College of Charleston 17, Samford 7
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.?The College of Charleston baseball team pounded out 17 runs on 16 hits on its way to a 17-7 win over Samford in the first game of a three-game Southern Conference series Friday night at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
Samford drops to 7-12 overall and 3-4 in SoCon play. College of Charleston improves to 15-3 overall and 6-1 in league play.
Samford’s Marcus Rodriguez and Mason Meredeth each homered in the game. Rodriguez was 2-for-3 with three RBI, while Meredeth was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Stephen Ballard was also 2-for-4 for the Bulldogs. Michael Jarry pitched 4.1 innings, giving up 15 runs on 11 hits to take the loss.
College of Charleston belted four home runs in the game. Matt Mansilla homered twice for the Cougars, going 3-for-5 with five RBI. Justin Brewer and Cole Rakar had a home run apiece for Charleston. Jesse Simpson pitched 7.0 innings, giving up seven runs on eight hits to earn the win for the Cougars.
After College of Charleston put one run on the board in the top of the first innings, Samford came back with three runs in the bottom of the first to take a 3-1 lead. After Wayne Miller doubled and Ballard reached on an infield single, Meredeth hit a three-run homer to center field to give the Bulldogs the lead.
The Cougars answered with three runs in the top of the second inning to regain the lead at 4-3. Mansilla reached base on a Samford error and Austin Morgan walked. Rakar then hit a three-run homer to left field to make the score 4-3.
College of Charleston took control of the game with six runs in the top of the third inning to make the score 10-3. Mike Hentz doubled to center field to drive in Ryan Daniels for the first run of the inning. Mansilla then hit a three-run homer to center field to make the score 8-3. Joey Bergman singled to drive in Rakar and then Clay McCord scored from third base when Bergman stole second for the final run of the inning.
Samford came back with four runs in the bottom of the third inning to cut the lead to 10-7. David Schulze doubled to drive in Ballard for Samford’s first run of the inning. Rodriguez later homered to left field with Trey Hayes and Schulze on base to cut the Cougars’ lead to three runs.
College of Charleston added two runs in the fourth inning and three in the fifth to push its lead to 15-7. Mansilla hit a two-run home run to account for the runs in the fourth inning. Bergman, Brandon Sizemore and Joash Brodin drove in a run each in the fifth inning.
The Cougars added two final runs in the top of the ninth inning to make the final score 17-7. Brewer hit a two-run home run with Greg Blake on base for the game’s final two runs.
The same two teams will meet again on Saturday. The game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start from Joe Lee Griffin Field. The game can be heard locally on WVSU-FM 91.1, or worldwide on the internet at www.samford.edu/wvsu. Fans can watch the game live on the internet via SoCon TV at www.soconsports.com.
Wofford 7, Davidson 5
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Wofford College baseball team used ten strikeouts from Scott Summers to defeat Davidson 7-5 on Friday night at Russell C. King Field. The Terriers took an early 6-0 lead after two innings and held on for the win in the ninth as Davidson had the go-ahead run at the plate with two out.
Wofford is 9-8 on the season and 2-2 in the Southern Conference. Davidson is 8-8 overall and 3-2 in conference play. The Terriers were led by Alex Lee with two hits and Konstantine Diamaduros with a hit and two RBIs. Scott Summers had the win with a career-high ten strikeouts. Davidson was led by Pat Brady with two hits and two runs in the game.
Davidson had the first hit of the game in the top of the first, but left two runners on base. Wofford opened the game with three straight walks to load the bases. Kyle Behrendt was hit by pitch to score a run with one out. Mac Doyle then reached first on an error, scoring two to take a 3-0 lead.
The Wildcat went down on three straight strikeouts in the second. James Foster and Alex Lee had singles in the bottom of the second. A sacrifice fly by Josh McKinney scored Foster. Michael Gilmartin was hit by a pitch with two outs. Konstantine Diamaduros then hit a triple to right center that scored two runs and gave the Terriers a 6-0 lead.
In the top of the fourth, Pat Brady hit a double that scored one run for Davidson. An error later in the inning allowed Brady to score and make it a 6-2 game. The Wildcats added another run in the top of the fifth when with the bases loaded a passed ball scored a run to cut the lead to 6-3.
Wofford was able to add a run in the bottom of the fifth. Jake Williams reached on a fielder’s choice with two out. Kyle Behrendt added a single and Mac Doyle singled to left field to score Williams for a 7-3 lead.
Moving to the top of the eighth, Chase FitzPatrick walked and advanced to third after a double from Pat Brady. Drew Gadaire grounded out to score FitzPatrick and move Brady to third. A ground out by Chris FitzPatrick scored Brady to make it a 7-5 game.
The Terriers loaded with bases in the bottom of the eighth with two walks and a hit by pitch, but left all three runners stranded. Michael Gilmartin moved from shortstop to the mound in the top of the ninth. After striking out the first batter, Zach Kayne walked. Brett Shore hit a fly ball to Jake Williams in center field for the second out. James Cerbie walked, giving the Wildcats two on with two out. Chase FitzPatrick came to the plate as the go-ahead run, but struck out to give the Terriers the win.
Terrier starter Scott Summers (3-1) threw six innings with three hits, three runs and ten strikeouts. J.D. Osborne threw a hitless inning, while Bobby Streisel allowed one hit and two runs in an inning. Michael Gilmartin had two strikeouts in the ninth for the save.
For Davidson, starter Thomas Middour (2-1) went five innings and had four strikeouts with six hits and seven runs allowed. Matt Sliwiak went an inning with two strikeouts and a hit, while Mac Hunter threw an inning with one strikeout. Matt Webb threw the eighth and did not allow a hit.
With the save, Michael Gilmartin is tied for the career lead at Wofford with 15 along with Charles Vartanian (2004-07). Scott Summers’ ten strikeouts are tied for the fifth-most in a game at Wofford and the most by a Terrier pitcher since Jesse Cole had ten on February 21, 2003 against Niagara.
Wofford and Davidson will continue the three-game series on Saturday at 3:00 pm and Sunday at 1:00 pm.
Elon 17, Furman 4
ELON, N.C. ? The Elon Phoenix posted innings of five and nine runs en route to picking up a 17-4 Southern Conference baseball victory over the visiting Furman Paladins from Latham Park on Friday night. Elon got 7.0 strong innings from starter Ken Ferrer and a pinch-hit grand slam home run from Matt Hinson to lead the team to victory.
Furman (8-9, 3-4 SoCon) quickly got going, getting runners on second and third after a one-out walk to Aaron Thompkins was followed by a double off the bat of Brian Harrison. With two down, Reese Wade lined a single to left to score Thompkins with the first run of the game.
Elon (10-5, 4-3) got that run back in its half of the first when Bennett Davis laced a double into the left field corner which scored Cory Harrilchak from first with one out.
The Phoenix went on top in the second when Justin Hilt connected for his team-leading fifth homer to left-center. Riding home on the blast was Dallas Tarleton who singled to begin the frame.
In the third, Thompkins walked again with one out and headed to third on Harrison’s single. Ferrer got out of the jam by striking out Matt Hemingway and getting Wade to ground out to short.
Elon scored five times and sent nine men to the plate in the third inning. Davis started the Phoenix third with a walk and advanced to third on a Mike Melillo single to center. A Furman fielding error allowed Chase Austin to reach and both Davis and Melillo, who was on second after a passed ball, to move up a bag. Davis scoring pushed Elon’s lead to 4-1. A second Furman error in the inning, this one on a dropped fly ball to right, allowed Melillo to come in with the fifth run of the game for the Phoenix. Pat Irvine drove home three more with a bomb to right-center, his fourth of the year.
In the seventh, Elon erupted for nine runs and sent 14 hitters to the plate. Pinch-hitter Greg Annarummo walked and went to second when an error allowed Hilt to reach. Stephen Gary then hit Scott Riddle with a pitch to load the bases. A wild pitch scored Annarummo before Gary plunked the next two hitters in the lineup, forcing home Elon’s 10th run of the game. Neal Pritchard followed with a walk, forcing in Riddle. A two-out infield single from Austin scored two more and the Phoenix lead grew to 13-1. Hinson delivered a big blow with a pinch-hit grand slam down the right field line. It was the first plate appearance of the year for Hinson.
Furman added one in the ninth on a sacrifice fly from Chris Cowart. Harrison then hit a two-run homer to center with two down in the ninth.
Ferrer improved to 4-1 on the year. He allowed just one run and struck out six in the victory.
Ian Parry took the loss, falling to 1-2. Parry lasted 5.0 innings and surrendered eight runs (three earned) on eight hits. He also struck out seven.
Elon's attack was led by Irvine's 2-for-3, two-run, three-RBI performance as well as Hilt's 1-for-3, three-run, three-RBI night. Harrilchak went 1-for-2 with two runs scored and one driven in. He has now reached base safely in 48 straight games and his a hit in 15 consecutive contests.
Elon and Furman will play game two of the series at 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
Georgia Southern 12, Appalachian State 7
BOONE, N.C. ? Georgia Southern scored six runs in the fourth inning and six more in the sixth to hand Appalachian State University baseball its fifth-straight defeat, 12-7, on Friday afternoon at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
Appalachian (6-13, 1-8 SoCon) led 1-0 in the fourth when Georgia Southern (15-3, 2-0 SoCon) put its first six-spot on the board. Appalachian should have gotten out of the inning trailing only 2-1, but two critical errors not only led to four unearned runs but also forced Mountaineer starter Matt Andress to throw approximately 15 more pitches than he would have had the Apps not extended the frame with the miscues.
The extra pitches appeared to catch up with Andress in the sixth when the Eagles led off with a walk, triple and double to chase the right-hander from the game and kick-start another six-run stanza. Four of the Eagles’ five hits in the six-run sixth went for extra bases (three doubles and a triple).
In addition to the errors and GSU’s hot bats, the Mountaineers were plagued once again by missed opportunities at the plate. After leaving a total of 22 men on base in mid-week, two-run losses to Wake Forest and East Tennessee State, the Apps stranded 11 more in Friday’s setback, including a whopping nine left in scoring position. Appalachian had opportunities to stretch the early 1-0 lead but left a pair of runners on base following Wes Hobson’s solo homer in the first inning and grounded into a crushing double play with the bases loaded in the second.
After the early threats, Georgia Southern starter Chris Mederos settled in. The right-hander turned in six innings of one-run work, allowing only four hits over his final four stanzas and striking out eight en route to his fifth win in as many starts this season.
The Mountaineers made it interesting against the Eagle bullpen, scoring a run in the eighth and five in the ninth to cut the deficit to 12-7. Frankie Lewis’ pinch-hit, three-run triple in the ninth bought the Apps within five but the game ended when Zack Briggs’ rocket to the right side was snagged by GSU first baseman Will Southwell, who tossed to the pitcher covering the bag for the final out.
Andress was effective for much the outing but was saddled with nine runs (five earned) in five-plus innings of work to suffer the loss and fall to 1-3 on the season. Rand Smith, Hobson and Nick DeRose accounted for nine of ASU’s 14 hits with three apiece. DeRose added a pair of RBI.
Six different Eagles registered multiple hits, led by nine-hole hitter Kevin Bowles’ 2-for-5, three-RBI effort.
The teams continue their three-game Southern Conference series on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Smith Stadium.
The Citadel 10, Western Carolina 3
Cullowhee, N.C. ? Western Carolina (13-5, 4-3 SoCon) held an early 2-0 lead before a four-run top of the fifth for the Citadel broke open the game and the Bulldogs never lost the lead. Citadel improves to 9-7, 5-2 in the SoCon with a 10-3 victory on Friday night, in the first game of the three game series against the Citadel at Childress Field/ Hennon Stadium.
The Catamounts did have nine hits including five for extra bases but it just wasn’t enough against the hot hitting Bulldogs Friday night.
Three Western Carolina players had multiple hits for the game including junior second basemen Nick Liles who went 2-for-4 with an RBI double. Junior catcher Stephen Notaro also had two hits and a solo Home Run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Tyler Kirkpatrick rounded out the multi-hit games going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Senior Mike Tavernier (1-2) took the loss throwing 4 2/3 innings allowing nine hits and four earned runs for the Catamounts. Senior Wes Wrenn went six solid innings for the Bulldogs to earn his second win of the season and also set a career high in strikeouts with nine on the night.
Western Carolina had built an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning off a solo Home Run from Notaro.
The Bulldogs took the lead with a four-run top of the fifth to take their first lead that they would never relinquish at 4-2. The Citadel pounded out 18 hits to take the first game of the series. Second basemen Bryan Altman led the way with a 5-for-6 effort including two runs scored and an RBI.
Western Carolina will look to even the series sending junior left-hander Chris Masters on the hill versus the Citadel in game two on Saturday beginning at 6 p.m.
UNC Greensboro 4, Albany 3
GREENSBORO, N.C. ? UNC Greensboro got seven strong innings from starter Greg Martin as it won narrowly over Albany, 4-3, on Friday evening at the UNCG Baseball Stadium. The win extended the Spartans winning streak to three games.
Martin allowed just three runs in those seven innings of work and struck out five for the Spartans (5-9) to record the win. Martin now has 19 strikeouts this season compared to just two walks.
Dave Kubiak picked up the hard-luck loss for the Great Danes (2-11) after allowing only two earned runs in six innings of action.
Albany jumped out to the early 3-0 lead thanks to a two out rally in the top of the second. After Martin induced to fly outs, Jim Banks singled down the right field line. Sean Donovan followed with a single to center to move Banks to third. Mike Tirri kept the rally going as he belted a double down the right field line to score Banks and Donovan. Pete Eichner finished the rally with a single through the right side to score Tirri and make the score 3-0.
The Spartans answered with four of their own in the bottom half of the fourth to give them the lead for good. With one down in the inning, Brent O’Berry was able to reach base on an error by the second baseman. Pedro Leon moved O’Berry to second on a single to right field. Corey Overholtzer followed with a single to left center to score O’Berry and put Leon on third. With Ray Quinones at the plate, Leon scored from third on a wild pitch to make the score 3-2. Quinones would then belt a triple to score Overholtzer and tie the game at 3. Trevor Edwards then flew out to deep left field to easily score Quinones from third and give the Spartans a lead they would never relinquish.
After that the two pitchers really settled into a groove as the two teams only combined for five hits over the next five innings.
Rob Gilliam came in for Martin at the beginning of the eighth and got the Great Danes to go down 1-2-3. After striking out the first batter in the ninth, Gilliam fell into a little trouble. Branks singled to right and Donovan belted a double to right center to put runners on second and third with only one out. Gilliam fought back as he got the next batter to strike out and the final batter to ground out to third as he picked up his first save of the season.
UNCG returns to the diamond on Saturday to play against the Great Danes in the second game of the series. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.