Elon 12, Samford 9
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.?The Elon Phoenix scored five runs in the final two innings to grab a 12-9 come from behind win over Samford in Southern Conference baseball action Sunday afternoon at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
With the win, Elon earns the sweep in the three-game weekend series. The Phoenix improve to 28-13 overall and 17-4 in SoCon play with the win. Samford drops to 15-29 overall and 8-16 in league play.
Elon’s Dallas Tarleton went 3-for-5 at the plate with three home runs and five RBI. Chase Austin was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Mike Melillo went 2-for-5 with a home run and one RBI for the Phoenix.
Jordan Darnell pitched 2.0 innings in relief, giving up one run on one hit to earn the win. Thomas Girdwood tossed the final inning to earn the save for Elon.
Samford was led at the plate by Trey Hayes, going 3-for-4 with an RBI. David Schulze hit a grand slam in a 1-for-4 performance. Mason Meredeth was 1-for-4, earning a hit in his 29th-consecutive game, tying a Samford record set last season by Michael Marseco. A hit in Wednesday night’s game against Alabama A&M would make Meredeth the first player in Samford history to have a 30-game hitting streak.
Kyle Nichols pitched the final 2.0 innings, giving up three runs, all unearned, on two hits to take the loss for the Bulldogs. Andrew Jones and Josh Martin also saw time on the mound for Samford.
After Elon took a 2-0 lead with a run in the first inning and another in the second, Samford plated four runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 4-2 lead. Schulze walked to lead off the inning. Bo Smith and Hayes both singled to load the bases. Gary Cramer was then hit by a pitch to bring in Schulze for Samford’s first run of the game.
Michael Johnson then singled through the right side of the infield to drive in Hayes and Smith for a 3-2 Samford lead. Johnson moved to second base and Cramer moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Brad Moss. Wayne Miller then hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Cramer to make the score 4-2.
Elon answered with two runs in the top of the third inning to tie the score. After Justin Hilt singled and Austin walked with one out, Pat Irvine tripled to drive in Austin and Hilt to tie the score at 4-4.
After Samford took a 5-4 lead with a run in the third inning, Elon regained the lead with three runs in the fourth inning. Tarleton led the inning off with a solo home run to tie the score. Austin singled to drive in Ryan Adams, and Hilt later scored on a passed ball for a 7-5 Elon lead.
Samford came back with four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take a 9-7 lead. After Miller walked, Stephen Ballard singled to center and Meredeth walked to load the bases, Schulze hit a grand slam to right field for a two-run Samford lead.
Elon came back with two runs in the top of the eighth inning to tie the score at 9-9. Melillo and Tarleton led the inning off with back-to-back home runs to tie the score.
The Phoenix plated three runs in the top of the ninth inning to take the 12-9 win. Austin scored the eventual winning run from third base when Melillo reached base on a Samford error. Tarleton then hit a two-run homer for the game’s final two runs.
Samford will return to action Wednesday evening when the Bulldogs play host to Alabama A&M. The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. CT start from Joe Lee Griffin Field.
Elon returns home for a key non-conference showdown with East Carolina Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.
Davidson 5, UNC Greensboro 4 (11 inn.)
DAVIDSON, N.C. -- For a third straight day, the Davidson Wildcats used timely hitting and strong pitching to secure a Southern Conference series sweep with a 5-4, 11-Inning win over UNC Greensboro Sunday afternoon at Wilson Field.
Davidson (17-21, 11-10 SoCon) picked up its first Southern Conference series sweep since winning three against Appalachian State in 2005.
Trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh, Graham Chapman (1-for-5, 2 RBI) drove a 2-1 pitch from Spartan reliever Zach Furl over the wall in right field to knot the score.
Mike Frongello starred for a third straight day out of the bullpen, allowing just one hit in the final three innings of regulation, though Greensboro got across a run in the top of the 11th off Ryan Overcash to go ahead.
With Overcash otherwise perfect through the final two innings, the Wildcats found some late-game magic.
Brett Shore (3-for-5) started the 11th with a base-hit into left field. Chapman failed to sacrifice him to second, instead popping up to the catcher, but Shore took second on a wild pitch to get into scoring position. Zach Kayne drew a walk, but Drew Gadaire's (1-for-4) fielder's choice to the third base side eliminated Shore.
With two on and two outs, Danny Weiss (3-for-5, RBI) connected on the first pitch he saw, dropping a single just in front of the center fielder Corey Overholtzer to allow Kayne to score from second and knot the score.
Chase FitzPatrick (1-for-5) was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Pat Brady (1-for-4, RBI), who stood in for an 11-pitch at-bat to draw a walk and send in the winning run.
Overcash (1-2) picked up his first career win for the Wildcats, allowing just one run on one hit in the final two innings.
Blake Hasselbrock (1-1) was tagged with the loss for Greensboro (15-22, 4-15), surrendering two runs on three hits over the final 3 1/3.
For a third straight day, the starting pitchers turned in solid performances but didn't factor into the decision. Ian Horkley scattered six hits for two runs (one earned) in 5 2/3 while striking out four for the Wildcats, and Matt Parish was equal for Greensboro, allowing just a run on six hits and striking out six in 5 1/3.
But it was strong pitching, timely hitting and defense that once again proved the story. Horkley, Matt Sliwiak, Frongello and Overcash allowed just four runs on nine hits, walked one and struck out eight, but Davidson hitters stranded 13.
The Spartans got on the board with a run in the second on a pair of hits and added another in the fifth on a hit and a pair of Wildcat errors.
Davidson got a run back in the sixth on an infield single from James Cerbie (2-for-4, RBI), but what started out as a promising inning ended with a pair of Wildcats stranded.
Sliwiak allowed a leadoff single in the seventh to Eric Temple, bringing on Frongello for a third straight day. Temple stole second and was sacrificed to third before scoring on a fly ball to left field.
In the bottom of the inning, Shore legged out an infield bunt to the first base side to get on for Chapman, who hit his second home run of the season to tie the score at three.
The Wildcats would have chances, but stranded a pair of runners in the eighth, one in the ninth and one in the 10th, before putting something together in the 11th.
Davidson will travel to Wake Forest for a 7 p.m. start Tuesday night before this weekend's three-game set at the College of Charleston. Game times for this weekend are 7 p.m., 4 p.m. and 1 p.m. for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
UNC Greensboro hosts North Carolina A&T Tuesday at 6 p.m.
The Citadel 8, Georgia Southern 4
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? Matt Simonelli went 2-for-2 with two RBI and one run scored as The Citadel took the rubber game over Georgia Southern Sunday afternoon, 8-4, in front of 872 at Riley Park.
Simonelli sandwiched two sacrifice flies in between a pair of singles to left field as he drove in the first two Bulldog runs in the game. His leadoff single in the eighth inning led to him scoring a run in The Citadel’s three-run inning late in the game to seal the victory.
Matt Crim (4-4) allowed two runs on five hits as he walked two and struck out five in collecting his fourth win of the season. Drew Mahaffey (6) did not allow any hits or runs and walked one while striking out two in collecting his sixth save of the year.
Matt Murray (3-3) was charged the loss after allowing four runs on four hits while walking four and striking out two in 5.1 innings on the mound.
Simonelli’s sacrifice fly to center field in the fourth inning scored Sonny Meade from third as the Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning in a game that started out as a pitcher’s duel. Through five and a half innings of play, the two teams had combined for one run scored and eight hits while the two starting pitchers had tallied seven strkeouts.
The Citadel broke the game open in the sixth inning, scoring four runs on two hits. Meade, Richard Jones and Chris McGuiness drew back-to-back-to-back one out walks to load the bases before the Eagles pulled Murray from the game and put Kyle Kamppi on the mound. Simonelli then drove in Meade on his second sacrifice fly of the game, this one to right field.
Sid Fallaw followed with a single up the middle, sending Jones across the plate and McGuiness to second. Kyle Jordan then hit a sharp single to second base, scoring McGuiness. GSU second baseman Kevin Bowles threw the ball hope in an attempt to throw out McGuiness, but committed his third error of the series as his throw went wild, allowing Fallaw to score and Jordan to take second.
Georgia Southern responded in the top of the seventh, scoring four runs of their own as the Eagles pulled within one at 5-4. Will Southwell led off the inning with a single up the middle and went to second as Randy Williams drew a walk. The bases then became loaded as Brian Pierce singled through the right side. A sacrifice fly by Jonathan King would score Southwell before a fielder’s choice by Ty Wright would put runners on the corners as Pierce was put out at second.
Drawing a walk, Bowles would load the bases and Griffin Benedict would drive in two runs with a single up the middle, scoring the third and fourth runs of the inning. A fielder’s choice by Eric Phillips put Benedict out at second as the Bulldogs ended Georgia Southern’s rally.
In the bottom of the eighth, The Citadel added a trio of insurance runs in the eighth with Simonelli leading off the inning with a single and then reaching second on a sacrifice bunt by Fallaw. Simonelli would reach third on a wild pitch before Kyle Jordan ripped a triple off the right field wall, scoring Simonelli. Dangerfield would send Jordan across the plate with an RBI single to right before getting put out at second on a Nick Orvin fielder’s choice to the mound. Orvin stole second and then crossed the plate on a run-scoring single up the middle by Bryan Altman. Altman would be thrown out attempting to steal second to end the inning.
Mahaffey shut down the Eagles in the eighth and ninth, allowing only one runner to reach base ? a walk issued to King in the ninth.
The Citadel returns to action on Friday, May 1 when the Bulldogs host Southern Conference newcomer Samford in a three-game SoCon series at Riley Park.
Georgia Southern returns to action Wednesday night with a non-conference game at Kennesaw State, beginning at 6 p.m.
Western Carolina 6, Furman 4
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Rembert Rollison’s two-run sixth inning double gave Western Carolina the lead, and the Catamounts held off Furman in the ninth inning to claim a 6-4 victory in the rubber game of a Southern Conference baseball series at Latham Stadium on Sunday.
Trailing 4-3 in the sixth, Western Carolina (25-17, 13-7 SoCon) struck for three runs to take a 6-4 lead. After Brent Greer led off with a double, Trevor Collias walked ahead of Rollison, who stroked a two-base hit into the right center field gap to score Greer and Collias to put WCU ahead, 5-4. Logan Bland later delivered a one-out RBI groundout to complete the rally for a 6-4 advantage.
Furman (19-22, 7-14 SoCon) was unable to threaten until the ninth, when Will Miller and Connor Lind led off with consecutive singles to finally chase Catamount starter Mike Tavernier. After his replacement, Garrett Ozar struck out Will Owens for the first out, Furman’s Justin Holloway beat out an infield chopper to load the bases. Ozar responded by striking out Brian Harrison and then snared a hard hit line drive off the bat of Matt Hemingway to end the game and record the save, his third of the year.
Tavernier (4-4), who took the loss following a throwing error in the 15th inning of Saturday’s 11-10 Furman win, delivered an effective performance to record the victory for the Catamounts, scattering eight hits and four runs, just two of which were earned, over eight innings. He walked four and struck out six.
The loss went to Barry Benton (2-5), who tossed five innings, allowing seven hits, a walk, and six runs while fanning seven.
For the third consecutive game Western Carolina grabbed the lead in the first inning on Ross Heffley’s two-run home run to left field.
Furman answered in its half of the first on a two-run Hemingway round tripper to right field to tie the game at 2-2.
Collias’ leadoff home run to left field in the fourth put Western Carolina up 3-2, but Furman went ahead with two runs in the fifth. Lind led off with a triple to left field and later scored on a two-out throwing error. Harrison, who advanced to second on the Catamount miscue, came around to score on a Hemingway single up the middle, giving the Paladins a 5-4 lead.
Both teams collected nine hits, with Lind leading the way for Furman with a 3-for-4 performance. Hemingway went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. Collias and J.C. Lyons had two hits apiece for WCU, which also got two RBI each from Heffley and Rollison.
The Paladins will return to action next Saturday when they play a doubleheader at Georgia Southern beginning at 1:30 p.m.
WCU travels to face Charlotte Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Appalachian State 11, Wofford 6
BOONE, N.C. ? Led by eight strong innings from starting pitcher Aubrey Edens (Greenville, N.C./D.L. Conley) and Wes Hobson’s (Winston-Salem, N.C./North Forsyth) 4-for-4 performance at the plate, Appalachian State University baseball completed a three-game Southern Conference series sweep of visiting Wofford with an 11-6 victory on Sunday afternoon at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
Appalachian (26-17, 13-12 SoCon) won for the 13th time in 14 games overall and stretched its home winning streak to 12. Since opening the season at 6-14 and 1-9 in SoCon play, ASU has won 20-of-23 overall and 12-of-15 in conference action.
With relievers Chris Patterson (Laurinburg, N.C./Scotland County) and Zach Quate (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield) unavailable after appearing in each of the first two games of the series, Edens gave the Mountaineer pitching staff exactly what it needed by working eight-innings deep into Sunday’s win.
The right-handed senior cruised through the first seven innings, allowing four runs on just five hits in helping stake the Mountaineers to a 9-4 lead. He began to labor a bit as he crossed the 100-pitch mark in 80-degree heat in the eighth and Wofford (17-22, 7-13 SoCon) pushed two runs across to cut the advantage to 9-6.
The Terriers were en route to bringing the tying run to the plate in the eighth, but catcher Jeremy Dowdy (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield) got Edens and the Apps out of the jam. Dowdy came up the first-base line to field a throw home on Landon Bennett’s RBI single to right field and fired the ball to second base where he cut down Bennett to end the inning.
Dowdy’s play was one of three defensive gems for ASU on the afternoon. Both right fielder Jason Wallace (Greensboro, N.C./Ragsdale) and center fielder Rand Smith (Bolivia, N.C./South Brunswick) made spectacular diving catches ? Wallace’s coming with a runner on third and two outs in the first inning and Smith’s coming with deep in the left-center field gap in the fifth.
Offensively, a five-run second inning highlighted the Mountaineers’ 11-run, 14-hit showing. Hobson paced the offensive explosion with his 4-for-4 effort, which included a triple, two RBI and three runs scored.
Isaac Harrow (Hickory, N.C./Hickory) chipped in by going 2-for-2 with two walks, a sacrifice fly and a team-best three RBI. In the process, Harrow moved within a hit of tying ASU’s all-time record of 239 and matched the school record for doubles with the 61st of his career on a drive down the left field line that drove in a pair of runs in the second.
Edens (5-2) registered his team-leading fifth win of the season.
Bennett and Jake Wallace accounted for four of Wofford’s seven hits by each going 2-for-4. Gus White (2-4) surrendered seven runs (six earned) in 3.1 innings to suffer the loss.
Appalachian looks to build on its 12-game home winning streak this week when it hosts three non-conference games at Smith Stadium, beginning with Tuesday’s 7 p.m. matchup versus Radford.
Wofford takes a break this week before returning to league play next Friday night at league-leading Elon with game time set for 7 p.m.