Western Carolina 12, SIU-Edwardsville 8
Cullowhee, N.C. ? The top-third of the Catamount lineup combined for eight hits with seven RBI as Western Carolina defeated Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, 12-8, to sweep the mid-week series at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. WCU managed 14 hits to pick up its second consecutive victory, while improving to 10-2 on the season.
Western Carolina took an early 4-0 lead before the Cougars stormed back in the fourth to tie the contest. WCU used a five-run fifth inning to open the margin as SIUE (2-10) dropped their fifth consecutive contest.
Senior Dylan de Graff led the Catamounts with four hits, four runs scored and two RBI. de Graaf reached on base in all five appearances, scoring a team-high four runs in the lead-off role on Wednesday.
Cameron Dullnig played a critical role in de Graaf’s success as the two-hole hitter pounded two doubles for a total of three hits and three RBI against the Cougars. Dullnig, a redshirt sophomore from San Antonio, Texas, also tallied two runs and reached on base with a walk.
Ross Heffley’s double to right field in the fifth inning drove in a pair of runs to open a 10-4 margin for the Catamounts. Heffley finished the afternoon 1-for-5 with two RBI.
True freshman Adam Curtis (1-0) earned his first career victory on Wednesday after relieving starter Taylor Sandefur. Curtis, a freshman left-hander from Arden, N.C., pitched two and two-third innings giving up three SIUE runs on six hits with one walk.
Sandefur, a freshman right-hander, received a no-decision after tossing three innings with three unearned runs allowed on three hits.
SIUE notched four runs in the third and fourth innings to tie the contest at 4-4. Matt Johns scored the go-ahead run in the fourth by reaching on base due to an SIUE error. A de Graaf single through the left side drove in the junior from Stafford, Va. Johns hit 1-for-4 with a run scored, and one RBI.
In the fifth inning, WCU batted around the order as the Catamounts put up a five-spot in that frame. The first two Cat batters walked to put SIUE starter Spencer Patton into a jam. Catcher Radley Haddad’s single up the middle into center field drove in a run, before Tyler Kirkpatrick added a run, after a throw from the outfield allowed runners to advance. Another pair of singles and a Dullnig double opened the contest and gave Patton the loss for the Cougars.
Patton (0-1) tossed four and a third of an inning, surrendering six earned runs on eight hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
Haddad hit a pair in three at-bats with a run scored and two RBI in the nine spot for the Catamounts. Kirkpatrick finished the afternoon 1-for-3 with two runs and two walks. Kirkpatrick’s single in the third inning gave him at least one hit in 11 of the 12 WCU games this season.
Western Carolina used a quartet of pitchers in the final two and two-third innings. Andrew Chilcoat gave up one hit one inning, before Andrew Blackwell surrendered two runs in two-thirds of an inning. Brandon Johnson and Daniel Ottone closed out the final inning and two-thirds, allowing a combined one hit with two strikeouts.
SIUE’s Matt Highland led the Cougars with a 3-for-5 afternoon with three RBI.
WCU opens Southern Conference play on the road this weekend at The Citadel in Charleston. Friday’s contest will start at 6:00 p.m. at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. Live stats will be provided for this weekend’s opening conference series at CatamountSports.com.
The Citadel 10, USC Upstate 3
Charleston, S.C. - The Citadel used a six-run eighth inning to bust open a close contest and earn a 10-3 win over USC Upstate on Wednesday afternoon at Riley Park. The game was moved up due to forecasted inclement weather in the Charleston area in the evening.
The Bulldogs (8-3) used three hits and capitalized on four Spartan errors to post a six spot on the board in the bottom of the eighth inning to blow open a 4-3 contest. Pitching controlled most of the early innings as both starters went into the sixth inning with a narrow 2-1 lead for The Citadel. Nick Orvin led the game off with a single, his fourth leadoff hit in the last five games. He would eventually come around to score on a pair of Spartan miscues by the third baseman and right fielder.
USC Upstate (7-7), who has now lost five straight contests, evened the score up in the top of the second when third baseman Joe Barnes singled up the middle to score designated hitter Jeff Medley. In the bottom of the inning, the Bulldogs would get back on the board when Justin Mackert singled, stole a base and then advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Jimmy Tanner. He scored on a Legare Jones groundout.
Starting pitcher TJ Clarkson picked up his first win of the season, going 6.0 innings, allowing four hits, one run, two walks and striking out five. In the bottom of the sixth, the Bulldog would double their 2-1 lead and knock USC Upstate's starting pitcher Scott DeCeccco out of the contest when David Greene's groundout scored William Ladd, followed by a Kyle Jordan single that scored Bryan Altman from second. DeCecco went 5.2 innings, allowing four hits, four runs, two earned runs, one walks and striking out two in the loss.
Matt Reifsnider relieved Clarkson and allowed two runs in the top of the seventh, but USC Upstate could not get any closer as the Bulldogs put the game away in the eighth with a six run inning that was plagued with Spartan errors. Two errors by reliever Ryan Fern and two miscues by first baseman Trey Richardson allowed the Bulldogs to bat around in the inning. Altman, Greene, Jordan, Jones, William Ladd and Brad Felder all would come around to score, the last two on an RBI double by Matt Simonelli.
Raymond Copenhaver and Drew Mahaffey each pitched an inning to close the game out for the Bulldogs, who avenged a 6-3 loss to USC Upstate at Riley Park last season.
"It is critical to win your midweek games as the season goes on. Tonight had good starting pitching and we were able to capitalize late. Western Carolina comes into town to start SoCon play and it will be a fight all weekend long," said Head Coach Fred Jordan.
The Bulldogs return to the diamond on Friday as they host Western Carolina in their opening weekend of Southern Conference play at Riley Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Elon 10, Old Dominion 9
ELON, N.C. -- For the second straight game, the Elon Phoenix baseball team picked up the win with a rally in the bottom of the ninth inning. On Wednesday, Grant McCoury's pinch-hit double to center drove in pinch-runner David Wood from second base as the Phoenix capped a six-run ninth for a 10-9 win over the visiting Old Dominion Monarchs from Latham Park.
The Phoenix looked to gets something going when Seth Canipe and Matt Hinson started the Elon (8-4) second with back-to-back singles. The threat was quickly snuffed out by the Monarchs (9-6) who turned a Scott Riddle line drive into a triple play to keep the game scoreless.
The Monarchs got on the board in the fourth inning after Nathan Hartman walked to lead off the frame, went to second on a sacrifice bunt and then scored on Chris Buss' double down the left field line. The double was the first hit of the game for ODU. Kenny Stoneback followed with a single to center, putting runners on the corners. Brandon Shelton hit a ground ball to second that looked like it would get the Phoenix out of the inning, but the ball was booted as Buss came home with the second ODU run.
Mike Melillo led off the bottom of the fourth with a triple into the right field corner. After Neal Pritchard was hit by a pitch, Ryan Adams lifted a sacrifice fly into left-center to drive home Melillo with the first Phoenix run.
Jake McAloose drew a walk to begin the ODU fifth before a sac bunt moved him to second. McAloose then scored on a Hartman single down the left field line as the Monarchs' advantage grew to 3-1. After a flyout moved Hartman to third and a walk put Buss aboard, Stoneback sent his first homer of the year over the wall in left to give ODU a 6-1 lead.
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Harry Austin singled through the left side of the infield before Niko Fraser was hit by a pitch. The Monarchs looked to be out of the inning when Alex Swim popped a ball up in the middle of the diamond, but the ODU middle infielders collided and the ball fell as Austin scored. With runners on the corners, Melillo singled to left-center, driving home Fraser. On the play, Swim headed for third, but the throw was off the mark and Swim scored to pull Elon within two at 6-4.
After the first two hitters in the top of the eighth were set down by Dylan Clark, Ken Ferrer came on to allow a single to Austin Wright before walking three straight hitters to force in the seventh ODU tally. Another pitching change brought on Ryan Gunther who proceeded to walk Edgar Hernandez on five pitches to plate McAloose before Elon got out of the inning.
Stoneback added another to the Monarchs' total when he led off the top of the ninth with his second homer of the game, this one down the left field line.
In its half of the ninth, Elon got a leadoff walk to Fraser who then went to second on Swim's single. Melillio's single drove home Fraser to make it 9-5 before the Monarchs turned the ball over to Adam Wisniewski. After a wild pitch moved both Swim and Melillo into scoring position, Pritchard struck out swinging on a wild pitch and reached first. On the play, Swim scored and Melillo headed to third. The Phoenix then tied the score at nine on an Adams homer to right, his fourth of the season. Canipe was then hit by a pitch to put the winning run aboard. Wood came on to run for Canipe and took second on a wild pitch before the first out was recorded. ODU then intentionally walked Riddle to set up a force out at any base before McCoury came on to hit for Austin. McCoury sent a 1-1 pitch deep to center which just went off the glove of Stoneback for the game-winning double.
Gunther (1-0) picked up the win after he allowed one run on one hit and two walks in 1.1 innings out of the bullpen. The Phoenix managed to work around 12 walks issued by its pitchers to get the victory.
Adam Wisniewski (1-1) was saddled with the loss after being charged with three runs on one hit without recording an out. The late inning collapse wasted a stellar start from Chris Boggs who scattered seven hits over 6.2 innings. Boggs gave up three runs, just one of which was earned.
Adams finished the afternoon with four RBI while Melillo posted a career-high tying four hits, scored twice and drove in two to lead Elon at the plate.
Stoneback drove in four with a 3-for-5 day for ODU.
The Phoenix will open its Southern Conference title defense on Friday with a three-game series at Furman. Friday's game will start at 7 p.m.
College of Charleston 7, Ball State 4
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. ? Senior LF Greg Blake (Westerly, R.I./Lake City CC) knocked a two-run home run and junior CF Cole Rakar (Mt. Pleasant, S.C./Wando) batted 3-for-5 as College of Charleston defeated visiting Ball State 7-5 at Patriots Point Wednesday evening. The Cougars improve to 11-3 on the season, while Ball State falls to 4-9.
Charleston jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, scoring both runs on a RBI single down the left-field line by junior C Kolby Epley (Yadkinville, N.C./Forbush). The Cougars extended their lead to 5-0 in the third inning on a RBI single to short by junior Jose Rodriguez (Hialeah, Fla./Broward College) and the two-run round-tripper by Blake.
Ball State plated three runs in the fifth to cut the Cougars’ lead to 5-3. Kory Benbow lined a RBI triple to right center and Stephen Claypool followed with a RBI double down the right-field line to score Benbow. After a pair of strikeouts by freshman starter Matt Pegler (Greenville, S.C./Riverside), T.J. Baumet stroked a RBI single through the left side to score Claypool. The Cardinals added another run in the top of the seventh on a sacrifice fly to right by Wes Winkle to cut the CofC lead to one.
Charleston responded in the bottom the seventh with two runs to pull away, scoring on a sacrifice fly to right by sophomore 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla./American Heritage) and plating a run on a wild pitch by Ball State’s Jon Cisna that scored junior 2B Jesse Mesa (Miramar, Fla./Central Florida JC).
Pegler picked up his first collegiate victory, tossing five innings with five strikeouts and scattering five hits. Junior Heath Hembree (Cowpens, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist College) pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save on the season.
Derek Grabner took the loss for Ball State, allowing five runs on seven hits in three innings.
Charleston starts the Southern Conference schedule this weekend as Samford visits Patriots Point for a three-game series. Game time on Friday is set for 6 p.m.
Georgia Southern 8, Charleston Southern 6
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? Kyle Blackburn launched his fifth home run of the season in the top of the fifth for a 5-1 lead as Colin Snow sealed an 8-6 Eagle victory for Georgia Southern over Charleston Southern Wednesday afternoon (March 10). Snow recorded his first collegiate career save with the outing as GS notched its first road win of the season.
Georgia Southern (6-7) collected 12 hits for eight runs with Kevin Bowles (Statesboro, Ga.) going 3-for-4, senior third basemen A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) going 3-for-5 and Blackburn (Marietta, Ga.) picking up three RBI using a two-run home run.
Eagle starter Chris Beck (Jefferson, Ga.) worked four innings, allowing four runs (one earned) on four hits before being relieved by Michael Hester (Evans, Ga.) in the fifth. Hester (2-0) picked up his second win going three innings, striking out three with two hits and one run.
Three Eagle relievers closed out the final two innings with Snow (Alpharetta, Ga.) picking up the save.
Buccaneer (5-8) starter Patrick Dolan (0-1) allowed five runs (two earned) over four innings. Brantley Meier hit his first career home run and was 1-for-5, while Derek Smith recorded his fourth home run of the season going 2-for-3. Nick Chinners went 2-for-4 at the plate for CSU.
Georgia Southern’s first two runs occurred without the use of a base hit over two innings. The Eagles struck immediately converting a Shawn Payne (Stone Mountain, Ga.) free pass to open the game into a 1-0 lead. Payne swiped second and third, scoring on a throwing error by the catcher to give the Eagles the early advantage.
The non-conference foes traded runs in the second as Steve Cochrane (Mooresville, N.C.) put GS up 2-0 reaching on a walk and scoring off a Buccaneer miscue by second baseman Jaren Sustar. But CSU sliced its deficit in half with Smith’s homer ? his third in two days - to left field in the bottom half of the frame.
Errors plagued the Buccaneers again in the fourth, allowing Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) to score unearned. Phillips reached on a hit-by-pitch, advanced to third on Michael Burruss’ (Marietta, Ga.) double to left center and scored on a passed ball by catcher Chinners.
Georgia Southern cushioned its advantage with a two-run Blackburn blast to center field in the fifth, handing GS a 5-1 lead. But CSU struck in the bottom half of the inning, leading off with a Dolan single up the middle before Beck issued a walk to Walt Quattlebaum. Both runners scored when Beck errantly threw Sustar’s sacrifice bunt over first base. Hester came on in relief and wriggled out of the jam allowing minimal damage with one run scored on a groundout, ending the inning with two strikeouts. But the error brought CSU to within a single run at 5-4.
Bowles singled to lead-off the seventh and scored three batters later on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Cochrane. The Buccaneers also tacked on another run in the seventh with Meier’s solo home run, keeping the score differential to one run, 6-5.
A two-run eighth inning by Georgia Southern secured the win as Burruss laced one to center field to jumpstart the inning. With Owens picking up a walk, Payne laid a down a sac bunt to the pitcher, putting both base runners in scoring position with one out. Relief pitcher Corey Deighan intentionally walked Bowles to load the bases and plated a run when hitting Blackburn. Wirnsberger picked up an RBI on the next at bat, grounding out to third base, scoring Owens and putting GS on top, 8-5.
CSU threatened in the bottom half, loading the bases on a fielder’s choice, single and walk with one out. An RBI groundout from Quattlebaum would be the only damage committed and last Buccaneer run as Snow entered the game and shut down the CSU threat striking out Sustar to end the inning.
The winning run stood at the plate in the ninth with two runners on base with two outs. But Snow fanned Matt Still to close out the game and pick up the save.
Georgia Southern returns to J.I. Clements Stadium to open Southern Conference play this weekend welcoming an undefeated Appalachian State team. First pitch on Friday, March 12 is slated for 7 p.m. Saturday’s contest, a CSS televised contest, has been moved to a 2 p.m. start time, while the series closes out on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
Wofford Baseball Schedule Change
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Due to predicted rain, the Wofford baseball game against Duke that was scheduled to begin at 4:00 pm on Wednesday, March 10, has been postponed. The game will now be played on Wednesday, May 12 at 7:00 pm at Russell C. King Field.
WEDNESDAY FURMAN-CHARLOTTE BASEBALL GAME CANCELED
GREENVILLE, S.C. ? Furman’s Wednesday afternoon baseball game at Charlotte has been canceled due to expected inclement weather.
In another schedule change, Furman’s Mar. 31 game against UNC-Asheville, originally scheduled to be played at Asheville, has been switched to Latham Stadium beginning at 7:00 p.m.
The Paladins (5-7) will open Southern Conference play this Friday when it entertains defending league regular season champion Elon at Latham Stadium in a 7:00 p.m. game. Saturday’s contest with the Phoenix is set for 5:00 p.m., and Sunday’s series finale is a 1:00 p.m. start.
Baseball Game at Auburn Canceled
AUBURN, Ala. ? Wednesday’s baseball game between Appalachian State University and Auburn has been canceled due to severe weather in the Auburn area.
Undefeated Appalachian (10-0) resumes action this weekend when it opens Southern Conference play at defending SoCon Tournament champion Georgia Southern. Game times for the three-game series are set for 7 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday at J.I. Clements Stadium in Statesboro, Ga. Saturday’s first pitch was moved from its original scheduled 2:30 p.m. to accommodate a regional television broadcast on Comcast Sports South.
Wednesday Baseball At Jax State Postponed
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Samford's baseball game at in-state rival Jacksonville State, originally scheduled for today at 6:30 p.m., has been postponed due to heavy rain in the Jacksonville, Ala., area.
The game has been rescheduled for Mar. 24 at 6:30 p.m., at JSU's Rudy Abbott Field.
Samford will next be in action on Friday, when the Bulldogs begin a three-game Southern Conference series at College of Charleston. The teams will play Friday at 5 p.m. (CST), and again Saturday and Sunday, both at 12 p.m. (CST).