Appalachian State 4, High Point 2
BOONE, N.C. ? Seven Appalachian State University relievers combined to hold High Point scoreless over the final seven innings in Appalachian’s 7-2 win on Wednesday evening at wintry Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
Members of ASU’s physical plant as well as Mountaineer players and coaches worked tirelessly until minutes before first pitch to remove a foot of snow from the field. Thanks to their efforts and Beaver Field’s FieldTurf playing surface, Smith Stadium was one of the few venues in the state capable of hosting a game 72 hours after Sunday’s winter storm.
While there was no snow on the field, it still felt a lot like winter with the temperatures falling from 34 degrees at first pitch into the high 20s by game’s end. The Mountaineers also got off to a cold start, falling into a 2-0 hole in the top of the first on a two-run double by High Point’s Kyle Mahoney.
Appalachian (5-3) evened the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the second on a two-run home run by freshman Ryan Arrowood (Forest City, N.C./Central). The homer was his second in as many collegiate at-bats.
It remained 2-2 until the bottom of the fifth when the Mountaineers grabbed a 4-2 advantage thanks to RBI from seniors Rand Smith (Bolivia, N.C./South Brunswick) and Isaac Harrow (Hickory, N.C./Hickory). The Apps scored twice more in the sixth on a run-scoring triple by Jason Wallace (Greensboro, N.C./Ragsdale) and an RBI groundout by Jeremy Dowdy (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield) and added an insurance run in the seventh on an RBI double by Chris Alessandria (Ponte Vedra, Fla./Nease).
Despite the offensive output in the middle innings, the story of the evening was the ASU bullpen. Relievers Josh Dowdy (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield), Arrowood, Andrew Webster (Miami, Fla./Florida Christian), Nick Daniels (Concord, N.C./Northwest Cabarrus), Chris Patterson (Laurinburg, N.C./Scotland County), Taylor Miller (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield) and Zach Quate (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield) limited High Point (3-3) to just five hits over seven scoreless innings to close out the ballgame. Webster picked up his third win in his third-career appearance by tossing a perfect fifth.
Mahoney and Billy Alvino managed two hits apiece to lead HPU. Brian Jones (0-2) surrendered two runs over three innings of work to suffer the loss.
Appalachian returns to action on Friday when it opens a three-game Southern Conference series at archrival Western Carolina. Friday’s first pitch is set for 4 p.m., followed by 2 p.m. starts on Saturday and Sunday in Cullowhee, N.C.
College of Charleston 3, Xavier 2
Mt. Pleasant, S.C. -- Joash Brodin (Olympia, Wash.) drove in the game-winning run with a ninth inning double and freshman lefty Aaron Bouronich (Summerville, S.C.) picked up the win tossing seven strong innings in relief in his collegiate debut leading the College of Charleston to a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Xavier in college baseball action before 343 at Patriots Point Stadium on Wednesday.
Charleston, which opens Southern Conference play against UNC Greensboro at 6 p.m. on Friday, improved to 6-2. The Musketeers fell to 3-3.
In the decisive ninth inning, Ryan Daniels (Victoria, Tex.) led off with a single, and after pinch-runner Thomas Brittle (Moncks Corner, S.C.) moved to second on a wild pitch, Brodin laced a 3-2 pitch to the wall in right field that scored Brittle.
Brodin also delivered a game-tying double down the left field line with two outs in the seventh inning that scored Clay McCord (Atlanta, Ga.) and tied the game at two-all.
Bouronich (1-0) entered the game in the third with runners at first and second and no outs. He worked out of trouble by getting a double play and a ground out to end the threat. Bouronich allowed an unearned run on just three hits with a strikeout. Jordan Conley (0-1), the third pitcher of the day for the Musketeers, suffered the loss.
Ben Thomas' grounder in the first that scored John McCambrige gave Xavier a 1-0 advantage. Charleston tied it in the bottom half of the inning when Joey Bergman (Jacksonville, Fla.) scored on Daniels' single to right center with one out. Billy O'Conner's RBI double in the sixth inning with two outs gave Xavier a 2-1 lead.
Brodin finished with three hits and two RBI while Daniels went 2-for-3 with a run driven in for the Cougars. Steve Brown went 2-for-4 for the Musketeers.
Duke 11, UNC Greensboro 3
DURHAM, NC ? UNC Greensboro allowed six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning as the Spartans fell, 11-3, on Wednesday afternoon at Jack Coombs Field on the campus of Duke University.
Michael pitched three shutout innings of relief for the Blue Devils (6-1) to pick up the win.
Corey Overholtzer led the Spartans (1-5) after going 2-3 with a double and a triple and Ray Quinones extended his hitting streak to a team-best five games.
The Spartans struck early in the top of the first inning for quick 1-0 lead. Pedro Leon and Corey Overholtzer led off the game with a pair of walks before Ray Quinones advanced the runners to second and third on a sacrifice bunt down the third base line. Trevor Edwards was up next and slapped a single through the right side of the infield to plate both runners, but Overholtzer was called out at third after missing the base.
The Blue Devils responded in the fourth inning to take a 6-1 lead. Alex Shelton got Nate Freiman to pop up to lead the inning before Matt Williams hit a single downt he right field line. Gabriel Saade followed that up with a triple to left center to tie the game at 1.
Three more hits in the inning made the score 4-1 in favor of the home side. Matt Parish came in to relieve Shelton with two outs in the inning, but Alex Hassan took his first pitch over the left field wall for a two-run home run to make the score 6-1.
The Spartans threatened in the bottom of the fifth inning thanks to a double from Overholtzer. With two outs in the inning, Leon walked before Overholtzer hit a double down the left field line to put runners on second and third, but Quinones flew out to right field to end the inning.
Duke extended their lead to 7-1 in the bottom of the fifth after Nate Freiman hit his third home run of the season that just barely cleared the left field wall.
The Blue Devils made it 10-1 in bottom of the sixth inning after Freiman hit his second home run of the game. He took a 1-1 pitch out to left center for a three-run home run.
The Spartans narrowed the Blue Devil lead to 10-3 thanks to a triple from Overholtzer. Alex Frederick led off the rally with a double to left cent and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Brent O’Berry was up next and reached first after being hit by a pitch. With two outs in the inning, Overholtzer took a pitch off the right center wall to score Frederick and O’Berry.
Duke scored one final run in the bottom of the seventh inning to make the final score 11-3.
UNCG has its SoCon opener on Friday as the Spartans being a three-game series this weekend at the College of Charleston. Friday’s game is scheduled for a 6 pm first pitch.
No. 14 Coastal Carolina 3, The Citadel 1
Conway, S.C. ? Johnny Dangerfield went 2-for-4 as he recorded his first career hit but five Bulldog errors contributed to The Citadel’s 3-1 loss at No. 14 Coastal Carolina in front of 512 Wednesday afternoon in Conway.
Dangerfield recorded two of The Citadel’s three hits in the game while Bryan Altman went 1-for-4 with an RBI.
The Citadel (2-5) held the 14th-ranked Chanticleers (7-1) to their lowest scoring output of the season in the loss as the Bulldogs committed five errors for the first time since the 2007 season.
Bobby Gagg (1-1) was credited with the win after allowing one run on three hits while fanning five in 7.0 innings on the mound. Nick McCully (2) recorded his second save of the season after shutting down the Bulldogs in the ninth, despite walking two to allow the Bulldogs to place a runner in scoring position with two outs.
Raymond Copenhaver (0-1) took the loss after allowing one run on one hit while walking one in 1.0 inning on the mound. Asher Wojciechowski pitched the first two innings, holding the Chants hitless while Matt Talley allowed one unearned run on six hits while striking out three in 4.0 innings in relief.
Coastal Carolina put a run across first, taking the 1-0 lead in the fourth inning. With two outs, Chance Gilmore singled on a bunt that rolled directly in between the pitcher and third baseman. A single by Dan Bowman sent Gilmore to second and Talley walked Taylor Motter to advance Gilmore to third while loading the bases. Then, on an attempted pickoff move by Talley, Gilmore darted for home. Talley threw the ball to catcher Richard Jones for the out but a fielding error by Jones allowed Gilmore to score the unearned run.
The Citadel tied the game in the sixth inning as Johnny Dangerfield led off the frame with a single up the middle for his first career hit. Dangerfield then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kyle Jordan. A fielder’s choice by William Ladd sent Dangerfield to third. Nick Orvin reached on a fielder’s choice up the middle that sent Ladd to second and loaded the bases before Bryan Altman drove in Dangerfield from third with an RBI single to short.
Coastal Carolina regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh as Tyler Bortnick led off with a single to third base and advanced to second on a throwing error by Dangerfield. After Scott Woodward was hit by a pitch, Bortnick advanced to third as Rico Noel drew a walk. David Anderson sent Bortnick across the plate as he grounded into a double play to short.
The Chanticleers extended the lead to a 3-1 advantage in the eighth when Adam Rice led off with a single to left. Steve Davis then entered to pinch run for Rice and he promptly scored after Gilmore ripped an RBI triple down the right field line. Zach Garrett then took the mound and retired the next three batters, two on strikeouts, to end the inning.
The Bulldogs threatened in the ninth as Chris McGuiness and Sid Fallaw both drew walks with two outs but Dangerfield flied out to left field to end the game.
The Citadel returns to action on Friday, March 6 as the Bulldogs open the Southern Conference slate by hosting the Elon Phoenix. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. For complete coverage of Bulldog Baseball, visit the official home of The Citadel Athletics at CitadelSports.com.
Auburn 14, Davidson 2
AUBURN, Ala. -- The Auburn Tigers defeated the Davidson Wildcats, 14-2, in the final round of the two-game set Wednesday night at Plainsman Park.
Senior second baseman Zach Kayne and senior center fielder Brett Shore each had two hits for the Davidson, whose record evens to 4-4.
The Tigers (5-4) were led by third baseman Joseph Sanders, who batted 2-for-6 and drove in four runs.
On the mound, Dexter Price (2-0) picked up his second win of the season for the Tigers, allowing just one run on six hits in 5 1/3 inning and striking out five. Sophomore Andy Bass (0-1) was tagged with the loss, allowing a run on two hits in an inning of work.
The Tigers put together a pair of hits for a run in the first inning and added three in as many hits in the second to take a 4-0 lead. Sanders' three-run home run in the fourth put the Tigers ahead, 7-0, before the Wildcats got in the scoring column in the top of the fifth as Shore connected on his first home run of the season.
Auburn extended its lead with three runs over the next two frames, and the Wildcats finished their scoring for the night as Kayne drove in a run on a ground-rule double in the seventh. The Tigers added a run in the seventh and three in the eighth for the final, 14-2, margin.
The Wildcats will return to Wilson Field to open Southern Conference play this weekend against the Furman Paladins. Friday's contest is set for a 7 p.m. first pitch, Saturday, 2 p.m. and Sunday, 1 p.m.
Troy 6, Samford 5
TROY, Ala. ? A ninth-inning comeback fell just short as the Samford baseball team dropped a 6-5 decision to in-state rival Troy Wednesday evening at Riddle-Pace Field.
“I thought we battled pretty well,” Samford head coach Casey Dunn said. “We took some good at-bats in the last inning. I thought we were patient at the plate. We did some good things, and if you look at it, this is a game we probably should have won. We outscored them for most of the game, they just had one big inning.”
For Samford at the plate, Wayne Miller and Mason Meredeth had two hits each. David Schulze drove in two runs in a 1-for-3 performance. Marcus Rodriguez had a solo home run, going 1-for-4 at the plate.
Samford used eight pitchers in the game. Tyler Vanderheiden took the loss, pitching 1.0 inning, giving up one run on three hits.
Troy was led at the plate by Ryan Ditthardt, going 3-for-5 with two RBI. Steven Rosado and Steven Felix had two hits each for the Trojans. Fred Lewis pitched 1.1 innings in relief, giving up one run on one hit to earn the win. Josh Storm pitched the final inning, surrendering one run on one hit to pick up the save.
Samford entered the ninth inning trailing, 6-4. Pinch-hitter Joe Durham walked to lead the inning off. After a strikeout, Miller doubled to right field and Durham moved to third base. Michael Johnson then grounded out to drive in Durham to make the score 6-5. After back-to-back walks to Meredeth and Schulze to load the bases, Trey Hayes flew out to center field to end the game.
Samford jumped on top first with a run in the top of the first inning. After Johnson walked with one out in the inning, Meredeth doubled to center field to drive in Johnson for a 1-0 Samford lead.
Troy came back with four runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 4-1 lead. Daryl Otwell scored the Trojans’ first run of the game on a wild pitch to tie the score at 1-1. Ditthardt later singled through the left side of the infield with the bases loaded to drive in Adam Bryant and Bart Pettus for a 3-1 Troy lead. The final run of the inning was scored when Felix reached on an infield single to drive in Michael Precise for a three-run Troy lead.
Samford added a run in the top of the third inning to cut the Troy lead to 4-2. Schulze hit a sacrifice fly to left field to bring in Johnson, who had earlier singled for Samford’s second run of the game.
Samford added another run in the top of the fourth inning. Rodriguez led the inning off with a home run to left field to make the score 4-3.
The Bulldogs then tied the score with a run in the top of the fifth inning. Meredeth walked to lead off the inning and then moved to third base on a Troy error. Meredeth then scored when Schulze grounded out to shortstop to make the score 4-4.
Troy regained the lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Bryant hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Felix, who led the inning off with a double to give the Trojans a 5-4 lead.
The Trojans added another run in the bottom of the sixth inning to make the score 6-4 when Brett Henry singled to drive in Miles Hoyle for a two-run Troy lead.
Samford will return to action on Friday, Mar. 6, when the Bulldogs play host to Wofford to open their first Southern Conference series. The first pitch for Friday’s game is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Joe Lee Griffin Field.
No. 2 Georgia 13, Wofford 6
ATHENS, Ga. ? The Wofford College baseball team equaled Georgia with fourteen hits, but was defeated 13-6 by the Bulldogs on Wednesday evening at Foley Field. The Bulldogs combined to strikeout fifteen Terriers and hit three home runs.
Wofford is now 3-4 on the season, while Georgia is 9-0 overall. The Terriers were led by Alex Lee, Josh McKinney, Michael Gilmartin and Konstantine Diamaduros who all had two hits. Neil Robinette added two RBIs. The Bulldogs, who are ranked #10 by Baseball America, were led by Colby May with two hits and five runs scored, while Joey Lewis had two hits and three RBIs.
The Terriers opened the game with a single from Alex Lee, but Wofford stranded two runners in the top of the first. Georgia was able to score three runs in the bottom of the first on two hits and three walks, plus a wild pitch to take a 3-0 lead.
In the top of the third, the Terriers had hits from Josh McKinney and Michael Gilmartin but were unable to cut into the lead. Georgia added two runs on a shot over the right center fence by Rich Poythress for a 5-0 advantage after three innings.
Georgia had a solo home run over the left center fence by Zach Cone to lead off the fourth inning for the Bulldogs. Colby May added a two-out solo home run for a 7-0 lead at the end of four. In the bottom of the fifth, the Bulldogs added another run.
Wofford got on the board in the top of the sixth. Jake Williams singled and Mike McDonnell was walked. Neil Robinette then hit a double to right center to score both runners. A single by Konstantine Diamaduros scored Robinette for an 8-3 score.
The Bulldogs responded in the bottom of the sixth with four runs on two hits as Wofford walked three, had a wild pitch and added an error. Georgia had a 12-3 lead entering the seventh inning. The Terriers had Michael Gilmartin on first after a walk when a double from Mac Doyle advanced Gilmartin to third. A ground out by Jake Williams scored Gilmartin for a 12-4 score at the seventh inning stretch.
In the bottom of the seventh, Georgia added a run on a double from Bryce Massanari that scored Colby May who reached on a walk. Heading to the top of the eighth, Wofford led off with a double from Mike McDonnell and Konstantine Diamaduros hit a single. Both runners scored, but with the bases loaded and one out later in the inning the Terriers were unable to plate anther run and the score was 13-6. Georgia had one hit in the bottom of the eighth, but did not score. Wofford led off the top of the ninth with singles from Kyle Behrendt and Mike McDonnell, but again did not score.
For Wofford, freshman Bobby DeLuria (0-2) started his second game of the season and allowed three hits, three runs and had two strikeouts in two innings. Bobby Streisel threw the third inning and allowed three hits and two runs. Drew Sheridan came in and pitched the fourth, giving up two runs on two hits with a strikeout. J.D. Osborne pitched the fifth, giving up one run on two hits with a strikeout. John Cornely threw the sixth, giving up four runs on two hits. Gus White went the seventh inning, allowing one hit and one run with two strikeouts. In the eighth, Michael Gilmartin allowed only one hit in the ninth.
Georgia starter Jason Leaver (1-0) went four innings and gave up three runs with six strikeouts. Will Harvil threw two innings with three runs, four hits and two strikeouts. Cecil Tanner had two strikeouts and one run allowed in an inning. Justin Earls allowed four hits and two runs with three strikeouts in on inning. Dean Weaver closed the game with two strikeouts and two hits.
The game was the first for the Terriers since February 26, as last weekend’s series was rained out. All four of Wofford’s losses this season are to ACC or SEC teams.
The Terriers will begin Southern Conference play this weekend with a three-game series at Samford.
Charlotte 6, Furman 1
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Charlotte pitchers Andrew Smith, Kelly McLain, and Sam Pierce combined to throw a two-hitter in beating Furman, 6-1, in baseball action Wednesday evening at Latham Baseball Stadium.
Smith worked the first five innings to earn the victory (1-1), allowing only two hits and a run, and McLain tossed 3 2/3 frames of ho-hit ball before giving way to Pierce, who recorded the final out in the ninth to deliver the win to the 49ers (4-3).
Matt Hemingway’s solo home run in the second inning off Smith gave the Paladins (4-3) an early 1-0 lead, but Furman managed only one hit after that, a two-out single in the fifth by Blake Rosenberg.
Charlotte’s pitching trio combined to record 12 strikeouts in the contest.
The 49ers generated all the offense they would need in a five-run third.
Two-run singles by Grant Bomann and Aaron Bray off Paladin reliever and losing pitcher J.P. Goldsberry (1-1) highlighted the outburst.
Charlotte added a run in the ninth on a Corey Shaylor sacrifice fly.
In the bottom of the ninth McLain retired the first two batters he faced but then walked Rob Fondu and Campbell Lewis before hitting Blaine Rosenberg to load the bases. At that point Pierce came on and struck out J.B. Jenkins to end the game and collect his first save of the season.
The 49ers collected seven hits in the contest, with Bray leading the way with a 2-for-5 performance. Bomann, in addition to driving in two runs, also scored twice.
Furman returns to action on Friday when it travels to Davidson, N.C., to open its Southern Conference season with a a three-game series against the Wildcats. First pitch for Friday’s opener is set for 7:00 p.m.