The Citadel 12, Davidson 5
DAVIDSON, N.C. - Richard Jones tied a school record three home runs as The Citadel powered its way past Davidson to claim the Southern Conference series victory with a 12-5 win in front of 336 at Wilson Field Sunday afternoon.
Jones matched the record performance of three home runs that Garrick Haltiwanger notched at Coastal Carolina on March 3, 1994. Jones ended the game with a 3-for-5 performance with six RBI and three runs scored.
Six of the nine Bulldog starters recorded multiple hits in the game with one ? David Greene ? going 1-for-5 with a home run.
Davidson drops to 13-16 and 8-7 in the league, while The Citadel moves to 20-13 overall and 9-6 in SoCon play.
After falling behind 3-0 in the top of the first, the Wildcats made a game of it with a run in the first and third. Senior short stop Zach Kayne led off the first with a double down the left field line and scored the 'Cats' first run on a RBI-double from senior right fielder Chase FitzPatrick.
Senior third baseman Graham Chapman started the third for the 'Cats with a double into the gap in right field, was sacrificed to third and scored on a passed ball. The Wildcats were threatening with Kayne on third and just one out, but a pair of strikeouts by Bulldog starter Matt Crim (3-3) ebbed the momentum. Crim would earn the win for The Citadel, holding Davidson to just two runs (one earned) on six hits in seven innings with three walks and eight strikeouts.
After the first-inning trouble, Wildcat starter Ian Horkley (2-1) settled in and retired nine straight batters before giving up a leadoff single in the fifth, but took his first loss of the season.
Mac Read took over and got out of the inning with the 'Cats holding the one-run lead, but The Citadel broke through in the sixth, putting up five runs on five hits - including a pair of two-RBI home runs, that proved the difference. Richard Jones and David Greene each drove in a pair of runs for the Bulldogs on homers in the inning.
In his first relief appearance of the season, Chris Kennedy silenced the Bulldogs, allowing just a lone hit over 1 2/3 innings, and the Wildcat offense put up a fight with three runs in the bottom of the eighth to cut the lead in half, 8-4.
FitzPatrick, designated hitter Will General and left fielder Pat Brady jammed the bases with three straight walks. FitzPatrick got the 'Cats first run as Freeman hit a grounder to the short stop, and General took home when the throw sailed over the first baseman's head.
Freeman ended up on second and scored as James Cerbie singled up the middle, but the Wildcats would strand a runner, and the Bulldogs would take advantage with four runs on four hits in the ninth for the 12-5 victory.
Davidson begins a five-game road swing with a 7 p.m. contest at Duke Tuesday night before traveling to Georgia Southern for a weekend series.
The Citadel returns to action tomorrow night when it hosts Charleston Southern at 6 p.m.
Georgia Southern 10, Western Carolina 5
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina committed six errors leading to five unearned runs as Georgia Southern took the best-of-three Southern Conference series with a 10-5 win Sunday afternoon at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
Western Carolina has lost seven of the last eight in the overall series with the Eagles, including dropping the series each of the past two seasons. The Catamounts have also faltered in six of their last eight games overall on the year to fall to 20-12, 9-5 in league play. Georgia Southern moved to 24-9 on the year, 9-4 in the league to leap-frog WCU in the standings to second place behind league-leader, Elon, which swept the College of Charleston this weekend.
Georgia Southern climbed on top with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the first inning. With two outs, a routine ground ball through the left side made its way past Ross Heffley at third allowing the first run to come home and the inning to continue. Two batters later, Roman Grimaldi laid down a bunt single to plate the second run for the 2-0 advantage.
Western responded, though, with a two-spot of its own in the home half of the second inning to knot the game at two apiece. A bases loaded sacrifice fly by Trevor Collias scored J.C. Lyons to cut the Eagle lead in half, 2-1. The next batter, Dylan de Graaf, laced a two-out single up the middle to plate Mitchell Hatley to tie the game.
Yet, Georgia Southern capitalized on four base hits and another costly Catamount error in a five-run third inning to regain the lead. The Eagles scored one on a Grimaldi sacrifice fly to right, with Ty Wright rapping a two-RBI double to left to push across the third run ahead of the throwing error at second by Nick Liles that extended the inning and allowed two additional runs to cross the dish.
WCU added a single-run on an RBI ground out by de Graaf, with Brent Greer blasting a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to close the gap to four, 9-5, entering the latter frames. However, the Eagles manufactured a run in the ninth to provide the five-run difference, with the Catamounts putting two on in the ninth before grounding into a game-ending 6-4-3 double-play.
Four Catamounts posted two-hit games as Collias finished 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, with Heffley and Hatley each going 2-for-4 at the plate. Greer finished 2-for-5 with the game's lone long ball.
Mike Tavernier (2-3) suffered the loss after being chased in the sixth after five official innings of work. He allowed eight runs - only three of which were earned - on 11 hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Brandon Johnson tossed two innings of relief work, surrendering one earned run on one base hit, which was a double and fanning one. Closer Daniel Ottone pitched the final two innings of one-run, two-hit relief with a walk and a strikeout.
Wright led the Eagles with a 5-for-6 game including scoring four runs with two RBI. Eric Phillips went 4-for-6 with two doubles and a pair of runs driven in, while Will Southwell finished 2-for-4 at the plate in the win.
Starting pitcher Matt Murray (2-2) worked five solid innings, scattering six base hits and three runs, only one of which was earned. He pitched around two walks with a pair of strikeouts before giving way to the bullpen. Colin Snow, Kyle Kamppi and Dexter Bobo combined to toss the final four frames, allowing three hits with Kamppi surrendering the two runs on the home run by Greer.
Western will host nationally-ranked Clemson in the front-end of a home-and-home series this Tuesday night at 6:00 pm at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium before traveling to Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Wednesday night. The Catamounts will then return home to host Samford in SoCon action on April 17-19.
Georgia Southern travels to face North Florida Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Elon 13, College of Charleston 11
ELON, N.C. -- The Elon Phoenix erased a 9-3 deficit after two and a half innings to pick up a 13-11 Southern Conference baseball victory over the visiting College of Charleston Cougars on Sunday afternoon. The top four hitters in the Phoenix line-up combined to go 9-for-20 with eight runs scored and 13 RBIs as Elon completed the three-game sweep of the Cougars who have now dropped six straight league games.
The Cougars (21-12, 10-8 SoCon) got things going right away as Clay McCord and Joey Bergman reached on back-to-back singles to start the first inning. McCord advanced to third on a fly out before a Ryan Daniels double to right-center scored the first run of the game. Joash Brodin followed by lining a single up the middle to plate Bergman and put CofC runners on the corners. Daniels then trotted home on a Matt Mansilla sacrifice fly to center as the lead stretched to 3-0.
Elon (20-11, 14-4 SoCon) got two back in the bottom of the first when Chase Austin connected for a two-run homer that also brought home Cory Harrilchak who had reached on an error. The shot was the seventh of the year for Austin.
The Phoenix manufactured the tying run in the second inning. Neal Pritchard led off with an infield single before heading to second on a passed ball. A ground out moved Pritchard to third prior to a Justin Hilt sac fly brought Pritchard home.
Daniels put Charleston back on top in the third when he sent his sixth home run of the year, a one-out solo shot, to right-center. Brodin then singled to left and stole second before Mansilla drew a walk. Cole Rakar's single to center drove home Brodin as CofC's lead reached 5-3. The Cougars ended up with runners on second and third as the throw went to the plate. Austin Morgan grounded a ball to short for what should have been the second out of the inning, but the throw to first pulled Ryan Adams off the bag. Scoring on the play was Mansilla. Hutson Dodds added three more to the Cougar total when he sent a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left for his fifth homer of the year.
Once again Austin provided a response for the Phoenix as he led off the bottom of the third with his second home run of the game. The solo shot made the score 9-4 in favor of CofC.
Adams drew a leadoff walk in the fourth for Elon and scored from first on Hilt's double to right-center. With one out, Austin ripped a single to left to plate Hilt as the Phoenix closed its deficit to 9-6.
Morgan began the Cougar fifth with an infield single before Bergman walked with two outs. After a balk moved both runners up a bag a wild pitch let Morgan come in with CofC's 10th run of the game.
Singles from Dallas Tarleton and Adams were followed by Hilt being hit by a pitch as the Phoenix loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the fifth. Harrilchak then unloaded the bases with a grand slam to right field, his 10th homer of the year as Elon evened the score at 10 apiece. With two outs, Irvine gave Elon its first lead of the game as he belted his 12th homer of the year, this a solo shot to left that put the Phoenix on top 11-10.
Daniels walked to begin the Charleston sixth and went to second on Brodin's single. Mansilla then grounded into a double play and Rakar struck out to keep the Cougars off the board in the inning.
Adams led off the Elon seventh with a double to right-center and then rode home when Hilt homered to dead center to push the Phoenix lead to 13-10.
In the ninth, Brodin was hit by a pitch to begin the at bat. Mansilla followed with a double to right-center to put runners on second and third for the Cougars. Pinch-hitter Justin Brewer drew a walk to load the bases for Morgan. A passed ball brought home Brodin and moved the other runners to second and third. The next pitch sailed to the back stop, but bounced right back to Melillo who tossed the ball to Thomas Girdwood for the tag play on Mansilla. Girdwood then fanned Morgan for the second out of the inning. The final out was recorded when Dodds flew out to right.
Ken Ferrer (5-1) earned the win after allowing just one run on two hits in 5.2 innings out of the bullpen. Ferrer also tied a career-high with seven strikeouts. Girdwood picked up his eighth save of the year.
Charleston's Tom Schiller (3-2) took the loss in relief. He surrendered three runs on four hits in 2.1 innings.
Hilt, Harrilchak and Austin all had four-RBI days for Elon who hit five home runs on the day and 18 in the series. Austin finished 3-for-6. Irvine was 2-for-4 with a homer that gave the Phoenix the lead for good. Harrilchak has now reached base safely in 64 straight games. Austin has tied his career-best 18-game hitting streak while Pritchard (1-for-5) extended his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games.
Charleston's Brodin went 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI while Daniels drove in two and was 2-for-4. Dodds drove in three with his 1-for-5 performance.
Elon will pay a visit to UNC Wilmington on Tuesday night in a 7 p.m. contest. Charleston will play at South Carolina that same night, also at 7 p.m.
Appalachian State 6, Samford 3
BOONE, N.C. ? Isaac Harrow (Hickory, N.C./Hickory) drove in four runs and Aubrey Edens (Greenville, N.C./D.L. Conley) worked seven strong innings on the mound to lead Appalachian State University baseball to a 6-3 win over Samford on Sunday afternoon at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium. The victory completed a three-game Southern Conference series sweep for Appalachian.
Harrow provided the bulk of the offense for the Mountaineers despite recording only one hit on the afternoon. His three-run home run in the third inning gave ASU a 4-2 lead that it would never relinquish and he provided a bit of a cushion run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth.
Edens made sure that the lead Harrow provided would stand up, as he turned in his third quality start in a row by surrendering only three runs (two earned) on five hits over seven innings. The senior needed only 100 pitches to get the ball to Appalachian’s dynamic relief duo of Chris Patterson (Laurinburg, N.C./Scotland County) and Zach Quate (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield), who combined to toss two perfect innings to close out the win.
Edens moved to 3-2 on the season while Quate earned his sixth save of the campaign, which is tied for third in ASU single-season history.
Freshmen Ryan Arrowood (Rutherfordton, N.C./Central) and Jeremy Dowdy (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield) added RBI singles for Appalachian, which has rebounded from a 6-14 start to win 11 of its last 13 and a season-best six in a row. Rand Smith extended his hitting streak to 22 games with a 2-for-5 effort.
Samford (11-23, 7-11 SoCon) managed only five hits on Sunday, highlighted by a solo home run by David Schulze. Starting pitcher Andrew Jones was battered for 13 hits in 6.2 innings and charged with all six runs to fall to 3-3 on the season.
Appalachian closes out a five-game homestand with a pair of non-conference matchups this week at Smith Stadium. ASU hosts former SoCon-rival East Tennessee State on Tuesday at 7 p.m. and Gardner-Webb on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Samford hosts Georgia State Tuesday night at 6 p.m. CT.