Samford 3, Wofford 2
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.?The Samford baseball team earned its second-straight Southern Conference win in a 3-2 victory over the Wofford Terriers Saturday afternoon at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
With the win, Samford improves to 5-5 overall and 2-0 in SoCon play. Wofford drops to 3-6 overall and 0-2 in league play.
“Today was a good battle,” Samford head coach Casey Dunn said. “Davey (Knapp) competed well. We created some opportunities for them through poor defense, but again he found a way to pitch out of it. It was a great job when they did have runners on base and we created those opportunities for him to pitch out of it.”
David Knapp pitched 7.0 strong innings, giving up one run on five hits and striking out eight batters to earn the win on the mound. Kyle Nichols tossed the final 2.0 innings, giving up one run on one hit to earn his second save of the season.
For Samford at the plate, David Schulze and Marcus Rodriguez had two hits each. Joe Durham hit his first Samford home run, driving in two runs in a 1-for-2 performance.
Wofford was led by Konstantine Diamaduros, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Mac Doyle also drove in a run for the Terriers. Gus White pitched 5.0 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits to take the loss for Wofford.
Samford plated two runs in the bottom of the second inning to grab an early 2-0 lead. After Rodriguez singled to left field, Durham hit a home run to give the Bulldogs a two-run lead.
Samford added a run in the bottom of the third inning to make the score 3-0. Mason Meredeth doubled to left field, and then Schulze singled up the middle to drive in Merdeth for Samford’s third run of the game.
Wofford plated a run in the top of the sixth inning to cut the Samford lead to 3-1. Kyle Behrendt reached base on an infield single to lead off the inning. Diamaduros then doubled to left field to drive in Behrendt to draw the Terriers within two runs.
The Terriers added a run in the eighth inning to make the score 3-2. Behrendt reached base on a Samford error and later scored when Doyle doubled to left-center field.
Samford and Wofford will conclude their three-game SoCon series Sunday at 1 p.m. at Joe Lee Griffin Field. The game can be viewed live on the internet via SoCon TV at www.soconsports.com.
Davidson 4, Furman 3
DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Davidson scored three runs in the first, and senior Matt Webb earned his second straight save in as many opportunities to deliver the Southern Conference series victory with a 4-3 win over the Furman Paladins Saturday afternoon at Wilson Field.
The Wildcats (6-4, 2-0) took the first game against the Paladins (4-5, 0-2), 5-3, on Friday evening.
Freshman Chris Lamb (1-1) earned his first career win, holding Furman to three runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. Ian Horkley and Zach Kayne worked 2 2/3 shutout innings and held the lead for Webb, who picked up his second straight save by retiring all three of his batters in the ninth.
Kayne (2-for-3, RBI) and sophomore designated hitter Danny Weiss (2-for-4) paced the Wildcat offense, while Webb (1-for-4) drove in a pair of runs.
Barry Benton (0-1) took the loss for Furman, allowing four runs on five hits in just two innings. Jay Friedman was equal to the Wildcat relief, scattering three hits over the final six innings and getting eight strikeouts, but the Wildcats' staff would not surrender another run.
Lamb faced just three batters in the first frame, and the Wildcats went to work in the bottom of the inning.
Kayne took advantage of a leadoff walk and got into scoring position with his fourth stolen base of the season. Webb got ahold of a 2-1 offering that kept drifting over the left field wall, his first round-tripper of the season to give the 'Cats an early 2-0 lead.
Weiss and senior right fielder Chase Fitzpatrick followed with a single and a double, and senior left fielder Pat Brady sacrificed to make it 3-0.
Furman pulled within a run on center fielder Campbell Lewis' two-run home run into left, but Lamb settled in and allowed just four hits the rest of the way.
Davidson added a run in the second as senior third baseman Graham Chapman smacked a one-out single to left and scored on Kayne's double into right center field.
The Paladins put together a pair of base hits for a run in the fifth, making the margin 4-3, but would manage only one hit over the final four frames.
The Wildcats and Paladins will play the final game of the series tomorrow at 1 p.m.
Georgia Southern 5, LeMoyne 3
STATESBORO, Ga. - Sophomore right-hander Andy Moye (Alpharetta/Alpharetta) pitched eight solid innings leading Georgia Southern to a 5-3 win over LeMoyne in day two of the Holiday Inn Eagle Invitational. The Eagles improved to 10-1 overall while LeMoyne fell to 2-5.
The Dolphins took an early lead off Sean Paino's one-out solo home run in the second. The Eagles got two-out hitting in their half to tie the score.
Ty Wright (Montrose/ABAC) lined a one-out single. He advanced to third when Jonathan King (Athens, TN/Young Harris) singled to right. Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell) singled to right scoring Wright. A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bryant) hit a two-out homer in the third for a 2-1 lead.
Eric Phillips (Carrollton/Carrollton) dropped down a bunt to start the fourth and pitcher Cory Nelson's throw sailed into right, allowing the freshman first baseman to advance to second. Pierce lined a RBI double to left field adding to his team-leading total (12). Matt Miller (Canton/Woodstock) singled home Pierce for a 4-1 lead.
LeMoyne threatened in the fifth with a one-out hit batter and bloop single. Matt Nandin lined a shot up the middle, Pierce knocked it down to start an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) lined a one-out single in the fifth, then Wright doubled. Two batters later Nelson uncorked a wild pitch and Benedict slid under the tag making it 5-1.
Chris Edmonson hit a solo homer in the sixth then Chris Haynes followed with a single. The Eagles were able to turn another inning-ending double play to get out of the jam, turning three in the game. Haynes added a leadoff shot in the ninth for the final margin.
Moye (2-0) turned in one of the best performances of his career, two runs on seven hits in a career-best eight innings. He walked one and struck out one throwing 96 pitches.
"I felt really good out there today. The way our defense is playing I just wanted to throw strikes and let them make plays," said Moye. "The double play in the fifth inning was big. Brian (Pierce) made a great stop then Kevin (Bowles) and Eric (Phillips) did a great finishing it off."
Wirnsberger, Benedict, Wright and Pierce collected two hits each as the Eagles held a 12-8 edge in hits. Charles Matthews (Athens/Spartanburg Methodist) gave up the Haynes home run but responded by striking out the side in the ninth for his first save.
Nelson (0-2) allowed five runs on 10 hits in 4.2 innings. He walked two and struck out five. Edmonson and Haynes had two hits apiece.
College of Charleston 11, UNC Greensboro 4
Mt. Pleasant, S.C. - The College of Charleston belted five homers, including a pair by Matt Mansilla (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), and Tom Schiller (Rochester, N.Y.) pitched seven strong innings as the Cougars rolled to an 11-4 win over UNC Greensboro in Southern Conference college baseball action before 227 at Patriots Point Stadium on Saturday.
With the win, Charleston's fifth in a row, the Cougars improved to 8-2 overall and 2-0 in league play. The Spartans fell to 1-7 and 0-2. The series finale is Sunday at 1:00.
Joey Bergman's (Jacksonville, Fla.) solo homer in the second was his first of the season and staked the Cougars to a 1-0 lead. Mansilla stretched Charleston's lead to 3-0 in the second inning with a two-run homer to left.
UNCG's Pedro Leon's cut the margin to 3-1 in the third with a solo homer to left center. Cole Rakar's (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) solo homer to center in the fourth was his second of the season and gave Charleston a 4-1 advantage.
Mansilla's second blast was a three-run shot to left in the seventh inning that extended Charleston's lead to 10-1. Charleston's Corey Ashner (Kansas City, Kan.) hit a solo homer in the eighth inning.
Leon had an RBI single and Corey Overholtzer a two-run double in the ninth for the final margin.
Schiller (3-0) earned the win allowing a run on just four hits with six strikeouts over the first six innings. Alex Shelton (0-2) suffered the loss surrendering four runs, three earned, on four hits over 3 2/3 innings of work. He walked four and struck out two.
Mansilla finished with four hits and scored three times, while Rakar drove in two runs.
Western Carolina 14, Appalachian State 11
Cullowhee, N.C. - Using a seven-run bottom of the fourth inning to regain the lead for good, Western Carolina (7-2, 2-0 SoCon) went on to defeat the Appalachian State Mountaineers (5-5, 0-4 SoCon) Saturday afternoon, 14-11, in game two of the three game series against Appalachian State at Childress Field/ Hennon Stadium.
Sophomore Brandon Johnson (1-0) went 2 1/3 innings in relief to earn his first victory of the 2009 season. Johnson allowed just two hits and one earned run to keep the lead for the Catamounts. Relief pitcher Andrew Webster took the loss (3-1) for the Mountaineers allowing 6 runs, only three were earned and gave up three hits in 1 1/3 innings of work.
Garrett Ozar worked the eighth inning allowing no runs and reigning Southern Conference Relief pitcher of the week Daniel Ottone earned his third save of the season. Ottone allowed a one out single to Frankie Lewis then proceeded to strike out the final two batters to close the door.
The Catamounts had five players who had multi-hit games including leadoff hitter junior Nick Liles who went 4-for-6 coming just short of the cycle as Liles had two singles, a triple and a two-run Home Run. Right fielder J.C. Lyons went 2-for-4 with two doubles and one RBI. Designated hitter Stephen Notaro had a huge day for the Catamounts going 2-for-5 with two Home Runs and five RBI's. Center fielder Trevor Collias also had a nice game going 3-for-5 with two RBI's and a double. Ross Heffley had his eighth multi-hit game of the season already going 3-for-5 with two singles and a double. Heffley also extended his current nine-game hitting streak.
Appalachian State (5-5, 0-4 SoCon) opened the scoring in the top of the first inning taking a 1-0 lead thanks to a solo Home Run from Isaac Harrow against Catamount starter Chris Masters.
Western Carolina answered in the bottom of the second inning putting four runs on the board to give them a 4-1 lead. With one-out in the inning Stephen Notaro Homered to right field for his first Home Run of the 2009 season. After a double to right center from catcher Logan Bland, Collias followed with another double to right center to plate Bland giving the Catamounts a 2-1 lead. Liles followed with a triple to right center to bring home Collias increasing the lead to 3-1. First baseman Matt Johns grounded out to score Liles making the score 4-1 Western Carolina after two innings of play.
Appalachian State added a run in the top of the third inning thanks to a solo blast to dead center from Rand Smith to make the score 4-2 Catamounts.
In the top of the fourth the game started to take a turn into a hitters fest as the Mountaineers added five runs in the inning off of two hits including another Home Run from Rand Smith as the Catamounts committed three errors to help the cause in the inning making the score 7-4 Mountaineers heading into the bottom of the fourth.
The Catamounts would not be denied in this ball game added an impressive seven runs on four hits including two Home Runs in the inning. Liles started the inning off right with a two-run Homer to left after Collias singled down the line cutting the lead to 7-6 Mountaineers. Heffley doubled and scored on an error to tie the game at 7-7. Western Carolina worked the base-loaded to bring up Notaro who crushed another Home Run to left field with this one being a Grand Slam to break open the score at 11-7 Catamounts through four innings.
Appalachian State answered in the top of the fifth when with two outs the Mountaineers got two runners on when Wes Hobson smashed a three-run Home Run to left field to cut the lead to 11-10 Catamounts.
Western Carolina added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a lead off single from Liles to start things off. After Johns moved Liles to second, Lyons hit a double to left field to plate Liles to make it 12-10 Catamounts. Western Carolina added another run after Mountaineer's short shop Nick DeRose committed an error allowing Lyons to score making it 13-10 after five innings of play.
The Mountaineers got a lead-off Home Run from Harrow in the top of the sixth inning making it Harrow's second of the game but Appalachian State wouldn't get any closer then 13-11.
The Catamounts added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning thanks to a two-out RBI single from Collias plating Brent Greer to make the final 14-11.
The final game of the three-game series is set for 2:00 pm on Sunday afternoon. The Catamounts are scheduled to start senior right-hander Corey Martin.
Elon 17, The Citadel 5
Charleston, S.C. ? Nick Orvin hit 3-for-4 and stole a base but he was only one of two Bulldogs to get multiple hits as Elon posted a 17-5 rout of The Citadel Saturday afternoon. The Citadel committed five errors for the second time this season as Elon evened the series at one game apiece in front of 1,073 at Riley Park.
Saturday marked the second time in three games that the Bulldogs (3-6, 1-1 Southern) have committed five errors in a game. The Citadel scored five runs on 12 hits with all five runs coming in the bottom of the ninth. Elon (5-3, 3-1 SoCon) scored 17 runs on 18 hits and scored in six of the game’s nine innings.
Ken Ferrer (3-0) was credited with the win after shutting down the Bulldogs for 7.0 innings, allowing only seven hits while striking out five.
Matt Crim (0-1) took his first loss of the season, allowing six runs ? four earned ? on seven hits in 4.0 innings on the mound. Crim struck out three and walked four in the game.
Richard Jones was the only other Bulldog with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with a walk and a strike out. The Sumter, S.C. native recorded his first stolen base of the season. Jones also hit his Southern Conference leading seventh double of the season.
Three Bulldogs saw their first career action in the game. Sophomore Grant Richards went 1-for-2 with a run scored as he caught the final frame while Legare Jones went 0-for-0 with a run scored, getting hit by a pitch to get on base. TJ Clarkson took the mound for the first time in his career, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out one as he pitched the ninth inning.
Elon was led by Cory Harrilchak’s 3-for-5 performance with two RBI and three runs scored while Chase Austin added a 3-for-6 performance with two RBI and two runs scored. Mike Lobacz, Greg Annarummo and Scott Riddle all notched two hits as the Phoenix helped give head coach Mike Kennedy his 400th career victory.
The two teams will meet for the rubber game on Sunday, March 8 at 1 p.m. at Riley Park.