Wofford 9, Pittsburgh 8 (10 inn.)
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? The Wofford College baseball team needed ten innings to pick up the first win of the season 9-8 over Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon at Russell C. King Field. After singles by Alex Lee and Kyle Behrendt in the bottom of the tenth, Mac Doyle hit a single to right field to bring in the winning run.
Wofford is 1-2 on the season, while Pittsburgh is 2-1. The Terriers were led by Matt Moore with three hits and three RBIs and Landon Bennett with two hits and three RBIs. The Panthers were led by Joe Leonard with three hits and two RBIs and Zach Duggan with two hits and three RBIs.
The Panthers had their first two batters reach on a walk and hit by pitch. An error allowed one run to score, while a ground out by Kevan Smith brought in another run for a 2-0 lead without a hit. Wofford answered with two hits in the bottom of the first, but did not score.
To open the bottom of the second, James Foster was hit by pitch and stole second. A single up the middle by Landon Bennett scored Foster. David Roney and Matt Moore added singles, but the Terriers left the bases load at the end of the second.
Wofford left two runners on in the third. In the bottom of the fourth, the Terriers tied the game. David Roney opened the inning with a walk and moved to third on a double by Matt Moore. Kyle Behrendt hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Roney to make it a 2-2 game.
Pittsburgh stranded two runners in the top of the sixth. In the top of the seventh, Pitt opened with a double and a single. A ground out by Zach Duggan scored one run. With one out and two on base, the Panthers hit into a potential double play, however a Wofford error allowed another run to score. A double by Joseph Leonard scored more two runs as the Panthers took a 6-2 lead.
The Terriers answered in the bottom of the seventh. After walking the two lead-off hitters, Konstantine Diamaduros singled to left center to score Alex Lee. A single by James Foster loaded the bases. Kyle Bennett came to the plate with two outs and hit a single to left to score two runs. With the bases loaded, Matt Moore hit a double down the right field line to score three runs as Wofford took a 8-6 lead.
In the top of the eighth, Travis Whitmore was called out after stepping out of the batter’s box. Pittsburgh head coach Joe Jordano was ejected from the game after questioning the call. The Panthers responded with a double by Philip Konieczny and then Zach Duggan hit a home run to left center to tie the game at 8-8.
After neither team scored in the eighth or ninth innings, the game headed to the tenth. The Panthers had two hits in the top of the inning, but a double play ended their half of the inning. With one out, Alex Lee and Kyle Behrendt had singles for the Terriers. Mac Doyle then hit a ball to deep right field that allowed Lee to score and end the game with a 9-8 victory.
Wofford starter J.D. Osborne went six innings with three strikeouts and two runs allowed. Anthony Rowland gave up three runs in a third of an inning, while Cash Collins allowed one run. Bobby Streisel went 2.2 innings with three strikeouts and two runs allowed. Gus White (1-0) got the win with a strikeout and only two hits allowed in an inning of work.
For the Panthers, Nathan Hood went six innings and allowed seven hits and two runs with seven strikeouts. Cole Taylor gave up four runs in a third of an inning, while Joseph Leonardi gave up two runs in two-thirds of an inning. Jeff Kelly (0-1) went the final 2.1 innings and allowed three hits and one run.
The victory ended a 16-game winless streak for the Terriers dating back to April 21, 2009. Wofford returns to the diamond on Friday at 4:00 pm against Dayton, followed by a doubleheader against Butler on Saturday beginning at 1:00 pm.
Davidson 11, Georgetown 3
DAVIDSON, N.C. -- The Davidson Wildcats scored nine runs on five hits and five errors in the fifth inning to bust open a 1-0 game en route to an 11-3 victory over the Georgetown Hoyas in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Wilson Field.
Davidson (1-2) scored first, getting a run in the third on a fielder's choice by senior catcher Tommy Piacenza, but took complete control with a nine-run fifth inning to chase Georgetown (2-1) starter Tommy Isaacs, who was tagged with the loss after allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits in four innings. The Hoya bullpen combined to allow six hits for eight runs, but because of eight miscues in the field only two were earned.
Wildcat starter Ryan Overcash earned the win in the first Davidson victory of the 2010 season, after allowing just two runs on seven hits and striking out three in six solid innings. Mac Read, Mike Frongello and Andy Bass combined for three innings of one-run shutout relief to seal the win.
Junior first baseman Danny Weiss led Davidson at the plate, batting 3-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored. Sophomore center fielder Drew Gadaire recorded a pair of hits and scored three runs, and Piacenza also added a pair of hits and drove in a game-high three runs.
The Georgetown offense manufactured 12 hits, but managed just three runs and stranded nine runners on base. First baseman Dan Capeless paced the Hoyas with three hits, while right fielder Andy Lentz, shortstop Tom Elliott and second baseman Chip Malt each tallied a pair.
Davidson did most of its damage in the fifth inning, as Gadaire led off with a ball hit in the hole and took second as it was air mailed over Capeless' head at first. After Weiss drew a walk and Gadaire advanced to third on a passed ball, Cary Pilligan entered in relief, surrendering an RBI-single to Piacenza to score Gadaire. Junior designated hitter Will General attempted to sacrifice Weiss and Piacenza over a base, but everyone was safe on a throwing error by Pilligan. The ball trailed into the Wildcat bullpen, allowing Weiss to score and Malt bobbled the ball at second as Piacenza scored the 'Cats' third run of the inning.
Freshman right fielder Coleman Barron and freshman shortstop Michael Zeblo were hit by pitches in consecutive at-bats to load the bases, and junior left fielder Sam Payne drove in another run with a sacrifice fly to right. Sophomore second baseman James Cerbie cleared the bases with his first career triple to push Davidson's lead to 7-0. After Gadaire drew a walk in his second at-bat of the inning, reliever Neal Dennison surrendered an RBI-single to Weiss and threw a wild pitch that allowed Gadaire to score from third. Piacenza got his second hit of the frame to score Weiss for Davidson's ninth run, and after General reached safely on the Hoyas' fifth error of the inning, Dennison finally coaxed a ground out out of freshman third baseman Andrew Barna for the third out.
Georgetown got a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning as Sean Lamont and Elliott drove in a pair, and added another in the eighth off the Wildcat bullpen on an RBI-ground out by Billy Cupelo.
The Wildcats added one more run in the seventh as Weiss led off with a single down the left field line and scored when Barna was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Davidson will return to action Tuesday, traveling to N.C. Central in Durham, N.C. for a 4 p.m. contest, before hosting Mt. Saint Mary's and Presbyterian next weekend at Wilson Field.
Western Carolina 6, Gardner-Webb 3
Forest City, N.C. ? The Western Carolina baseball team completed the season-opening series sweep of Gardner-Webb Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon with a 6-3 victory at McNair Field.
The Catamounts jumped out early to an early 4-0 lead after collecting four doubles, a walk and capitalizing on a Gardner-Webb fielding miscue. WCU (3-0) recorded their second consecutive season-opening sweep after defeating Bowling Green in three games in 2009. The loss dropped the Bulldogs to 0-3.
In total, WCU scored six runs on 12 hits, while Gardner-Webb tallied three runs on nine hits with three fielding errors.
Southpaw Vance Chavis (1-0) notched the win for the Catamounts after tossing six complete innings. The Laurinburg, N.C, native gave up just one earned run on four hits with five strikeouts in his first start of the season.
“Vance came out and had a great afternoon,” noted Catamounts coach Bobby Moranda. “He showed outstanding control and took over the game.”
Freshman Tyler White continued his hot streak with another three-hit performance in front of his hometown crowd. White, who graduated from Chase High School, went 3-for-5, while recording his first career home run and picking up a double and three RBI.
Freshman Cory Cronan also recorded his first multi-hit game as a Catamount as he hit a pair of doubles, scored and drove in a run. Cronan, a native of Grayson, Ga., hit 3-for-5 in the game.
“We needed these younger guys to step up,” said Moranda. “They had a good preseason and have the confidence to play at this level.”
Senior’s Dylan de Graaf and Tyler Kirkpatrick also recorded two hits in Sunday’s contest. de Graaf recorded his second multi-hit contest of the year after tallying a double and adding a RBI in the top of the second. Kirkpatrick notched his third multi-hit contest by collecting a pair of singles against the Bulldogs.
Sophomore Tyler Brownlow came in relief for reliever Taylor Sandefur with a bases-loaded jam and forced Gardner-Webb’s Benji Jackson to fly out. Brownlow and Sandefur each threw two-thirds of an inning and allowing a run each.
Junior reliever Andrew Chilcoat earned his first save of the season with a scoreless final inning and a third.
The Catamounts pounced early on the Bulldogs as de Graaf led off the contest with a double. Austin Schultz would walk before Ross Heffley would load the bases after reaching on base due to a fielding error. White doubled to left field driving in de Graaf. Cronan and Matt Johns would both hit consecutive doubles to drive in two more runs.
WCU added a two more runs in the second and fifth innings. Gardner-Webb made it interesting in the latter innings adding a trio of runs. In the bottom of the eighth inning, GWU cut the lead to 6-3 after Kurt Fulginiti doubled to left field to drive in Daniel Merck. Chilcoat closed the door for the Catamounts, retiring all four batters faced.
Western Carolina will play at Atlantic-10 foe Charlotte on Tuesday afternoon 4:00 p.m. Live audio via the Catamount Sports Network will be available for Tuesday’s contest with the 49ers.
UNC Greensboro 10, Cleveland State 9
GREENSBORO, N.C. ? Freshman Zach Leach was at the plate for the second-straight game with the Spartans trailing in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded and this time he delivered a bases-clearing double to dead center to complete an eight-run comeback as UNC Greensboro defeated Cleveland State, 10-9, on Sunday afternoon at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
It marked the first time since 2005 that the Spartans have swept their season opener. Over the three-game series, UNCG was able to outscore Cleveland State 17-3 in the final two innings.
Wes McBride pitched a scoreless ninth inning for second-straight day to pick up the win as he moved to 2-0 on the year, while Tim Clark allowed seven runs in 2 2/3 innings of work to pick up the loss.
Corey Overholtzer continued his impressive weekend for the Spartans (3-0) as he finished 3-4 at the plate with a pair of RBI and three runs scored. Lloyd Enzor also had a nice afternoon as he went 3-5 for two RBI and two runs scored.
The Vikings (0-3) were led by their 4-5-6 hitters as they each went 2-4 with Kyle Schaffer picking up three RBI.
The Spartans continued their late-game heroics on Sunday to overcome what seemed like an insurmountable deficit. After a strikeout to lead off the ninth inning, pinch-hitter Brad Raynor and Eric Brindle delivered back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second. Drew Gehringer then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners into scoring position before a single by Overholtzer through the left side scored Raynor and pulled UNCG within 9-5.
A wild pitch by Clark then allowed Brindle to score and move Overholtzer up to second. Enzor followed with a single to center field that let Overholtzer score to make it a 9-7 game. Ed Jayjack was issued a five-pitch walk before Clark was pulled from the game in favor of Nate Blankemeyer. Blankemeyer issued a four-pitch walk to Ray Quinones to load the bases before Leach belted a 1-1 pitch to the warning track in dead center that just went off the tip of the glove of the outstretched Viking center fielder.
Things started well though for the Spartans as Overholtzer delivered a double down the left field line in the first inning and Enzor followed with a single up the middle to give UNCG an early 1-0 lead.
The Vikings would get it right back though as Bob Suitca led off the top of the second with a towering home run that went over the scoreboard to tie the game at one.
UNCG responded in the bottom half of the second as Chris Barker delivered a one-out single to left field. Kris Richards followed with a single to right field and Brindle made it three-straight singles as he scored Barker from second on a drive to right center to give the Spartans a 2-1 lead.
The Spartan lead didn’t last for long though as Cleveland State exploded for five runs in the top of the fourth. Back-to-back singles by the Vikings led off the inning before a groundout put runners on second and third. Kyle Shaffer singled through the left side to score two as the Vikings took a 3-2 lead. Josh Lowe followed with a massive two-run home run to left field to make it 5-2 in favor of the visitors. The Spartans would surrender another run later in the inning to give the Vikings a 6-2 lead.
Cleveland State stretched their lead out to 9-2 in the top of the eighth as Tyler Wynn led off with a double and Suitca followed with a RBI single up the middle. Schaffer followed with a triple to left center that scored Suitca from first. Shaffer scored later in the inning on a passed ball.
UNCG began its rally in the bottom of the eighth as Overholtzer led off the inning with a home run over the left field wall that right fielder Vince Marquard just missed bringing back. Enzor then hit a triple off the wall in center field and later scored on a Quinones sacrifice fly.
The Spartans return to the diamond on Tuesday as they make the short trip down I-40 to face No. 11 North Carolina at 3 p.m.
College of Charleston 11, Radford 3
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Junior Cole Rakar (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) batted 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI as College of Charleston defeated visiting Radford University 11-3 at Patriots Point Sunday afternoon. The Cougars sweep the opening series of the 2010 season to start the year off 3-0, while Radford falls to 0-3.
Radford jumped to an early 2-0 lead in the opening inning on Raphael Turner's two-run home run to left center off Charleston freshman starter Christian Powell (Greenwood, S.C.). The Cougars would rallied ahead in the bottom of the second with four runs to take a 4-2 lead. Junior Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J.) scored on a RBI single by classmate Jose Rodriguez (Hialeah, Fla.) and Rakar tied the same with a RBI single to left field. Junior Baker Knox (San Mateo, Fla.) came home on a fielding error in right field by Radford's Turner and Rakar was plated on a fielding error by Brett Mollenhauer.
Charleston tacked on a single run in the bottom of the fifth on a solo home run to right field by senior Joey Bergman (Jacksonville, Fla.) and added four more in the seventh on a RBI double by Rakar, a RBI single by junior Jesse Mesa (Miramar, Fla.) and a two-run single by junior Ross Hanna (Greer, S.C.). Freshman Daniel Aldrich's (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) sacrifice fly in the eighth inning completed the scoring for Charleston.
Powell tossed four innings for the Cougars to earn his first collegiate victory, allowing four hits and two runs with seven strikeouts. Shane Pysh took the loss for Radford, allowing four runs on three hits in four innings of work.
CofC returns to action on the road Tuesday evening at Jacksonville University. Game time is set for 6:30 p.m.
Elon 14, North Carolina A&T 0
ELON, N.C. -- Four Elon pitchers combined to limit North Carolina A&T to seven hits as the Phoenix threw a shutout in a 14-0 victory over the Aggies in the final game of the 2010 Elon Classic in front of 508 fans from Latham Park on Sunday. Elon improved to 3-0 and was the only undefeated team in the four-team field. N.C. A&T fell to 1-2 on the year.
The shutout was the first of the year for Elon. The last came in a 22-0 win over North Carolina Central on April 17, 2009. The Phoenix has also now won 17 consecutive games at Latham Park, the second-longest home winning streak in the country.
With one away in the bottom of the first, Niko Fraser singled on a slow grounder to short. Neal Pritchard's double off the wall in right put two aboard for Mike Melillo who singled off the Aggie pitcher to plate Fraser with the first run of the contest. Pritchard, who went to third on Melillo's single, then scored on a sacrifice fly to left off the bat of Ryan Adams and Elon had a 2-0 lead. On Ben Scott's infield single, Melillo headed to third and then raced home on an Aggie error.
In the second, Elon took advantage of two more errors to score another run and increase its lead to 4-0.
Adams led off the Phoenix third with a double to left-center, moved to third on an error that allowed Scott to reach and then scored on Alex Swim's infield hit.
A&T loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth thanks to a single, hit batter and a walk before Daniel Britt got Lester Rivenbark to fly out to center, keeping the Aggies off the board.
Elon upped its lead to 7-0 in the fifth when Seth Canipe ripped a line drive over the wall in left for his first career homer. Swim also scored on the blast after reaching on a leadoff double.
With Canipe on second and Harry Ausitn on first with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Matt Hinson lined a single up the middle to drive in Canipe with the eighth Phoenix tally of the game. Elon loaded the bases when Neal Pritchard was plunked. Melillo grounded to short for what should have been the final out, but the ball was thrown away at first allowing both Austin and Hinson to score as the Phoenix built a 10-0 edge. Pinch-hitter Grant McCoury delivered both Pritchard and Melillo with a single down the right field line. McCoury's single was the first of his career.
In the eighth, Elon tacked on two more. The first came when Justin Hilt recorded his seventh RBI of the weekend on a fielder's choice and the second came on a Hinson sac fly.
Britt (1-0) held A&T scoreless for 6.0 innings, scattering five hits, walking one and fanning five to pick up the victory. Jordan Darnell, Dylan Clark and Thomas Girdwood shut down the Aggies for the final three innings, allowing a combined two hits and striking out three.
Nick Rogers (0-1) took the loss, surrendering seven runs (five earned) on eight hits and two walks in 5.0 innings. Rogers struck out six. A&T pitching was hurt by six Aggie errors which led to seven unearned runs.
At the plate, Canipe and Swim each had two-hit nights. Canipe also scored twice and drove in two. Hinson and McCoury both added two-RBI performances for the Phoenix.
All seven of A&T's hits were from different players.
Elon will visit Triad rival High Point on Tuesday for a 4 p.m. tilt.
(14) Clemson 8, Furman 5
CLEMSON, S.C. ? Jason Stolz went 2-for-4 and drove home a pair of runs to propel 14th-ranked Clemson to an 8-5 win over Furman in front of 5,539 fans at Doug Kingsmore Stadium Sunday afternoon.
Stolz’s two-run double in the second inning off Furman starting pitcher Barry Benton staked the Tigers (3-0) to a 3-0 lead, and he later scored in a two-run Tiger fourth that stretched the lead to 7-2 before a seventh inning Furman three-run rally sliced the advantage to 7-5.
Will Miller’s one-out solo home run to left field off Clemson reliever Justin Sarratt plated Furman’s first run in the seventh, and Will Muzika delivered an RBI single to left to score Dylan Cole. J.B. Jenkins, who reached on a single, scored on Sarratt’s fielding error on a high chopper off the bat of Will Owens.
Jonathan Meyer came on in relief of Sarratt and retired the Paladins in order in the eighth and ninth to record the save.
Kevin Brady (1-0) was credited with the win after working 3 1/3 innings. He surrendered three hits and two runs and struck out one.
Benton (0-1) was charged with the loss after tossing 2 1/3 frames and surrendering four hits and five runs. Two of his three walks and a hit batsman accounted for three of Clemson’s first four runs.
Clemson banged out 10 hits in the contest. Joining Stolz with two hits were Mike Freeman, who went 2-for-3 and scored three runs, Jeff Schaus, who turned in a 2-for-5 performance with two RBI, and Kyle Parker, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
J.B. Jenkins paced Furman at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. Brian Harrison also swiped a pair of bases for the Paladins, who recorded five steals in the contest.
The Paladins committed six errors, giving them 13 miscues in three games this season.
Paladin sophomore Daniel Stallsmith pitched effectively in relief, allowing a run on three hits in a a career long 3 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out two.
Furman plays at Charleston Southern on Tuesday in a 2:00 p.m. game.
Kansas State 2, The Citadel 1
Charleston, S.C. - No. 34 Kansas State squeaked past The Citadel in a 2-1 pitching duel at Riley Park in the final game of The Citadel Memorial Challenge presented by the Charleston Crab House on Sunday afternoon.
Kansas State (2-1) starter Kyle Hunter went 8.1 innings, giving up only four hits and one run with three strikeouts to lead the Wildcats. The sophomore retired the first 12 batters he faced and threw only 81 pitches on the day. Bryan Altman's single in the bottom of the fifth gave the Bulldogs (2-1) their first hit of the game.
Freshman Michael Clevinger made his collegiate debut on Sunday as he went for 5.0 innings, allowing two runs on five hits with four walks and six strikeouts. The Jacksonville, Fla. native got out of several jams to keep the Bulldogs close, including picking off two runners in the first two innings, but labored most of the afternoon as he hit three batters and threw 121 pitches. Another solid pitching performance came out of the bullpen for the second straight day for The Citadel as senior Matt Reifsnider went the remaining four innings, allowing no runs, with just three hits and a walk to go along with three strikeouts.
"Clevinger was a little too excited today, he needs to look for more contact. He did eventually find his rhythm after about 60 pitches and we wanted to keep out there to find some success," said head coach Fred Jordan. "He really showed some heart getting out of the two jams that he did, that really could have busted the game open early. Matt Reifsnider was very good for us in relief today. Offensively, we just saw a very good left-handed pitcher who did a great job of throwing pitches for strikes and had great movement on the ball all day long."
The Wildcats got on the board in the second as Jake Brown's single down the left field line scored Matt Giller from second. Blair DeBord was called out at third, trying to stretch from first base to end the KSU threat. Clevinger would get into trouble in the third inning again as he hit Mike Kindel with the bases loaded to score Carter Jurica. A strikeout would end the threat for the freshman however, as he gave up only the one run.
The Citadel attempted to mount a comeback in the bottom of the ninth as Legare Jones singled to give the Bulldogs only their third hit of the game. Will Darby pinch ran for Jones and would score on a double to left field by William Ladd that cut the Kansas State lead in half and end the afternoon for Hunter. James Allen came in for the Wildcats to shut the door as he induced Nick Orvin into a groundout and popped out Kyle Jordan to pick up his second save of the weekend.
The Citadel and Kansas State will return to action on Monday afternoon for a 1:30 p.m. start at Riley Park.
Tennessee Tech 12, Georgia Southern 9
STATESBORO, GA - Georgia Southern squandered an early eight-run lead and dropped a 12-9 decision to Tennessee Tech on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 21) at J.I. Clements Stadium. Kyle Blackburn (Marietta, Ga.) and A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) both homered for the Eagles (1-2), but the Golden Eagles (2-1) rallied for five runs in the top of the eighth inning and three more in the ninth to win the finale of the season-opening three-game series.
After jumping out to an 8-0 lead in the bottom of the second, Georgia Southern was outscored 12-1 the rest of the way in front of a crowd of 1,862 fans. The Eagles were out-hit 14-11 as Tennessee Tech’s bullpen allowed just one run on four hits in seven innings of work.
Golden Eagle starter Tristan Archer lasted just two innings, giving up eight runs (three earned) on seven hits. Wirnsberger had an RBI single and Kevin Bowles (Statesboro, Ga.) added a two-run double as Georgia Southern jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
A two-out error by Tennessee Tech’s second baseman opened the door for a five-run eruption by the Eagles in the bottom of the second. Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) had a one-run single before Blackburn belted a three-run homer to left-center field. Wirnsberger followed with his second home run in as many days, a solo shot that increased Georgia Southern’s advantage to 8-0.
Eagle starter Trent Franzago (Byron, Ga.) had a one-hit shutout going through four innings, but the Golden Eagles reached him for three runs in the top of the fifth. Zephan Guyear plated a run with a fielder’s choice, Chad Oberacker had an RBI single and Seth Edwards followed with a one-run double as Tennessee Tech sliced Georgia Southern’s cushion to 8-3.
Franzago exited following the fifth inning, and four Eagle relievers combined to surrender nine earned runs on nine hits and five walks in the final four innings.
The Golden Eagles scored a run on a fielder’s choice by Oberacker in the top of the sixth to cut Georgia Southern’s lead to 8-4. In the top of the eighth, Tennessee Tech used three hits, two walks, a wild pitch and a passed ball to take its first lead of the game. A.J. Kirby-Jones provided the big blast, a three-run homer off of Eagle reliever Andy Moye (Alpharetta, Ga.) that put the Golden Eagles up 9-8.
Georgia Southern tied the score in the bottom of the eighth when Roman Grimaldi (Duluth Ga.) led off the inning with a double to left-center field and then scored on Shawn Payne’s (Stone Mountain, Ga.) one-out double to the same location.
Tennessee Tech went ahead to stay with a two-out uprising in the top of the ninth. Edwards had an RBI single and Ben Burgess added a two-run single to give the Golden Eagles a 12-9 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, pinch-hitter Steve Cochrane (Mooresville, N.C.) delivered a one-out double, but was left stranded on second as Tennessee Tech reliever Ryan Hopkins retired the next two batters.
Hopkins (1-0) was the winning pitcher. The last of four Golden Eagle hurlers, he worked 1.2 scoreless innings, giving up one hit with one strikeout and one walk.
Moye (0-1) was charged with the loss. In two innings, he allowed five runs, all of them earned, on four hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
Blackburn was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs while Wirnsberger was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs.
For Tennessee Tech, Guyear, Oberacker and Tate McMillan were all 2-for-4. Edwards, Casanova Donaldson and Chad Hayes were all 2-for-5. Kirby-Jones had three RBIs and Guyear, Oberacker, Edwards and Burgess each drove in two runs.
Georgia Southern will continue its season-opening homestand on Tuesday (Feb. 23) against Georgia Tech. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Marshall 10, Samford 6
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.?The Marshall baseball team plated four runs in the top of the eighth inning to break open a close game on its way to a 10-6 win at Samford Sunday afternoon at Joe Lee Griffin Field. With the win by Marshall, the two teams split the season-opening four-game series.
Samford (2-2) was led at the plate by Mason Meredeth, going 4-for-5 with a double and a triple. David Schulze went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Brad Moss was 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Michael Johnson went 2-for-4. Josh Martin pitched 1.1 innings in relief, giving up four runs on four hits to take the loss.
For Marshall (2-2), Isaac Ballou went 3-for-6 with a double, a triple and three RBI. Victor Gomez, Thor Meeks and Alfredo Brito had two hits each for the Thundering Herd. Mike Cavalli tossed 4.0 innings in relief, giving up one run on three hits to earn the win.
With the score tied at 2-2 after two and a half innings, Samford plated three runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 5-2 lead. Schulze doubled to right-center field to drive in Meredeth to give Samford the lead. Trey Hayes then singled to left field to drive in Schulze to make the score 4-2. Hayes scored the final run of the inning when Marcus Rodriguez grounded out to shortstop for a three-run Samford lead.
Marshall came back with three runs in the top of the fourth inning to tie the score at 5-5. Brito scored the first run of the inning when Kris Hecktor reached base on a Samford error. Ballou later tripled to drive in Hecktor and Eric Semeniuk to tie the score.
Samford quickly took the lead back with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Stephen Ballard scored from third base when Hayes reached base on a fielder’s choice to make the score 6-5.
Marshall tied the score with a run in the top of the sixth inning. Ballou singled up the middle to drive in Kirby Pellant to tie the score at 6-6.
The Thundering Herd plated four runs in the top of the eighth inning, all with two outs, to make the final score 10-6. Samford’s Martin got the first two batters of the inning out before Josh Valle and Gomez hit back-to-back singles. Meeks then doubled to left-center field to drive in Valle for the eventual game-winning run. After Samford intentionally walked Kurt Lipton to load the bases, Nathan Gomez hit a bases-clearing double down the left-field line for the final three runs of the game.
For the game, Marshall pounded out 13 hits, while Samford tallied 12 hits and two errors. Each team left nine men on base in the game.
Samford will return to action on Tuesday, Feb. 23, when the Bulldogs play at in-state rival Troy. The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start from Troy’s Riddle-Pace Field.