The Citadel 7, College of Charleston 0
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? Matt Crim pitched a complete game shutout over the nation’s second-ranked offense Sunday as The Citadel clinched a sweep over the College of Charleston with a 7-0 win in front of 1,917 at Riley Park.
The Citadel (34-20, 20-10 SoCon) handed the Cougars their first shutout since 2006 ? a span of 174 games ? and the first Bulldog shutout of the Cougars since 1926. The Bulldogs ended the season winning their final eight Southern Conference games. With a 20-10 mark in league play, the Bulldogs can finish no lower than third. The College of Charleston (35-20, 17-13 SoCon) was swept by the Bulldogs for the first time since 2003.
“Sweeps in this league are so hard to do,” said Bulldogs head coach Fred Jordan. “The series went our way this weekend and we played pretty well. They are a pretty good ball club. Matt Crim had a great run on his two-speed fast ball today which helped on the defensive end. We should have a lot of momentum going into the tournament next weekend. To sweep against a team that is as good offensively as the College of Charleston is great for us.”
Crim (7-4) shined in his final appearance at Riley Park, allowing only six hits while striking out three and throwing the first complete game shutout for a Bulldog pitcher in two years. Coincidentally, Crim was the last Bulldog to throw a complete game shutout in a 17-0 at Appalachian State on April 13, 2007.
“This is a good win for us and we played really well as a team,” said Crim. “We have great momentum going into next week, but we have to continue to practice and prepare for next week. To sweep the College of Charleston is the best way to end it. I have to give my teammates credit because they worked behind me to keep us playing. It felt awesome to close out my senior season with a sweep. I just can’t explain the feeling.”
David Peterson (7-3) took the loss, allowing five runs ? four earned ? while issuing two walks and striking out five. Curtis Dowling gave up two runs in 1.2 innings in relief while Robert Jeroszko retired the final three Bulldog batters without allowing a hit.
The Bulldog offense, which hit .386 over the weekend, was led by a pair of freshmen as David Greene and Nick Orvin both went 2-for-4 in the game. Greene scored twice while Orvin scored once and drove in one run.
The Bulldogs jumped on the Cougars early as Sonny Meade and Richard Jones each drove in runs on back-to-back hits in the first inning, putting The Citadel up 2-0.
In the fourth inning, Greene hit a one out double to the left field corner. One out later, Kyle Jordan reached on a fielding error by CofC third baseman Joey Bergman, which allowed Greene to score.
The Bulldogs tacked on another run in the fifth as Bryan Altman hit a solo home run over the left field fence. An RBI single by Sonny Meade in the sixth scored William Ladd as Meade extended his hitting streak to 26 games.
In the seventh inning, the Bulldogs scored their final two runs as Jordan looped a single to shallow right field to score Brian Shubsda and Orvin followed with a single to left, scoring Greene.
The Citadel can finish no lower than third in the Southern Conference with the final seeding to be determined upon the outcome of the Wofford-Georgia Southern series. If Wofford wins the final two games of the series in Statesboro, the Bulldogs will be the No. 2 seed in the Southern Conference Tournament and will face No. 7 Davidson at 9 a.m. If the Eagles win at least one more game over the Terriers, The Citadel will be the No. 3 seed and face sixth-seeded Appalachian State at 1 p.m. The first round of the tournament will be on Wednesday, May 20 with all games being held at Fluor Field at the West End in Greenville, S.C.
UNC Greensboro 6, Furman 5
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Brent O’Berry went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs to power UNC Greensboro to a 6-5 victory over Furman in the Southern Conference regular season finale for both teams Saturday afternoon at Latham Stadium.
The victory gave UNC Greensboro (21-29, 7-21 SoCon) the series victory two games to one while Furman (22-29, 10-20 SoCon) lost for the sixth time in its last seven games. Despite the recent skid, the Paladins still qualify for the SoCon Tournament as the No. 8 seed and will face top seed and regular season champion Elon on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. at Greenville’s Fluor Field.
UNCG, which entered the weekend series as the league’s lightest hitting team (.267), followed up Friday night’s season high 18-hit performance with 16 hits against Paladin pitching. O’Berry, who in all reached base five times, was joined by Drew Gehringer, who went 3-for-6 with two RBI. Pedro Leon, Rob Gilliam, Raymond Frias, and Bradely Raynor each added two hits for the Spartans.
The Spartans broke a 3-3 tie with three runs in the fifth against Paladin reliever and losing pitcher J.P. Goldsberry (3-6). Gehringer’ two-out double to left field plated Raymond Frias, and O’Berry followed with a two-run single to right field to score Bradley Raynor and Gehringer.
Furman answered with a pair of runs in the sixth to slice UNCG’s lead to 6-5. Connor Lind’s two-out single drove home Andrew Cadger and chased UNCG starting pitcher Greg Smith. Lind then stole second and came around to scored on a Marcus Rose double down the left field line off Spartan reliever Warren Slack.
Furman’s best chance to tie the game came in the eighth after Cadger led off with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice. Lind, however, struck out, for the second out, and Slack induced Rose into an inning ending ground out.
Slack retired the Paladins in order in the ninth to secure the victory for UNCG and record his first save of the season.
Smith (4-8) was the winner for UNCG after working 5 2/3 innings and allowing five runs on nine hits.
Furman starter Barry Benton was touched up for three runs on nine hits over 3 2/3 innings before departing with a the game tied 3-3.
Rose led Furman offensively, going 3-for-5 and scoring two runs. Brian Harrison had two hits in five at bats and collected two RBI.
Western Carolina 6, Davidson 3
DAVIDSON, N.C. - Despite Pat Brady's 2-for-3 day at the plate, including a two-run home run, the Davidson baseball team was unable to mount another late-inning comeback, falling 6-3 to Western Carolina in the regular season finale Saturday afternoon at Wilson Field.
Playing in his final game at Wilson Field, senior Zach Kanye turned in a 2-for-4 effort batting, scoring a run and connecting on a towering home run in the game. Brady knocked in a team-high RBI, with Kayne knocking in the team's other run. Drew Gedaire, Danny Weiss and Tommy Piacenza each recorded one base hit for the Wildcats.
Davidson scratched the scoreboard first in the bottom of the second when Brady doubled into centerfield, scoring Piacenza, who had moved to second base on a passed ball.
After WCU tied the game at one, Brady gave the 'Cats back the lead in the fourth with a towering home run off the scoreboard in right field for a 2-1 advantage.
Western Carolina threatened to extend their lead in the top of the seventh inning, putting its first two batters on base. But Davidson pitcher Chris Kennedy pitched his way out of the jam, recording three-straight outs, including an unassisted pick off at second base from Piacenza, who ran down a Catamount base runner from his catchers position to end the scoring chance
The Wildcats then cut the lead in half in the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff home run over the right field wall by Kayne, who teed off on the first pitch he saw in the at-bat. The senior's tenth long ball of the season brought the 'Cats within one, 4-3.
Western plated one run in the top half of the eighth when pinch hitter Rembert Rollison singled to left field, scoring Dylan de Graaf. The Catamounts then stretched the lead to 6-3 in their half of the last frame when Brent Greer lined one down the left field line for a double, bringing home Ross Heffley, who led off the inning with a double of his own.
Davidson, who had erased a five-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth inning in Thursday's series opener, was unable to repeat the comeback on Saturday, leaving a runner stranded on first in its final at-bat.
Thomas Middour (2-6), who was the Wildcat starter and scattered four hits and three runs (two earned) over five innings of work, was saddled with the loss. The 'Cats used five pitchers on the day, who combined for six strikeouts, four of which came from Middour.
Western Carolina starter Mike Tavernier threw a six-strikeout complete game and picked up his seventh win of the season. Tavernier fanned six Wildcats in his nine innings on the mound, throwing a total of 133 pitches.
Mitchell Hatley led the Catamount batters with a 3-for-4 day, including a pair of doubles. Nick Liles was 2-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored, and Brent Greer also connected on two of Western's 12 total base knocks.
With the loss, the 'Cats finish the 2009 regular season with an 18-29 overall record, including an 11-16 mark in the Southern Conference. The 11 conference wins are the most for the program since they recorded 13 league victories in 2005. Western Carolina upped its record to 34-20, and 19-10 in the SoCon.
The Wildcats will now turn their sights to the Southern Conference Tournament, which will kick of this Wednesday, May 20. Davidson will be the No. 7 seed in the tournament, and will take on the yet-to-be-determined No. 2 seed at 9 a.m. from Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C.
Weather Halts Eagles' Game Against Wofford in Bottom of the Eighth
Ty Wright hit a 3-run homer prior to the lightning as Eagles lead 16-8
STATESBORO, Ga. - Ty Wright (Montrose/ABAC) just hit a 3-run homer with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning before lightning and rain forced a delay in the Georgia Southern-Wofford baseball game on Saturday (May 16). The Eagles had just gone ahead 16-8 before the delay.
The game will resume at 11 a.m. on Sunday morning, prior to the scheduled 1:30 p.m. first pitch that will be broadcast live on CSS. If the Eagles hold on to win, they will clinch the number two seed in the upcoming Southern Conference Tournament.
James Foster led off the game with a bunt back to pitcher Jake Brown (Forest Hill, MD/Pitt CC), but his throw sailed past first base and let him go to third. Michael Gilmartin lined a RBI single then Konstantine Diamaduros hit a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield for a 2-0 lead. Mac Doyle hit a leadoff homer in the second inning for a 3-0 lead.
In the Eagles half Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry) reached on a throwing error by third baseman Kyle Behrendt, advancing to second on the play. A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bryant) lined a shot off the batters eye in centerfield, his team-leading 12th round-tripper cutting the deficit to 3-2.
With two runners on in the third, Kyle Blackburn (Marietta/Walton) hit a grounder that went through the legs of Diamaduros down at first base allowing the tying run to score.
Wofford took a lead in the fourth on Doyle's RBI single but the Eagles tied it in their half. Will Southwell (Moultrie/Colquitt County) singled to start. During Brian Pierce's (Roswell/Roswell) at-bat, Bobby Streisel uncorked three wild pitches which allowed Southwell to score.
With two outs in the sixth, Landon Bennett and Josh McKinney both hit 2-run doubles spotting the Terriers an 8-4 lead. Georgia Southern used two-out hitting of its own to take the lead, sending 13 batters to the plate.
Wirnsberger and Southwell singled then Pierce followed with a RBI hit and took second base on the throw. Two batters later Ty Wright (Montrose/ABAC) walked to load the bases. Eric Phillips (Carrollton/Carrollton) hit a sacrifice fly to bring home a run, and then Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) walked to reload the bases.
Porter lined a 2-run single up the middle then Blackburn followed with another RBI single. Wirnsberger walked and Southwell lined a 2-run double down the left field line to cap the seven run frame.
In the seventh Porter delivered another RBI single with two outs. Wirnsberger doubled in the eighth then Southwell singled, setting his new career-high hit total. Pierce ripped a run-scoring single and Jonathan King (Athens, TN/Young Harris) hit a bloop single into left field. Wright snapped a 1-for-13 skid by hammering a 3-run homer off the batters eye, making it 16-8. During the ensuing pitching change lightning flashed, forcing the delay.
Brown allowed eight runs (six earned) on eight hits in 5.2 innings. He walked two and struck out five. Colin Snow (Alpharetta/Alpharetta) has scattered two hits in 2.1 scoreless innings, walking one and striking out three.
Southwell stands 4-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. He had previously recorded three hits five times in his career. Pierce is 3-for-3 scoring twice and driving in two runs. Wirnsberger has three hits (seven in the series) while Benedict and Porter have two hits apiece. GS holds an 18-10 edge in the hits category.
Starter Gus White was charged for three runs (one earned) on three hits in 2.1 innings. John Cornely allowed five runs on five hits in 1.2 innings. He walked four and struck out two.
Doyle is 4-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.