UNC Greensboro 11, Albany 5
GREENSBORO, N.C. ? UNC Greensboro scored seven runs in the first two innings and received 18 walks as the Spartans defeated Albany 11-5 on Saturday afternoon at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Zach Furl picked up his first win of the season for the Spartans (5-1) after pitching two innings of relief and giving up only one run on two hits. Blake Hassebrock also pitched four innings of relief while giving up just two hits and striking out four. Ryan White was credited with the loss after allowing seven runs on just two hits in 1 2/3 innings.
Zach Leach, Ray Quinones and Cody Walker all had two RBI for UNCG at the plate, while Leach and Corey Overholtzer each drew four walks on the afternoon.
Pete Eichner went 3-5 on the day with an RBI and Brendan Rowland and Nolan Gaige each added two hits to lead the Great Danes.
The game didn’t start well for the Spartans as the Great Danes immediately loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the first. Eichner had an RBI single later in the inning and Josh Nethaway added an RBI sacrifice fly to put Albany ahead 2-0.
Drew Gehringer and Overholtzer drew back-to-back walks to lead off the bottom half of the inning. After Gehringer scored on an error by the Great Danes, Jayjack delivered his second triple of the year to right center to score Overholtzer and tie the game at two. A groundout by Quinones scored Jayjack on the next play and Leach followed with his first walk. Walker knocked Leach in on a triple of his own to center field and Taylor Schwarz knocked in the final run of the inning to give UNCG a 5-2 lead after the first inning.
Kyle Crean led off the top of the second with another triple to right center and later scored on a groundout to pull the Great Danes within 5-3.
With two outs in the bottom of the second, the Spartans loaded the bases on three walks. After a pitching change, Leach drew his second walk of the day to score a run and Walker walked home another run as well to put UNCG ahead, 7-3.
The Great Danes walked home two more runners in the fifth inning as well. With one out, Overholtzer singled up the middle and Lloyd Enzor followed with a double to left center. After Jayjack was intentionally walked to load the bases, Quinones drew a walk to score Overholtzer. After another Great Dane pitching change, Leach drew his third walk of the day to score Enzor. Jayjack scored later in the inning on a wild pitch to give the Spartans a 10-3 lead.
With two down in the seventh inning, Leach drew his fourth and final walk and Chris Barker followed with a walk of his own. Kris Richards then delivered a single to right field to score Leach from second and make the score 11-3.
The Great Danes fought back to put two runs across the plate in the top of the ninth inning to make the final score 11-5.
The Spartans will look to complete the weekend sweep on Sunday as the two teams meet at 1 p.m. at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Appalachian State 5, Marist 3
FOREST CITY, N.C. - David Towarnicky's (New Bern, N.C./New Bern) three-run home run in the sixth inning proved to be the difference in Appalachian State University baseball's 5-3 win over Marist on Saturday in Game Three of the North-South Challenge at McNair Field.
With Appalachian (5-0) trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth and runners on first and second base, Towarnicky blasted a 1-0 delivery from Marist starter B.J. Martin well over the right-field wall to give ASU a 5-3 lead.
That proved to be more than enough for the Mountaineer bullpen duo of Taylor Miller (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield) and Chris Patterson (Laurinburg, N.C./Scotland County), who held Marist (2-4) hitless over the final three innings to seal Appalachian's fifth-straight win to open the season.
The Mountaineers led 2-1 after five innings but the Red Foxes took their only lead of the game on a two-run homer by Michael Gallic in the top of the sixth.
Prior to the sixth, the game featured a pitchers' duel between ASU's Tyler Jackson (Jonesville, N.C./Starmount) and Marist's Martin. Jackson was forced to enter the game at the beginning of the second inning due to an arm injury sustained by Mountaineer starter Jordan Jessup (Westfield, N.C./East Surry). The freshman southpaw allowed just one run over four innings of his emergency stint on the mound.
Martin nearly matched Jackson pitch-for-pitch, as he surrendered only one earned run through five stanzas. The difference through five innings was an unearned run that came courtesy of Martin's own throwing error.
Appalachian managed just four hits against three Red Fox pitchers but three of the four hits led directly to ASU's five runs. In addition to Towarnicky's three-run bomb, Doug Jones (Charlotte, N.C./South Mecklenburg) drove in the first run of the game with a second-inning double and Tyler Zupcic (Charlotte, N.C./Providence) came around to score the Apps' second run after his leadoff single in the third.
Miller earned the win to move to 2-0 on the season while Patterson picked up his second save. Martin suffered the loss to even his record at 1-1.
Appalachian looks to move to 6-0 for the first time since 1991 when it closes out action at the North-South Classic on Sunday versus Niagara. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at McNair Field.
College of Charleston 12, UNC Asheville 11
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. ? Junior OF Hutson Dodds (Charleston, S.C./Porter Gaud) blasted a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift College of Charleston to a 12-11 victory over UNC Asheville Saturday afternoon at Patriots Point. The Cougars improve to 5-1 on the season, while Asheville falls to 2-3.
Dodds broke an 11-11 draw with his second round-tripper of the weekend, taking Asheville reliever David Ricker over the wall in left center to cap a 17-hit outing by the Cougars. Dodds finished the game 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and two runs scored.
Asheville opened the game in the second inning with a RBI single by Mike Vaughn to take a 1-0 lead. Charleston responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame on RBI singles by Dodds and junior C Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J./Randolph). The Cougars took a 3-1 lead in the third on a RBI single to left by Sophomore 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla./American Heritage).
Charleston added two more in the fifth on an RBI single by junior 2B Baker Knox (San Mateo, Fla./Daytona Beach CC) and a RBI double by junior DH Kolby Epley (Yadkinville, N.C./Forbush). Asheville cam alive in the top of the fifth, scoring seven runs to take an 8-5 lead. Mike Vaughn and Catlin Carter each had two-run single in the frame for the Bulldogs.
Kral knotted the game at 8-8 with a three-run blast to right field off Asheville’s Carson McLean to highlight a five-run fifth and the Cougars took an 11-8 lead in the seventh on a RBI double by senior SS Joey Bergman (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny).
Asheville plated three runs in the top of the eighth to knot the game at 11-11, before Dodds’ solo shot gave Charleston the lead for good.
Kral led the Cougars at the plate, hitting 3-for-5 with the home run and four RBIs. Senior 1B Justin Brewer (Greer, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist College) added three hits on the day. Junior Heath Hembree (Cowpens, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist College) earned the victory for Charleston, tossing 1.2 innings of relief, allowing two hits with one strikeout. Ricker took the loss for Asheville, allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits in 3.2 innings.
The Cougars and Asheville return to the field for game three of the series Sunday afternoon at Patriots Point. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m.
Georgia Southern 19, Holy Cross 7
STATESBORO, GA - Georgia Southern's Shawn Payne went 5-for-6, drove in four runs and scored three times as the Eagles rallied from an early deficit to defeat Holy Cross 19-7 on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 27) at J.I. Clements Stadium.
The Crusaders led 5-2 after three innings, but Georgia Southern sent 13 batters to the plate and posted eight runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take its initial lead. The Eagles then sent 10 men to the plate and added five more runs in the sixth to cushion their advantage.
Georgia Southern (2-4) collected 21 hits en route to its biggest offensive output since a 20-8 victory over Davidson on April 18, 2009. In addition, the Eagles drew 10 walks and were hit by five pitches as they snapped a three-game losing streak.
Playing its first game of the season, Holy Cross (0-1) committed five errors, but limited the consequences allowing only two unearned runs.
"I'm proud of the way we bounced back, certainly," said Eagle head coach Rodney Hennon. "I thought we took some better swings as the game went on. But we still have a lot of work to do to get better and we have to come out ready to play and improve tomorrow.
"Charles Matthews threw the ball well out of the bullpen. But 10 walks and one hit batsmen is not acceptable - bottom line. We have to improve there and get to a rhythm on the mound," said Hennon.
Payne (Stone Mountain, Ga.) was one of six Georgia Southern players with at least two hits. Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) was 3-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs, Michael Burruss (Marietta, Ga.) was 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs, Arthur Owens (Fayetteville, Ga.) was 2-for-2 with an RBI and three runs, Steve Cochrane (Mooresville, N.C.) was 2-for-2 with an RBI, and Kevin Bowles (Statesboro, Ga.) went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs. Kyle Blackburn (Marietta, Ga.) launched his second home run of the season, a three-run blast in the fourth.
Georgia Southern's bullpen pitched well at times, giving up two runs (both earned) on three hits in 6.1 innings. However, the Eagles did issue nine walks and hit one batter.
Michael Hester (1-0), an Evans, Ga., native, the second of five Georgia Southern pitchers, picked up the win working 1.2 scoreless innings with two strikeouts and two walks.
A crowd of 1,786 watched as the Eagles and Holy Cross met for the first time in history. Prior to the game, the members of Georgia Southern's 1990 College World Series team were honored as well as the three newest members into the Wall of Fame - Derrell Baker, Tod Lee and William Rushing.
The Crusaders scored three runs with two outs in the top of the first inning on an RBI single by Eric Oxford and a two-run homer by Steven Tkowski. An A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) RBI single for the Eagles in the bottom of the first cut the deficit, 3-1.
Alex Maldonado's solo homer with two outs in the top of the second increased the Holy Cross lead to 4-1. But Owens used an RBI single in the bottom of the inning to draw the score, 4-2.
John Sills had a one-run single in the top of the third as the Crusaders went up 5-2 and chased Georgia Southern starter Matt Murray (Spring City, Pa.).
After Payne made a diving catch in left-center field to end the top of the fourth, the Eagles chased Holy Cross starter Matt Shapiro in the bottom of the inning. Blackburn homered to right-center field, Victor Roache (Ypsilanti, Mich.) had a one-run double, Phillips had a two-run single, and Payne had a two-run single as Georgia Southern went up 10-5.
"A big play of the ballgame for us was Shawn Payne's catch with two outs in the fourth," Hennon stated. "It seemed they scored early always with two outs, but then he made that big catch and we came in and took our first lead."
The Eagles then scored two runs on a pair of Crusader errors in the fifth and used a Payne RBI double, a two-run single from Bowles, an RBI single from Burress and a Phillips sacrifice fly in the sixth to increase its lead to 17-5.
Tkowski drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh and scored Maldonado on a wild pitch for the last Crusader run in the eighth to make it a 17-7 game. The Eagles then added their last two runs in the bottom of the eighth on Payne's RBI single and Cochrane's RBI double.
Seven different Holy Cross players had one hit apiece. Tkowski was 1-for-2 with three RBIs and a run. Shapiro (0-1) was charged with the loss as he allowed seven runs (six earned) on six hits with three strikeouts and here walks.
Game two of the series will take place on Sunday (Feb. 28) at 1:30 p.m.
Samford 9, Kennesaw State 7
KENNESAW, Ga.?The Samford baseball team evened its series with Kennesaw State with a 9-7 win over the Owls Saturday afternoon at KSU’s Stillwell Stadium.
Samford improves to 4-3 on the season with the win. Kennesaw State drops to 1-5 with the loss.
Samford was led at the plate by Michael Johnson, going 2-for-5 with two RBI. Bo Smith went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Stephen Ballard and Mason Meredeth each homered for the Bulldogs in the win.
Josh Martin pitched 4.0 innings in relief, giving up three runs on three hits to earn the win. Lex Rutledge pitched the final inning, giving up just one hit to earn his second save of the season.
For Kennesaw State, Ross Tendler was 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Drew Fowlkes also homered for the Owls. Sean Fream gave up four runs on one hit to take the loss on the mound for Kennesaw State.
Samford jumped out to a big lead early, plating six runs in the top of the first inning. Smith singled through the right side of the infield to drive in Wayne Miller for the game’s first run. David Schulze then walked with the bases loaded to bring Ballard home for a 2-0 Samford lead.
Tommy Corbin was later hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Smith for Samford’s third run of the inning. Johnson then singled to drive in Trey Hayes and Schulze to make the score 5-0. The final run of the inning scored when Brad Moss grounded out to first base to drive in Corbin for a 6-0 Samford lead.
Kennesaw State came back with four runs in the bottom of the first to cut the Samford lead to 6-4. Fowlkes hit a two-run home run with Tyler Stubblefield on base for the Owls’ first two runs of the game. Tendler later hit a two-run home run with Clint Roques on base to cut Samford’s lead to two runs.
Samford plated two more runs in the top of the second inning. Ballard and Meredeth led the inning off with back-to-back solo home runs to push Samford’s lead to 8-4.
Kennesaw State scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to make the score 8-7. Bucky Smith doubled to right field to drive in Tendler and Roques for the Owls’ first two runs in the inning. Peyton Hart then singled to left field to drive in Smith and cut the Samford lead to one run.
Samford added one final run in the top of the ninth inning. Alvin Hines II, who pinch ran for Schulze earlier in the inning, scored from third base on a balk to give make the final score 9-7.
Samford and Kennesaw State will wrap up their three-game series with a final game Sunday. The game is scheduled for a 12 p.m. (CST) start.
The Citadel 4, Marshall 1
Charleston, S.C. - Junior Matt Talley didn't give up a hit until the sixth inning and tied a career-high in innings pitched to lead The Citadel over Marshall, 4-1, on Saturday afternoon in the Charleston Crab House Shootout at Riley Park.
Talley earned his first win of the season as he pitched 7.0 solid innings, giving up only two hits, one run, while walking three batters and striking out six. The left-hander did not yield a hit until after the first out in the sixth inning, a double by Marshall's Kenny Socorro. It was the longest outing for Talley since he went 7.0 innings with seven strikeouts against Savannah State last season on April 14. Matching zero's on the scoreboard with Talley through much of the game was Thundering Herd starter Shane Farrell, who yielded six hits and two runs to go along with 6.0 innings pitched.
The Bulldogs struck as they were able to break through in the sixth inning when Nick Orvin led off with a single. Felder's sacrifice moved him to second, before Matt Simonelli doubled to deep left to score Orvin and the game's first run. Simonelli would then steal third and score on a ground out off the bat of Bryan Altman, his seventh RBI of the season.
In the seventh, Marshall cut the lead in half when Kurt Lipton launched a Talley offering over the left field wall, the first home run given up by a Bulldog pitcher this season. Talley would finish out the inning with a strikeout and ground out ending his afternoon after 106 pitches.
In the eighth, The Citadel would open up their lead as Orvin once again reached base, via a walk this time. A sacrifice by pinch hitter Grant Richards, followed by a passed ball by Marshall catcher Thor Meeks, put Orvin on third with nobody out. Simonelli then registered an RBI ground out to bring in Orvin. An error by the Thundering Herd short stop Socorro allowed Altman to reach base and move Simonelli to third. David Greene picked up his third RBI of the weekend when he singled up the middle to score Simonelli.
Setup man Raymond Copenhaver relieved Talley in the eighth and set three down, giving way to closer Drew Mahaffey who picked up his third save of the season to seal The Citadel win in the ninth.
"It was an outstanding ball game this afternoon, great pitching by both squads," said The Citadel Head Coach Fred Jordan. "Matt Tally had one of his finest performances of his career here at The Citadel. He had outstanding command of his pitches, really hit his locations well and he threw a lot of pitches for strikes. Defensively, we played well to help him out. We were finally were able to catch a break in the eighth offensively and were able to capitalize."
The Citadel improves to 4-1 on the year, which is their best start since the 2000 season, when they also began the season 4-1. Marshall falls to 3-3 on the season.
The Citadel returns to Riley Park tomorrow in the finale of the Charleston Crab House Shootout as they face Radford at 1:30 p.m. Live stats and an internet broadcast and video coverage of the game are available.
Wofford 7, Butler 2
Wofford 14, Butler 9
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? The Wofford College baseball team swept both games of a doubleheader against Butler at Russell C. King Field on Saturday afternoon. The Terriers won the first game 7-2 with a complete game thrown by John Cornely and won the second game 14-9.
Wofford is 3-3 on the season, while Butler is 1-2. The Terriers were led by Mac Doyle with four hits and five RBIs on the day. James Foster and Taylor Rozier both also added four hits.
In the first game, the Terriers scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning as a double by Mac Doyle drove in James Foster and a single from Konstantine Diamaduros scored Doyle for a 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second, Landon Bennett singled and was driven in by a double down the left line by James Foster for a 3-0 advantage. Butler got on the board in the top of the third when a single by Luke Duncan allowed Kyle Waggoner to score from first with the help of a Wofford error to make it a 3-1 game.
For Wofford in the bottom of the fourth, Alex Lee was hit by pitch and advanced to second on a ground out by Matt Moore. James Foster reached on an error that scored Lee. A double by Kyle Behrendt drove in Foster and then a home run by Mac Doyle added two runs and Wofford had a 7-1 lead.
Butler led off with a single in the top of the fifth, but Wofford turned a double play. The Terriers left two on base in the bottom of the fifth. In the top of the sixth, the Bulldogs had the bases loaded with one out, but a double play ended the inning. Butler added one run on a solo homer by Michael Letzter in the top of the seventh for the 7-2 final score.
Wofford starter John Cornely (1-1) went the complete seven-inning game with eight hits allowed, two runs and eight strikeouts. Butler starter Mike Hernandez (0-1) went four innings with six hits, seven runs and two strikeouts. Dom Silvestri went the final two innings with two hits allowed and three strikeouts.
In the second game, Butler opened the top of the first with three runs on only one hit and one Wofford error. The Terries were able to tie the game in the bottom of the first with a double by Kyle Behrendt to score James Foster, who reached on a walk. Kyle Behrendt then scored on a wild pitch to clear the bases. Taylor Rozier knocked a ball over the left field fence to tie the game at 3-3.
Wofford added a run in the bottom of the second when James Foster singled and scored Matt Moore from third. The Bulldogs answered in the top of the third as a single by Jack Krause scored two runs to give Butler a 5-4 lead. Wofford tied the game again in the bottom of the third with a sacrifice fly by Konstantine Diamaduros to score Kyle Behrendt.
For Butler in the top of the fourth, Grant Fillipitch hit a home run to left center for a 6-5 lead. Wofford answered in the bottom of the fourth when Matt Moore hit a double down the left line to score Alex Lee to tie the game. Kyle Behrendt hit a ground out to score a run, then Mac Doyle added a single to left field to drive in James Foster for an 8-6 lead.
In the fifth, Butler tied the game with two runs, including an RBI triple by Kyle Waggoner. But again, the Terriers battled back and took the lead in the bottom of the fifth when an error scored one run and David Roney had a sacrifice fly to bring home a second run for a 10-8 advantage.
The Terriers added three runs in the bottom of the sixth with RBI singles from Konstantine Diamaduros and Taylor Rozier, along with a ground out by Landon Bennett for a 13-8 lead. Neither team scored in the seventh. Butler left two on in the top of the eighth and in the Wofford half of the inning a double by Taylor Rozier added another run. Kyle Krause drove in one run on a double of the ninth, but the attempted rally came up short and Wofford had a
14-9 win.
Wofford starter J.D. Osborne went 4.2 innings with six hits and eight runs allowed. Drew Sheridan (1-0) threw 3.2 innings with five strikeouts and only one run allowed on two hits. Cash Collins closed the final two-thirds of an inning with a strikeout and no hits. Butler starter Kyle Kramp went 3.2 innings and allowed eight runs on eight hits with two strikeouts. Joel Leichty (0-1) went 1.1 innings with four runs allowed on one hit. Jared Earle went the final three innings with three hits and two runs scored with one strikeout.
Wofford wraps up the weekend series with a game against Dayton at 1:00 pm on Sunday at Russell C. King Field.
Davidson 15, Presbyterian 8
DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Will General and Drew Gadaire recorded three hits and drove in four runs each to lead the Davidson Wildcats to a 15-8 win over the Presbyterian Blue Hose Saturday at Wilson Field.
With 15 runs on 15 hits, Davidson (4-2) extends its winning streak to four games, while Presbyterian (1-4) drops a second straight.
Freshman third baseman Andrew Barna also finished with three hits and drove in a run, while junior left fielder Sam Payne (2-for-3, RBI) and junior first baseman Danny Weiss (2-for-5, RBI) had multi-hit games in the offensive explosion.
The Blue Hose finished with 11 hits, with center fielder Nate Chong (2-for-5), right fielder Tony Micklon (2-for-5) and third baseman Ryan Morris (2-for-4, 2 RBI) each recording two hits and first baseman Kenny Bryant (1-for-4) driving in three runs.
Sophomore Ian Horkley (1-0) earned his first win of the season, allowing five runs on six hits and striking out one in five innings in the start.
Presbyterian starter Jordan Pace (0-3) was tagged with the loss after allowing five runs on five hits and walking four in just three innings.
The Wildcats made quick work of Pace, getting three runs in the first as Payne took a leadoff walk and moved to second as Cerbie singled to left. Gadaire drew another free pass to jam the bases, and Weiss took a bases-loaded walk for the first run. General singled into left field to clear the bases and give Davidson a 3-0 lead.
Davidson added two more in the third and fourth on the Presbyterian bullpen to jump out to a 7-0 lead. Weiss legged out a triple hit into the gap in right center field to start the third and scored as General singled in the next at-bat. General moved to third as Barna followed with the 'Cats third straight hit and scored on senior catcher Tommy Piacenza's fielder's choice. Will Freeman came out of the bullpen to begin the fourth and dealt consecutive walks to Payne and Cerbie, before both took a base on a wild pitch. Gadaire drove in the pair in the next at-bat with a single into right field. Tim Corbin took over and retired three to end the Wildcat scoring.
Presbyterian got on the board in the top of the fifth on an RBI-groundout from Jesse Harmon, but Davidson got it back in the bottom half of the inning taking advantage of a pair of walks and hit batsmen. The Blue Hose, though, put up a five-spot in the sixth to make a game of it, closing to 8-6, as Morris and Bryant each tallied two-RBI doubles.
But the Wildcats answered with three runs in the home-half of the inning, as freshman right fielder Coleman Barron, freshman shortstop Michael Zeblo and Payne drove in a run, and added another in the seventh and three in the eighth to close out the 15-8 win.
Davidson will return to action in a double-header tomorrow with Presbyterian and Mount St. Mary's. First pitch against the Mountaineers is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Furman 6, Western Illinois 3
Western Illinois 7, Furman 2
GREENVILLE, S.C. ? Furman earned its first baseball victory of the 2010 season on Saturday with a 6-2 victory over Western Illinois before falling in game two of the doubleheader, 7-2, at Latham Stadium.
In the opener, senior pitcher Ian Parry worked six solid innings, allowing three runs on three hits and a walk while striking out seven in pacing the Paladins to the 6-3 victory.
Freshman catcher Dylan Cole’s two-run home run in the second inning gave Furman a 3-2 lead, and Reese Wade’s two-out RBI single in the third made it 4-2.
A solo home run by Western Illinois’ Curt Myers in the fourth inning pulled the Leathernecks to within a run before Furman answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth when Andrew Cadger scored on a passed ball.
J.B. Jenkins stretched the advantage to 6-3 in the fifth with an RBI triple to right center field that scored Cole.
Four Paladin relievers combined to throw shutout ball over the final three innings to seal the win for Parry (1-0). Nick Karow pitched around a pair of ninth inning walks to secure his first save of the campaign and 17th save of his career.
Carlos Pinedo (0-1) was charged with the loss after yielding five runs on seven hits over four innings. He walked three and fanned one.
Wade had two of Furman’s eight hits, and Cole’s clout was the first of his career.
Myers paced WIU with a 3-for-4 performance, and Anthony Kaskadden went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in the second inning that gave WIU and early 2-1 lead.
In game two WIU’s Randon Lingle hurled eight strong innings to help WIU to the 7-2 victory and twinbill split.
Lingle (1-0) gave up a two-run game tying home run to Wade in the second inning before settling down and taking command. The senior right hander allowed only two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out five in the contest.
He was supported by an 11-hit Leatherneck attack that generated four runs on two-out hits. Jason Summers led the way by going 3-for-5 and driving in a pair of runs. Cole Waddell also collected a pair of RBI with a 2-for-5, two-run performance.
Tom Lilja’s two-out, two-run single off Paladin starting and losing pitcher Brian Dudzinski (0-2) in the secondd inning gave WIU a 2-0 lead.
Wade tied the game with a two-run home run, the first of his career, to right center field in the second inning.
The Leathernecks broke the deadlock in the fifth with a two-run Waddell single and two-out RBI single by Myers off Paladin reliever Kevin Gaid.
Waddell drove home the final run of the contest with a solo home run in the ninth.
The two teams wrap up the three-game series on Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. game.
Eastern Kentucky 12, Western Carolina 9
Cullowhee, N.C. ? Eastern Kentucky rallied in the top of the ninth to defeat Western Carolina ,12-9, at Childress / Hennon Stadium on Saturday afternoon. EKU tallied eight unanswered runs to snap the Catamounts’ best start in school history.
WCU (5-1) led 9-4 through five innings, before the Colonels (1-1) made the comeback to clinch their first victory of the season. The Catamounts out-hit Eastern Kentucky, 18-13, while the EKU committed a pair of defensive errors.
Senior Dylan de Graaf pelted four hits including a two-run double to right field that opened up a five-run fourth inning for WCU. de Graaf went 4-for-5 with two runs, two RBI and a walk.
Ross Heffley notched a trifecta of hits as the sophomore drove in a run with a single to right field in the fourth inning. Heffley, a sophomore from Snellville, Ga., hit 3-for-5 with an RBI.
Tyler Kirkpatrick started the five-run tally for the Cats with his single to left field. The senior would eventually score later in the inning. Kirkpatrick anchored his third round-tripper of the year in the bottom of the fifth to give WCU a 9-4 advantage. In all six games this season, the Charlotte, N.C. native has recorded at least two hits. The Catamounts have tallied a home run in all six contests this year.
Catcher Ollie Goulder hit 2-for-3 in the eight spot including scoring and driving in a run. Freshmen Tyler White and Cory Cronan collected a pair of hits in Saturday’s contest while combining for a total of three RBI.
Daniel Ottone (0-1) took the loss after surrendering four runs on two hits in the ninth inning. Ottone was one strike away from ending the contest, but the next pitch resulted in a three-run bomb by EKU catcher Joey Stevens. In total the Colonels hit three home runs, including Anthony Ottrando, who has recorded three long-bombs in the first two games of the weekend series.
EKU’s Greg Terry (1-0) earned the victory after an inning tossed, while Ryne Purcell picked up the save with a trio of strikeouts in the bottom of the ninth.
WCU starter Kyle Stewart received another no-decision after going four and two-thirds, allowing four earned runs on five hits with six strikeouts.
Andrew Chilcoat came in relief for Stewart, giving up three runs in two and a third innings. Brandon Johnson would toss an inning surrendering a run on three hits.
WCU jumped out to a 3-0 lead after three innings due to a ball hit by White that skipped past EKU’s Dustin Dunlop’s glove and into the outfield, allowing two unearned runs to score. The Cats then pelted five runs in the fourth to stretch out their lead to 8-1. But an Ottrando single to center field would cut the deficit to four in the fifth. The Colonels added four runs in the seventh and eighth innings before tying and scoring the game-winner in the top of the ninth.
The rubber match of the series will start tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. Lefty Vance Chavis (1-0, 1.50 ERA) will be the starter for the Catamounts. Live coverage of Sunday’s contest can be accessed online at CatamountSports.com.
Texas A&M ? Corpus Christi 16, Elon 12
HOUSTON, Texas -- Elon scored nine runs in its last three at bats, but it was not enough as the Phoenix came out on the short end of a 16-12 decision against the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders on day two of the Rice Invitational from Reckling Park. The Phoenix is now 4-2 on the year while TAMCC improved to 4-1.
Justin Hilt started the bottom of the first with a single up the middle and headed to third on Neal Pritchard's one-out single to left-center. Mike Melillo followed with a slow grounder to short to score Hilt as Elon took an early 1-0 lead.
With one away in the top of the third, Omar Garcia singled through the right side of the infield. The Islanders then executed a perfect hit and run as Jeramie Marek singled behind Garcia to put runners on the corners. A walk to Bobby Buckner loaded the bases before Trey Hernandez's ground ball to first could not be handled and both Garcia and Marek scored. Chris Vergne's infield single plated Buckner and TAMCC went up 3-1.
Weston Montgomery began the Islander fourth with an infield single and raced to third when a pickoff attempt went to the fence. Garcia followed with an infield single to drive home Montgomery and TAMCC increased its lead to 4-1. With one out, Buckner tripled off the wall in left, scoring Garcia. Buckner came home with run number six on a Hernandez single to right-center. After Vergne's second infield single of the game put two aboard, Jacob Perales walked to load the bases. After a pitching change, Holland hit a sacrifice fly to right-center and the Islanders' lead reached 7-1. Another single drove home Vergne with the fifth run of the frame.
Elon chipped away at the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Alex Maruri drew a walk to lead off and then trotted home on Seth Canipe's homer to left-center. The blast was the second of the year for Canipe.
The Islanders added three more in the fifth with RBI posted by Buckner, Hernandez, Vergne.
A Hernandez homer to center began the Islanders' half of the seventh as TAMCC upped its edge to 12-3. They would go on to tack on another four runs to lead 16-3 at the end of that inning.
Niko Fraser started the Elon seventh by reaching on an error. With one out, a Melillo single put two aboard. After a strike out, Maruri walked to load the bases before a Canipe single to right scored Fraser. But the Phoenix could not inch any closer as Chris Bresnahan fanned to end the inning.
With one down in the eighth, Hilt walked and went to second on a Fraser single. Pritchard then unloaded the bases with his second home run of the season, a shot to left-center that made it 16-7. Melillo followed with a double down the left field line before a Grant McCoury single put runners on the corners. Pinch-hitter Matt Hinson's double to left-center drove home Melillo as the Phoenix closed its deficit to 16-8. Elon's ninth run came in on Canipe's sacrifice fly. Alex Swim's infield single brought home Hinson with two outs.
Hilt and Fraser started the Elon ninth with singles and then advanced on a one-out passed ball before both scored on a Melillo single as the Phoenix pulled to within four at 16-12. Elon could get no closer, however, as Brett Gibson came on to retire Scott Riddle and Hinson to end the contest.
Ken Ferrer (1-1) took the loss after being charged with eight runs (seven earned) on nine hits in just 3.1 innings.
Roy Ferdin (1-0) logged 6.0 innings and allowed just three runs on six hits and four walks to pick up the win.
Canipe was one of three Elon players to tally a three-hit day, going 3-for-4 with a run scored, a double, a homer and four RBI. Pritchard and Melillo also had three hits and drove in three apiece. Hilt and Fraser each posted two-hit games for Elon which finished with 17 hits.
The Islanders were led by Vergne who went 4-for-6 with two runs and two RBI while Hernandez drove in four and scored three times with a 3-for-6 day. Buckner also recorded three RBI with three runs scored.
Elon will conclude play at the Rice Invitational when it takes on Nebraska at noon Central time on Sunday.