samford with three hits in five at bats, as did Trey Hayes, who homered and scored three runs for the Bulldogs.
Furman returns to action on Wednesday when it entertains South Carolina in a 7:00 p.m. game at Greenville’s Fluor Field At The West End, the home of the 2009 Southern Conference Tournament (May 20-24).
Samford visits Belmont Tuesday at 4 p.m. CT in non-conference play.
Elon-Davidson Baseball Games Cancelled
ELON, N.C. -- Sunday's Elon baseball doubleheader with Davidson has been cancelled. Rains moved into the Triad area Friday and have continued to fall throughout the weekend. The Phoenix is scheduled to play host to the Princeton Tigers in a 6 p.m. game on Monday night.
Davidson visits South Carolina Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
Wofford 11, Fordham 3 (Game 1)
Fordham 8, Wofford 1 (Game 2 ? 7 inn.)
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Wofford College baseball team split a doubleheader on Sunday with Fordham at Russell C. King Field. The Terriers won the first game 11-3 and the Rams picked up the seven-inning contest by an 8-1 score.
Wofford is 7-8 on the season and 1-2 in the Southern Conference. Fordham is 4-10 and has not opened Atlantic 10 play. The Terriers were led by Michael Gilmartin and Konstantine Diamaduros, each with three hits on the day. Diamaduros and Neil Robinette both had three RBIs. For Fordham, Bobby DiNardo had three home runs, all in the second game, while Danny Leach and Ryan McCrann each had four hits on the day.
In the first game, the Terriers opened with a walk to Alex Lee. After a passed ball and a single by Josh McKinney, Michael Gilmartin singled to drive in one run, but was out at second. Konstantine Diamaduros hit a sacrifice fly to score McKinney for a 2-0 lead.
The Terriers added a run in the second inning when Kyle Behrendt scored as Neil Robinette reached first on an error. In the top of the third, Fordham’s Danny Leach scored when Bobby DiNardo reached on an error to make it a 3-1 game.
Wofford opened the bottom of the third with a double from Michael Gilmartin and a single from Konstantine Diamaduros scored Gilmartin for a 4-1 score. In the fourth for the Terriers, Neil Robinette doubled and scored on a ground-out by Alex Lee to extend the lead to 5-1.
Fordham answered with three runs in the top of the fifth, as a double from Stephen McSherry with the bases loaded made it a 5-4 game. Wofford was able to add two more runs in the bottom of the fifth when a single by Mike McDonnell with the bases loaded two score two runners.
In the top of the sixth, a fielder’s choice by Mike Mobbs scored a run to cut the Terriers lead to 7-5. Fordham loaded the bases in the top of the seventh with nobody out, however a strikeout and two pop-ups ended the inning without a run scored.
Wofford came to the plate in the bottom of the seventh and added two runs on a single from Neil Robinette. In the bottom of the eighth, Alex Lee scored on a wild pitch and a ground out by Konstantine Diamaduros added another run for an 11-5 advantage that would prove to be the final score.
Terrier starter Scott Summers (2-1) went 5.0 innings with four strikeouts and three hits and four runs allowed. Drew Sheridan went an inning with one hit and one run allowed. Anthony Rowland allowed a hit, J.D. Osborne issued one walk, Bobby Streisel struck out one without a hit, and Cash Collins had one out, all in the seventh inning. Michael Gilmartin pitched the final two innings with two strikeouts and one hit allowed.
For Fordham, starter Max Krakowiak (0-3) went 4.1 innings with ten hits, seven runs and three strikeouts. Daniel Monday threw two innings with three hits, two runs and two strikeouts. Jordan Grangard went two-thirds of an inning with one hit and one strikeout and Jake Rabinowitz threw the final inning with two runs allowed.
In the second game, Fordham opened with a solo home run by Bobby DiNardo. Wofford had hits from Konstantine Diamaduros and Jake Williams in the bottom of the first, but were left on base. In the top of the second, Ryan McCrann singled and a home run by Angelo Ponte gave the Rams a 3-0 lead.
Heading to the top of the third, Bobby DiNardo hit his second home run of the day. Michael Taddei singled and was brought home by a double from Ryan McCrann. A single by Angelo Ponte scored McCrann and the Rams had a 6-0 lead.
In the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, each team had only one hit. For Fordham in the top of the seventh, Danny Leach singled and Bobby DiNardo hit his third home run of the game to make it an 8-0 lead. Wofford opened the bottom of the seventh with a walk to Jake Williams. A double by Kyle Behrendt scored Williams, but the Terriers could not get another hit and were defeated 8-1.
For Wofford, starter Gus White (1-2) went six innings with six hits, eight runs and six strikeouts. Jordan Mickleberry pitched the seventh and allowed two runs on two hits with a strikeout.
Fordham starter J.P. Mack (1-2) went the complete game and allowed only four hits and one run with seven strikeouts.
Wofford and Fordham will play the final game of the four-game series on Monday night at 7:00 pm. On Wednesday, Wofford will host North Carolina A&T at 7:00 pm before a weekend home series against SoCon opponent Davidson.