College of Charleston 15, Charleston Southern 8
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Hutson Dodds and Matt Mansilla belted two-run homers and Corey Ashner pitched well out of the bullpen leading College of Charleston to a 15-8 win over Charleston Southern in college baseball action before 226 at Buccaneer Ballpark on Tuesday.
Charleston improved to 20-5 overall with the win, while the Bucs fell to 12-16. The Cougars open a three-game Southern Conference series at Georgia Southern on Friday beginning at 7 p.m. All three games in the series will air on ESPN Radio 910-AM in Charleston and at CofCSports.com.
Dodds hit a two-run homer to left in the sixth inning and Mansilla, who leads the Cougars with 12 homers, hit a two-run shot to left center in the ninth inning.
Charleston parlayed a pair of hits, an error, two stolen bases and a hit batter into a 4-0 first-inning lead. Joey Bergman and Ryan Daniels added RBI singles in the second to give Charleston a 6-0 lead.
Run-scoring singles by Clay McCord and Brandon Sizemore in the third inning stretched Charleston's advantage to 8-0.
Patrick Dolan's two-run homer to left in the third and a three-run shot by Mark Perry in the fourth inning cut Charleston's lead to 9-5. Michael Obuchowski added a solo homer to center in the ninth for the final margin.
McCoard paced Charleston's 16-hit attack with three hits, while teammates Bergman, Sizemore, Mansilla, Dodds and Austin Morgan added two hits each. Mansilla finished with four RBI while Dodds drove in three.
Ashner (1-0), a converted infielder, earned the win blanking the Bucs on just two hits over 3.2 innings with one strikeout. Dolan (1-1) was the starter and loser for the Bucs.
Wofford 10, Gardner-Webb 5
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. ? The Wofford College baseball team defeated Gardner-Webb 10-5 on a cloudy Tuesday afternoon in Boiling Springs. The Terriers were down 3-0 after three innings before scoring ten unanswered runs to take the lead.
Wofford is 11-11 on the season and 3-5 in the Southern Conference. Gardner-Webb is 13-10 overall and 4-2 in the Big South. The Terriers were led by Konstantine Diamaduros with three hits, including two doubles, and Michael Gilmartin with three hits. The Runnin’ Bulldogs were led by Jon Ahearn with four hits in five appearances at the plate.
Gardner-Webb opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Kurt Fulginiti hit a two-run homer to left centerfield. In the bottom of the third, Justin Loyd drove a double down the left line to score Brock Miller from second base for a 3-0 lead.
The Terriers got on the board in the top of the fourth when Mike McDonnell reached on an error that enabled Kyle Behrendt to score from second. Jake Williams was hit a ball over the left center fence to tie the game at 3-3.
Wofford took the lead with a lead-off solo home run by Alex Lee in the top of the fifth. After a single from Michael Gilmartin and a double from Konstantine Diamaduros, a ground-out by Mac Doyle scored a run for a 5-3 lead.
The Runnin’ Bulldogs loaded the bases in both the bottom of the fifth and the bottom of the sixth, but stranded all six runners.
In the top of the seventh, the Terriers added a run on a single by Konstantine Diamaduros which drove in Alex Lee for a 6-3 lead. Gardner-Webb loaded the bases again in the bottom of the seventh, but left all three on base.
With Wofford at bat in the ninth, an error for Alex Lee and singles by Josh McKinney and Michael Gilmartin loaded the bases with no outs. A double to the left corner by Konstantine Diamaduros scored three runs. A sacrifice fly by Neil Robinette added another run for a 10-3 advantage. Gardner-Webb added two runs in the bottom of the ninth with a two-run shot by Matt Rizzuto to make it a 10-5 game.
Terrier starter Bobby DeLuria (1-2) threw four innings with five hits and three runs allowed and a strikeout. Bobby Streisel went an inning with a strikeout. Anthony Rowland allowed only one hit in the sixth inning. John Cornely threw the seventh with two hits and two strikeouts. Michael Gilmartin closed the final two innings for his fifth save of the season with three hits and two runs allowed with a strikeout.
For Gardner-Webb, starter Devin Campbell went three innings with two hits allowed and two strikeouts. Brett Stackhouse (2-3) threw four innings with six hits and six runs allowed with three strikeouts. Josh White threw the eighth without a hit allowed. Adam Haynes pitched the ninth and allowed four runs on four hits.
On Wednesday, the Terriers will be in Greensboro to face North Carolina A&T at 3:00 pm, weather permitting. This weekend, Wofford will be in Charleston to play at The Citadel for a three-game series.
East Carolina 15, Elon 4
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- The Elon Phoenix, who belted 10 home runs over the weekend at Georgia Southern, saw its bats fall silent as the team recorded six hits in a 15-4 loss at 16th-ranked East Carolina on Tuesday night. The Phoenix dropped to 14-9 on the year while the Pirates improved to 21-5 in 2009.
The Phoenix threatened in the first when Zeth Stone walked and Chase Austin blooped a single down the right field line. After a ground out moved the runners to second and third, Pat Irvine drew a two-out walk to load the bases. Mike Anderson then got a fly out to end the inning and keep the Phoenix off the board.
In the bottom of the first Trent Whitehead singled and moved to second when Ryan Wood walked. After a double steal, Bobby Kennedy fanned Stephen Batts before walking Kyle Roller to load the bases. Drew Schieber then put the Pirates on top with a line drive single to center, plating both Whitehead and Wood. Devin Harris followed by connecting on a 2-0 pitch for his fourth home run of the year to put ECU up 5-0.
Elon got one back in the second when Dallas Tarleton's ground out plated Justin Hilt who had walked to lead off the inning.
The bottom of the second started with a walk to Austin Homan which was followed by Whitehead being hit by a pitch. With two down and runners on the corners, Roller grounded a ball to second, but it was misplayed and Homan scored. After a walk allowed Schieber to reach to load the bases, the Phoenix went to the bullpen, bringing in freshman John Brebbia. Brebbia made quick work of Harris, getting him to fly out to center to end the inning.
With two outs in the bottom of the third, Homan ripped a pitch to deep right field which send Hilt to the wall where he leaped and robbed Homan of a homer.
After being kept off the board for two innings, the Pirates struck again in the fifth. Roller singled to begin the frame before Harris sent a one-out single to left. Dustin Harrington then crushed a three-run bomb to left, his third home run of the season.
Batts hit a two-out solo homer to center, his seventh of the year, to push ECU's lead to 10-1 in the sixth.
ECU tacked on five more in the seventh, including a grand slam from Wood, his fourth homer of the season. All five runs came with two outs.
Neal Pritchard belted a three-run homer in the ninth inning, his second home run of the year.
Kennedy (1-3) took the loss after surrendering six runs (five earned) on three hits and four walks in just 1.2 innings.
Patrick Somers (2-1) earned the win in relief. He threw two scoreless innings and gave up just two hits.
Pritchard went 2-for-3 while Hilt was 1-for-2 with a run, double and a stolen base. Cory Harrilchak drew a walk to extend his streak of reaching base safely to 56 straight games. Alex Maruri singled in the ninth for his first career hit.
For ECU, Harris had a 2-for-4, two-run, three-RBI night. Harrington also drove in three while Wood drove in four for the Pirates.
Elon will conclude its seven-game road swing with a 7 p.m. game at Duke on Wednesday night.
Appalachian State 17, UNC Asheville 7
ASHEVILLE, N.C. ?Appalachian State University baseball pounded out 18 hits and benefited from five UNC Asheville errors in a 17-7 win over UNCA on Tuesday evening at McCormick Field.
The victory was the fourth in five games and seventh in a row over UNC Asheville for Appalachian (10-15).
Four of the Mountaineers’ first five hits went for extra bases, but they trailed 4-3 after five innings. However, the Apps put five runs on the board in the top of the sixth ? all unearned, thanks to a pair of Bulldog errors in the frame ? to grab an 8-5 lead. ASU took advantage of the UNCA miscues with five hits in the stanza, the biggest of which was a two-out, opposite-field two-run homer by Rand Smith.
UNC Asheville (5-22) trimmed the Appalachian advantage to 8-6 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh, but ASU ended any hopes of a UNCA comeback with a nine runs in the top of the ninth. Appalachian banged out seven hits in the nine-run ninth, capped by a grand slam by Chris Alessandria.
Once again, it was the top of the order that provided the lion’s share of the damage for the Mountaineers. The Apps’ first four hitters ? Smith, Wes Hobson, Isaac Harrow and David Towarnicky ? combined for 12 of the club’s 18 hits. Hobson led the way with a 4-for-6 effort that included two doubles and a pair of RBI and Harrow and Towarnicky added three hits each. Alessandria drove in four runs with the ninth-inning blast and Smith and Jason Wallace chipped in with three RBI apiece.
Chris Patterson upped his record to 2-1 by squelching UNCA’s rally in the seventh. The right-hander allowed a hit in a scoreless inning of work, which included a huge double-play ball to get ASU out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh.
Appalachian has now scored in double-figures in three of its past four games after doing so only three times in the first 21 ballgames of the year. ASU will look to match a season-best three-game winning streak when it hosts High Point on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
UAB 17, Samford 7
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB baseball team pounded out 23 hits on its way to a 17-7 win over Samford Tuesday evening at Young Memorial Field.
Samford (10-16) tied a season high with four home runs in the game. David Schulze hit two home runs, while Joe Durham and Mason Meredeth had one home run each. Stephen Ballard and Trey Hayes had two hits each for the Bulldogs.
Kyle Putkonen started the game on the mound and pitched 3.1 inning, giving up 10 runs on 12 hits to take the loss for the Bulldogs. Putkonen was one of seven pitchers used by Samford in the game.
The Blazers (15-10) belted three home runs, all in the first inning. Jonathan Merritt, Brint Hardy and Cody McMurry each homered for UAB. Beau Pender pitched 3.0 innings, giving up one run on two hits to earn the win for UAB.
UAB plated three runs in the first inning, three runs in the second, two runs in the third, two more in the fourth and one in the fifth to take an 11-1 lead in the ballgame. Samford's lone run in the stretch came in the second inning.
Samford cut the lead to 11-2 with a run in the top of the sixth. Schulze hit a solo home run for Samford's second run of the game.
The Bulldogs plated five runs in the top of the eighth inning to pull to within four runs at 11-7. Samford hit three home runs in the inning. Durham and Meredeth each hit two-run homers in the inning, while Schulze hit a solo shot for the Bulldogs.
UAB answered with six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to make the final score 17-7. Kevin Cope and Bradley Hicks drove in two runs each in the inning. The Blazers also had a run scored on a passed ball and another on a Samford error in the inning.
Samford and UAB will meet again Wednesday night at Samford's Joe Lee Griffin Field.
UNC Greensboro 13, North Carolina A&T 4
GREENSBORO, NC ? UNC Greensboro jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and blew the game open with six runs in the sixth inning as the Spartans defeated North Carolina A&T, 13-4, on Tuesday night at NewBridge Bank Park, home of the Greensboro Grasshoppers.
UNCG starter Matt Parish allowed just three runs in the five innings of work to pick up the win for the Spartans (8-13) and reliever Zach Furl pitched four innings of relief to pick up his first save of the season.
North Carolina A&T pitcher Chris Watson was credited with his first loss of the season for the Aggies (7-16) after giving up seven runs in five innings.
The Spartan bats came out blazing in the bottom of the first as they pushed three runs across the plate. Pedro Leon and Corey Overholtzer started with back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second. Ray Quinones delivered another single, which scored Leon and moved Overholtzer to third. Ed Jayjack kept the momentum going as he delivered a single to center to score Overholtzer and push Quinones to third. Jacob Golliday was up next and blasted a ball to dead center that looked like it would make the score 5-0, but Aggie center fielder Xavier Macklin made the play of the evening. He climbed the wall and reached over to snag the ball as it was going over the wall, but Quinones was able to tag up and score on the play.
UNCG added another run in the second inning after Kris Richards led off the inning with a single and would later score on a sacrifice fly by Ray Quinones.
The Aggies responded in the top of the third as CJ Beatty reached on a single and Nick Rogers hit a towering shot to left field to narrow the Spartan lead to 4-2.
After A&T scored one in the fourth to make the Spartan lead just 4-3, UNCG responded with a run of its own. Golliday led off the fifth inning with a walk and would score late in the inning on a Richards single.
Holding on to a 5-3 lead, UNCG blew open the game with six runs by putting ten players to the plate in the sixth inning. Overholtzer led off the inning with a walk and moved to second after Ray Quinones was hit by a pitch. Jayjack followed with a single to score Overholtzer. After Golliday moved Quinones and Jayjack to second and third respectively on a sacrifice bunt, Michael Wall walked to load the bases. After a Spartan strike out, Richards drew a walk to score Quinones. Trevor Edwards hit was looked to be an inning ending groundout, but an error by the Aggie second baseman allowed Jayjack and Wall to score. Leon the delivered a single to center field to score Richards and Edwards to make the score 11-3.
The Spartans would go on to score one more run in the seventh and eighth inning to make the final score 13-4.
UNCG will turn around and head to Wake Forest on Wednesday for the final midweek game this week. The Spartans and Demon Deacons will play at 6 p.m. at the Wake Forest Baseball Park.
The Citadel 12, South Carolina 5
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? Bryan Altman went 3-for-3 with three runs scored and his fourth home run of the season while Drew Mahaffey shut the Gamecocks down in the final three innings as The Citadel topped No. 28 South Carolina, 12-5, Tuesday night in front of 3,633 at Riley Park.
The Bulldogs (15-9) won their sixth consecutive game and scored 12 runs on the Gamecocks for the first time since 1993 as The Citadel scored 12 runs on 10 hits while capitalizing on three Gamecocks errors. South Carolina (18-8) scored five runs on nine hits in the game, dropping their second game to a Southern Conference opponent this season in six tries.
Altman’s home run was the first of three runs the Bulldogs scored in the eighth inning, putting the game out of reach for South Carolina. Drew Mahaffey retired all nine batters faced in three innings on the mound, striking out six, as he collected his fourth save of the season. Mahaffey has now retired 20 of the last 22 batters faced, 15 of those by strikeouts.
Matt Talley (4-0) picked up his fourth win in four starts this year, holding Carolina to three runs ? two earned ? on six hits while walking four and striking out five in 6.0 innings on the mound. Raymond Copenhaver followed, facing four batters in the seventh inning but failed to get an out as he allowed two runs on three hits.
Matt Price (1-1) took the loss in his first career start as he allowed four runs on three hits in 2.2 innings pitched. Price walked two and struck out two.
After the Gamecocks took the 1-0 lead in the top of the third off a Jackie Bradley, Jr. RBI single, The Citadel responded in the bottom half of the inning with three runs. With bases loaded, Sonny Meade was hit by a pitch to score the Bulldogs first run of the inning. On a fluke play, Richard Jones recorded two RBI on a groundout to first base. Two batters later, David Greene hit a sacrifice fly to center field to send Meade across the plate.
After USC scored one run in the fifth off a Scott Wingo home run to right, The Citadel again responded with one run of its own in the bottom half of the inning as Greene hit and RBI single to left.
Four more Bulldog runs came across the plate in the sixth inning as Meade’s fielder’s choice to second scored pinch runner Brian Shubsda, who advanced to third on two wild pitches. Back-to-back RBI singles by Richard Jones and Chris McGuiness scored two more runs for the Bulldogs as The Citadel took the 9-2 lead.
South Carolina charged back in the seventh with three runs as Nick Ebert hit a two-run double to deep center field with runners on first and second. Two batters later, Ebert scored on an RBI double by Andrew Crisp to pull the Gamecocks within a four run deficit at 9-5.
The Citadel returns to action on Wednesday, April 1 as the Bulldogs host Winthrop at 6 p.m. at Riley Park.
North Carolina 9, Davidson 4
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. ? Freshman catcher Seth Freeman went 2-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs, but the Davidson Wildcats could not overcome an early deficit, falling 9-4 to No. 5 North Carolina Tuesday night at Boshamer Stadium.
The Tar Heels improve to 21-6, while the Wildcats fall to 10-12 overall.
North Carolina jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, putting up a pair of runs in the first, a single score in the third and a four-spot in the third inning, but the Wildcats cut into the lead with three runs in the fourth.
Tar Heel second baseman Levi Michael made a great play on an offering from designated hitter Pat Brady, who was originally called out. It was ruled that the first baseman didn’t apply the tag, and the call was reversed.
First baseman Danny Weiss followed with a double down the right field line, and Brady held at third. Both bumped up a base as left fielder Drew Gadaire’s hit was over short stop Ryan Graepel’s head, giving the ?Cats their first run of the game.
Second baseman James Cerbie hit a hot shot right at the first baseman, who doubled up Gadaire, erasing a run for the ?Cats when Freeman connected on his fourth home run of the season in the next at-bat, cutting the Tar Heel lead to 7-3.
Dustin Ackley hit his second home run of the game, a two-out shot to left in the bottom of the fourth, to increase the Heels’ lead.
After Mac Read and Chris Lamb held the Tar Heels scoreless over the fifth and sixth, the Wildcats added another run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Sam Payne that nearly carried out of the park. Freeman, who doubled down the right field line to open the inning, scored on the play, making it 9-4 in favor of the Heels.
North Carolina threatened to add to the lead in the eighth, getting runners on the corners with one out, but Zach Kayne got Michael to hit into an inning-ending double play to give the ?Cats a chance in the ninth.
Chris FitzPatrick and Kayne earned back-to-back walks to start the decisive ninth, but Tar Heel reliever Nate Striz struck out the next three Wildcats to preserve the 9-4 victory.
Davidson starter Andy Bass (0-2) took the loss, allowing seven runs on five hits in 2 1/3 innings. Read, Lamb, Mike Frongello, Mac Hunter and Kayne combined to hold the Tar Heels to just one hit over the last four scoreless frames.
For the Tar Heels, Bryant Gaines (4-0) earned the win, holding the Wildcats to three runs on seven hits over five innings.
Davidson will return to action this weekend, traveling to Samford for a three-game Southern Conference set.
Georgia Southern ? North Florida
STATESBORO, Ga. - Georgia Southern Baseball held a 3-2 lead over North Florida heading into the bottom of the third inning, however, rain and lightning forced a cancellation Tuesday night (March 31) at J.I. Clements Stadium.
The two teams will work on finding a replacement date, and the game would have to start over.
Ty Wright hit a 3-run homer down the left field line in the first inning, then North Florida responded with two runs in its half of the second inning.
The Eagles (18-7 overall, 4-3 SoCon) play host to College of Charleston this weekend, first pitch of the series scheduled for Friday night (April 3) at 7 p.m.