Elon 23, Wofford 7
ELON, N.C. -- The Elon Phoenix hitters pounded out 20 hits and scored 23 times to complete a three-game Southern Conference baseball sweep of the visiting Wofford Terriers by a 23-7 score on Senior Day Sunday afternoon. The Phoenix, which scored in eight of its nine at bats, upped its record to 33-13 overall and 20-4 in SoCon play. Wofford fell to 17-25, 7-16 on the year.
The Phoenix has now won nine straight overall, 13 consecutive at home and 14 in a row in SoCon play.
Wofford took the early lead when Kyle Behrendt's single through the right side of the infield scored James Foster who had led off the inning with a single before stealing second. Michael Gilmartin followed with a double to center, but the Phoenix recorded the first out of the inning as the relay to the plate gunned down Behrendt. Jake Williams looked like he had a single up the middle, but Elon shortstop Neal Pritchard layed out to make the stop and fired across the infield for the final out of the inning.
Chase Austin sent a one-out single to left-center before Pat Irvine's single put runners on the corners. The Phoenix tied the game with a double steal.
Mac Doyle and Neil Robinette started the Terrier second with back-to-back singles. Both runners moved into scoring position on Josh McKinney's sacrifice bunt. After David Roney walked to load the bases, Foster fouled out to third for the second out. Behrendt then lined out to left, keeping Wofford off the board.
Elon began its half of the second with a walk to Mike Melillo and then Dallas Tarleton being hit by a pitch. Justin Hilt then ripped a 3-1 pitch over the wall in left-center for his 13th home run of the year, giving the Phoenix a 4-1 lead. After Pritchard walked and went to second on a passed ball, Harry Austin put down a bunt for a single that put runners on the corners. Harry Austin swiped second before Cory Harrilchak's infield single scored both Pritchard and Harry Austin. Harrilchak scored after swiping second as Chase Austin reached on an error that allowed him to take second. A one-out balk moved him to third a Bennett Davis ground out scored Elon's seventh run of the at bat.
With runners on first and second and two outs in the top of the third, Robinette struck out, but was able to reach first on a wild pitch to load the bases. McKinney then walked to force home Konstantine Diamaduros with Wofford's second run. Roney's single to center brought home two more as both Williams and Robinette came home to make the score 8-4.
Tarleton was plunked to start the Phoenix third before Hilt singled. After Pritchard sacrificed the runners up 90 feet, Harry Austin singled through a drawn in infield to plate both runners as Elon extended its margin to 10-4. Chase Austin followed with a one-out walk and then Irvine was plunked to load the bags. A Davis single to center drove home two more.
Back-to-back errors by Wofford's corner infielders put runners on first and third to start the Elon fourth before Pritchard went deep for the sixth time this year as the shot gave the Phoenix a 15-4 lead.
After Davis walked to lead off the bottom of the fifth, Ryan Adams greeted reliever J.D. Osborne with a homer to right-center, his second of the season. Hilt then drew a one-out walk an error let Pritchard reach.
Roney and Foster started the Terrier sixth with back-to-back doubles to add one to the Wofford total. Behrendt then went deep to center for his fifth homer of the year as the score moved to 17-7.
Singles from Chase Austin and Bennett Davis were sandwiched around a walk to Irvine, loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Tarleton connected for his first grand slam and the ninth homer of his season as Elon's run total reached 21 for the second straight day. The slam was the sixth of the year for the Phoenix, equalling the SoCon record set by Georgia Southern last year. Hilt followed with a walk and went to second on a Pritchard single. Harry Austin's fourth hit of the day, an infield single, loaded the bases. Harrilchak then grounded out, but scored Hilt.
A Zeth Stone two-out double to left-center plated Pritchard with the 23rd Phoenix run in the eighth.
Ken Ferrer (7-1) took the victory after he allowed all seven Terrier runs in 5.1 innings. He struck out five. The Elon bullpen allowed just one hit and no walks in three and two-thirds scoreless innings. The trio of John Brebbia, Greg Amorosso and Jordan Darnell struck out five.
Gus White (2-6) suffered the loss after being tagged for 12 runs (10 earned) on seven hits in just two and two-thirds.
Harry Austin led the way at the plate with a career-best 4-for-6 day at the dish. He scored twice, drove in two andd stole three bases. He now has multiple hit games in five of his last six outings. Davis notched a 3-for-5, two-run, three-RBI day while Tarleton drove in four on his grand slam, his only hit of the afternoon. Hilt finished 2-for-3 with four runs scored and three RBI. Harrilchak was 1-for-6, but extended his streak of reaching base safely to 79 games.
Behrendt went 2-for-5 with a run and three RBI for Wofford. Gilmartin finished 3-for-5 and Foster tallied a 2-for-5, two-run, one-RBI performance for the Teriers. Roney also had two hits, posting a 2-for-3, one-run, two-RBI day at the plate.
Elon will travel to take on top-ranked North Carolina in a 6 p.m. game on Tuesday night in Chapel Hill. Wofford will visit USC Upstate in a 1:30 p.m. game that same day.
Furman 12, Georgia Southern 7
STATESBORO, Ga. - Georgia Southern Baseball had a lead going into the seventh inning but Furman would score nine unanswered runs as the Eagles dropped the Southern Conference series finale 12-7 on Sunday afternoon (May 3).
The Eagles dropped to 32-14 overall and 14-8 in the SoCon, losing their second straight league series. Furman strengthened its run on a spot among the top eight to qualify for the SoCon Tournament, 21-23 overall and 9-15 in the league.
Brian Harrison hit the first of his two solo home runs in the fourth inning to give the Paladins a 1-0 lead. The Eagles responded with a RBI single from A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bryant) and Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell). A fielding error by shortstop Connor Lind allowed another run to score.
The Paladins scored again in the fifth but the Eagles responded with two in their half. Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) homered then Will Southwell (Moultrie/Colquitt County) lined a RBI single.
In the sixth Ty Wright (Montrose/ABAC) homered to start the frame, making it a 6-3 lead. In the seventh Furman got to starter Matt Murray (Spring City, PA/Owen Roberts) as the first five batters reached and the go-ahead runs would score.
Harrison homered again in the ninth, the first of five runs the Paladins would plate off Dexter Bobo (Cumming/Darton College). Pierce lined a RBI single in the ninth for the final margin.
Wright, Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry), Southwell and Pierce had two hits apiece. Eric Phillips (Carrollton/Carrollton) scored twice and Pierce had two of the team's six RBI.
Murray was charged for six runs on 11 hits in six innings, matching the second longest outing of his career. Colin Snow (Alpharetta/Alpharetta) pitched only the one inning but was charged for the go-ahead run as he fell to 3-2 on the year.
Barry Benton lasted 4.2 innings for Furman, charged for five runs on eight hits. Spencer Hale (6-2) earned the win in relief, allowing one run on a hit in 1.2 innings.
Harrison was one of three Paladins to finish with three hits, as he also scored three runs and drove in four. Furman out-hit the Eagles 18-11, just the fifth time the Eagles have lost at J.I. Clements Stadium this year.
The Eagles will take the upcoming week off for final exams before returning to SoCon action next Saturday (May 9). GS travels to Samford for a three-game series. Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start.
Furman hosts Upstate rival Clemson Wednesday at Fluor Field, site of the upcoming Southern Conference Baseball Championship.
The Citadel 9, Samford 5
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? Richard Jones went 3-for-5 with four RBI in the game with two RBI coming in The Citadel’s seven-run fourth inning as the homestanding Bulldogs topped Samford, 9-5, to claim the rubber game victory in front of 821 at Riley Park Sunday afternoon.
Jones drove in the fourth and fifth runs of that big inning as The Citadel (27-18, 14-10 SoCon) continued its stretch of not having lost a Southern Conference series at home this season. Samford (17-31, 9-18 SoCon) saw its chances of making the SoCon Tournament in its first year in the league diminish with the loss and Furman’s series win over Georgia Southern.
Matt Crim (5-4) was credited with the win as he allowed four earned runs on 11 hits in 6.0 innings on the mound, walking two and striking out seven. Matt Reifsnider and Drew Mahaffey combined for three scoreless innings in relief.
Andrew Jones (3-5) was charged with the loss after allowing seven runs ? five earned ? on nine hits while walking two and failing to record a strikeout in 3.1 innings on the mound.
Jones’ first RBI of the game came in the bottom of the first, driving Nick Orvin in from third. Jones drove Bryan Altman in on a groundout in the third inning, putting the Cadets up 2-1 before exploding for seven runs in a fourth inning that witnessed six hits and one Samford error.
Samford rallied after The Citadel’s big inning, scoring one run in the fifth and three more runs in the sixth inning.
The Citadel returns to action on Tuesday with a 4 p.m. game at Riley Park as the Bulldogs host Presbyterian.
Samford takes on Georgia State Tuesday night in non-conference action.
Western Carolina 9, UNC Greensboro 4
GREENSBORO, NC ? Western Carolina completed the three-game sweep against UNC Greensboro on Sunday afternoon, 9-4, behind Stephen Notaro’s four RBI at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Western Carolina starter Mike Tavernier picked up his fifth win of the season for the Catamounts (30-17, 16-7 SoCon) after giving up four runs (one earned) in five innings of work. Notaro continued his hot streak this weekend with a 2-4 outing on Sunday with four RBI and a run scored.
Spartan starter Alex Shelton was credited with the loss for UNCG (16-26, 4-18 SoCon) after allowing four runs in 2 1/3 innings.
The Spartans were able to take the early lead 1-0 on three consecutive singles in the bottom of the first inning. With one out, Drew Gehringer hit a single to the second baseman and Corey Overholtzer followed with a bunt single down the third base line. Pedro Leon then hit a single up the middle to score Gehringer from second to give the Spartans the lead.
Western Carolina responded in the top of the second with two runs to take the lead it would never relinquish. With two outs in the inning, Brent Greer doubled to left center and J.C. Lyons followed with a towering shot over the wall in left center to put the Catamounts ahead, 2-1.
The Catamounts added two more runs in the third inning to stretch their lead to 4-1 when Ross Heffley singled to left field and Greer followed with a double to center field to put runners on second and third with one out. Heffley scored later in the inning on Notaro’s sacrifice fly and Greer scored on an RBI single.
It appeared as if the Spartans would get out of the fifth inning but Greer reached on a Spartan error to continue the inning. Notaro made the Spartans pay as he followed with a two-run home run over the wall in left center to put Western Carolina ahead, 6-1.
The Spartans rallied for three runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to 6-4. With two outs in the inning, Overholtzer was hit by a pitch and then stole second. Leon followed by reaching on a fielding error by the third baseman and reached second on a passed ball. Ray Quinones then hit a single to right field to score Overholtzer and Leon. Rob Gilliam then followed with his second double of the afternoon to score Quinones.
After tacking on one more run in the seventh, the Catamounts added two more in the ninth inning. Nick Liles hit a solo shot to left center with one out in the inning and Heffley followed with a double to left field, later scoring on an RBI single by Notaro.
The Spartans return to the field on Tuesday evening as UNCG hosts Campbell at 6 p.m. at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Western Carolina is off during the midweek before hosting Elon next weekend in a showdown of the top two teams in the SoCon standings.
College of Charleston 27, Davidson 10
Mt. Pleasant, S.C. -- The College of Charleston pounded five homers, including grand slams by Matt Mansilla (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and Brandon Sizemore (Jacksonville, Fla.) en route to a 27-10 win over Davidson and a sweep of its three-game Southern Conference series before 537 at Patriots Point Stadium on Sunday.
Charleston, which closes out its home schedule with a doubleheader with Charleston Southern at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, improved to 30-16 overall and 14-10 in league play. It marks the eighth straight season the Cougars have won at least 30 games. The Cougars have won five in a row and seven of their last eight contests. The Wildcats fell to 17-25 and 11-13.
Mansilla, who finished with three hits and five RBI, capped the first inning with a grand slam to center to give Charleston a 6-0 lead. Mansilla added a solo homer to left center in the fifth inning, his fourth of the series and his team-leading 18th of the season.
Sizemore, who had a career-best seven RBI and had four hits, belted a grand slam to left in the fifth that gave Charleston a 23-1 lead. It was his 16th homer of the season.
Cole Rakar's (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) two-run homer to left, his 10th of the season, capped the Cougars' nine-run third inning for a 15-1 advantage. Ryan Daniels (Victoria, Tex.) had a solo homer in the fifth inning, his eighth of the season.
Clay McCord (Atlanta, Ga.) had five hits and Austin Morgan (Katy, Tex.) added four as part of Charleston's 28-hit attack. Joey Bergman (Jacksonville, Fla.), Daniels, Mansilla and Rakar had three hits each. Morgan and Daniels delivered four RBI each.
Davidson got four hits from Zach Kayne, including a two-run homer in the Wildcats' six-run eighth inning. Will General added a two-run homer and Drew Gadaire an RBI single in the ninth for the final margin.
David Peterson (Walnut Creek, Calif.) scattered eight hits over six innings for the win and improved to 6-2. Peterson walked one and struck out six. Ian Horkley (2-2) was the starter and loser for the Wildcats.