Appalachian State 16, Georgia Southern 12
STATESBORO, GA - Georgia Southern erased an early nine-run deficit before giving up four late-inning runs that allowed Appalachian State to escape with a 16-12 win in a Southern Conference game on Sunday (March 14) at J.I. Clements Stadium.
The Mountaineers (11-2, 1-2) took an 11-2 lead into the bottom of the third inning, but the Eagles (8-8, 2-1) stormed back to tie the game at 12 in the fifth.
Appalachian State regained the lead with an unearned run in the top of the seventh and then added three insurance runs in the final two innings to salvage the finale of the three-game series.
A crowd of 1,855 watched as the two teams combined to use 11 pitchers who surrendered 28 runs on 33 hits, 14 of them for extra-bases. There were also 13 walks, four hit batters and six errors that resulted in six unearned runs.
Georgia Southern collected 15 hits off of four Mountaineer pitchers, who issued three walks and hit four batters. Kyle Blackburn (Marietta, Ga.) was 4-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs and Shawn Payne (Stone Mountain, Ga.) was 4-for-6 with an RBI and three runs.
Meanwhile, Appalachian State had 18 hits and drew 10 walks from seven Eagle pitchers. Jerod Faggart was 4-for-6 with two solo homers and four runs to pace the Mountaineers.
After dropping a doubleheader on Saturday (March 13), Appalachian State went through four Eagle pitchers in the first three innings. During that span, the Mountaineers sent 27 men to the plate and scored 11 runs (nine earned) on nine hits, seven walks and two errors.
Trailing 11-2, Georgia Southern batted around and scored four runs on four hits in the bottom of the third. Blackburn had a two-run double, Steve Cochrane (Mooresville, N.C.) had a sacrifice fly and Eric Phillips
(Carrollton, Ga.) had an RBI double as the Eagles cut Appalachian State’s lead to 11-6.
Faggart’s second homer put the Mountaineers up 12-6 in the fourth, but Georgia Southern sent 11 men to the plate and scored six runs on six hits in the fifth. Blackburn had two hits in the inning, which also featured a three-run double from Arthur Owens (Fayetteville, Ga.). Victor Roache (Ypsilanti, Mich.) drew a bases-loaded walk, Payne had an RBI triple and Kevin Bowles (Statesboro, Ga.) contributed a one-run single as the Eagles knotted the score at 12.
Appalachian State’s Jeremy Dowdy led off the top of the seventh with a single and then scored all the way from first when the Eagles misplayed Ryan Stetson’s single to left field. David Towarnicky added a two-run single in the eighth and the Mountaineers posted an unearned run in the ninth.
Georgia Southern had runners on first and second with two out in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings, but Appalachian State closer Chris Patterson escaped trouble each time to earn his sixth save of the season.
Taylor Miler (3-0), the Mountaineers’ third pitcher of the game, worked 1.1 scoreless innings for the win. He allowed two hits with no strikeouts or walks. He hit two batters.
Charles Matthews (0-1), an Athens, Ga., native, the Eagles’ sixth pitcher of the day, was charged with the loss. In 1.1 innings, he gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits with no strikeouts or walks.
Appalachian State sent 11 men to the plate and scored five runs on six hits and an error in the top of the first. The Mountaineers opened the inning with two singles and two doubles. Georgia Southern starter Trent Franzago (Bryon, Ga.) lasted just one-third of an inning, giving up five runs (four earned) on five hits.
Blackburn had an RBI single in the bottom of the first as the Eagles took advantage of two Appalachian State errors to score two unearned runs. The Mountaineers added two runs in the second and five more in the third for an 11-2 lead.
Six different Appalachian State players haDoug Jones was 3-for-5 three RBIs and a run, Stetson was 3-for-6 with two runs, Wes Hobson was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and four runs, Towarnicky was 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a run, and Dowdy was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs.
Bowles and Phillips were both 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run.
Georgia Southern will start a five-game road trip at Kennesaw State on Tuesday (March 16) at 6 p.m. The Eagles will return home on March 23 to face South Carolina at 7 p.m.
Appalachian State returns to Boone to entertain Columbia for at two-game set, beginning Tuesday at 3 p.m.
Davidson 5, Wofford 4
DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Sophomore Ryan Overcash pitched five shutout innings and junior Andy Bass earned his second save of the season as Davidson used an early lead to clinch its first SoCon series of the season with a 5-4 win over the Wofford Terriers Sunday afternoon at Wilson Field.
Davidson (11-5, 2-1 SoCon) jumped out to an early 5-0 lead through five innings and junior Mike Frongello and Bass held off a late-game charge by Wofford (6-8, 1-2 SoCon) to secure the series victory.
Overcash (3-0) stays perfect, winning his third game in four starts, by allowing just four hits and walking one through five shutout innings. Bass allowed just two hits in one shutout inning of relief to earn his second save of the 2010 season.
Frongello worked a hit less sixth and seventh, facing just six batters, but got into a bit of a jam in the eighth as Wofford got on the board for three runs on a pair of hits. Catcher David Roney doubled off the wall in center field to start the inning, and short stop Matt Moore was hit by a pitch in the next at-bat to put a pair of runners on for third baseman Kyle Behrendt, who cleared the bases with a three-run home run to right field.
The Wildcats got a pair of runners on in the bottom of the eighth as sophomore Seth Freeman, who came in as a defensive replacement in the outfield, slapped a single into the gap in right and freshman short stop Michael Zeblo was hit by a pitch, but the 'Cats couldn't do anything with the two-out chances.
Bass took over for Frongello after a lead off double in the top of the ninth by right fielder Taylor Rozier and put runners on the corners with a base hit to left fielder Josh McKinney. First baseman Constantine Diamaduros cut the Wildcats' lead to 5-4 with a sacrifice fly to right, but Bass froze Roney for the second out. After a two-out base hit to Moore, pinch hitter Neil Robinette grounded out to freshman third baseman Andrew Barna, who made the play to end the game and strand a pair of runners.
The Wildcats did all their scoring early, getting a pair of runs in the third, a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth, and the 5-0 start held up. Zeblo singled to right field to lead off the third inning, stole second and moved to third as the pick off attempt from Roney got into center field. Payne doubled him in and moved to third on sophomore second baseman James Cerbie's fly out. After sophomore center fielder Drew Gadaire reached on a fielding error by Wofford starter Gus White, Weiss hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Payne and give Davidson a 2-0 lead.
The 'Cats scratched across a run in the fourth, as Barna took a lead off walk, was sacrificed to second by junior designated hitter Will General and scored on senior catcher Tommy Piacenza's double to left, and added two more in the fifth. Payne reached on a throwing error by Moore at short stop to start the fifth and moved to second as Cerbie hit a base knock into left. Weiss followed with a single that was bobbled in left by McKinney to allow Payne to score from third, and Barna plated Cerbie in the next at-bat with a sacrifice fly to right to make the score 5-0 in the Wildcats' favor.
Davidson got three more hits over the final three innings but stranded three runners, as Frongello and Bass held the Wofford bats in check and got critical outs to perserve the 5-4 win.
The Wildcats finished with 10 hits, led by Zeblo (2-for-3) and Freeman (2-for-2), and Payne (1-for-5, RBI), Weiss (1-for-3, RBI) and Piacenza (1-for-4, RBI) each got a hit and drove in a run.
Wofford had four runs on nine hits, led by McKinney (3-for-4) and Roney (2-for-4), while Behrendt drove in a game-high three runs on the day's lone home run. White (2-1) took his first loss of the season, allowing five runs (two earned) on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Davidson will step out of conference for a 7 p.m. game at South Carolina Wednesday night before returning to league play with a three-game set at Furman next weekend.
Wofford will face Presbyterian Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Forest City, N.C.
The Citadel 11, Western Carolina 6
Charleston, S.C. - Kyle Jordan tied a career high with five RBI as The Citadel swept Western Carolina, 11-6, on Sunday afternoon in front of 738 at Riley Park in the opening weekend of the Southern Conference play.
Sunday's win gave the Bulldogs (11-3, 3-0) their first sweep over Western Carolina (10-5, 0-3) since the 2004 season, when they also accomplished the feat at Riley Park. It is also the first time The Citadel has started off 3-0 in the conference since 2002 when the Bulldogs swept Davidson in Charleston.
"I'm very pleased with out start, great to get a sweep," said Head Coach Fred Jordan. "Western Carolina is a solid program. Our guys played pretty well all weekend long and were resilient."
Jordan (Goose Creek, S.C.) led the Bulldog attack as he went 3-for-4 with two doubles and five RBI, which ties his career high. He also racked up five RBI at Georgia Southern on May 3, 2008. The Citadel scored in the first inning all three times in the series. Today, they did it with a hit-and-run single by Bryan Altman (Summerville, S.C.) that scored Matt Simonelli (Orlando, Fla.) from first. David Greene (Columbia, S.C.) followed with a single to move Altman to second and Jordan then doubled to center to score Altman and put the Cadets ahead, 2-0.
"It felt good to have some balls finally fall in my favor out there today," said Kyle Jordan. "It is huge for us to start out the season like this, gain momentum coming out of the gate. They (Western Carolina) are one of the better teams in the league, so it was a great series win."
A wild bottom half of the second inning saw The Citadel put up six runs after Catamount shortstop Austin Shultz committed three errors in the inning. A combination of the WCU miscues, coupled by hits from Nick Orvin (Moncks Corner, S.C.), Greene and Jordan put the Bulldogs up, 8-0.
WCU was able to cut the lead in half in the top of the third inning, on a Tyler Kirkpatrick homer, coupled with two singles and an RBI double by first baseman Tyler White that scored two. The Catamounts would chip away again in the fifth when they used three singles to score a run and knock Bulldog starter Michael Clevinger (Jacksonville, Fla.) out of the game with a no decision. The freshman went 4.1 innings, allowing 10 hits, five runs, one walk and five strikeouts. Chris Boyce (3-0) came out of the bullpen in relief and retired the final two batters of the fifth to get out of the jam.
An RBI single in the sixth narrowed the gap to 8-6, when Ross Heffley drove in Cameron Dullnig, but that would finish the scoring for the Catamounts. In the bottom of the sixth, Simonelli gave the Bulldogs some breathing room when he launched his second homer of the year over the left field wall. After Altman and Greene reached based via base on balls, Jordan laced his second double of the game to score both runners and put The Citadel ahead, 11-6. Boyce (Simpsonville, S.C.) pitched into the ninth inning, picking up the win in relief, going 4.0 innings, allowing four hits, one run, one walk and striking out two. Raymond Copenhaver (Apopka, Fla.) needed just one pitch to end the game as he induced a ground ball double play to Greene to close out the contest.
This was the first sweep for the Bulldogs since they pulled it off against the College of Charleston on May 14-16, 2009 at Riley Park. The 11-3 start for The Citadel is the best since the 1990 squad that went to the College World Series started the year off at 27-1.
Western Carolina starter Vance Chavis (2-2) took the loss as he went only 3.0 innings, allowing seven hits, eight runs, two earned runs, with three walks and a strikeout. White led the Catamount offense, going 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI.
The Citadel continues their home stand when they face VMI on Tuesday and Wednesday. First pitch on both days is scheduled for 6 p.m. It will be the first meeting between the two military schools since VMI left the Southern Conference in 2003.
Western Carolina returns home to host UNC Asheville Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Furman 5, Elon 4
GREENVILLE, S.C. ? Rob Fondu scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning to deliver a 5-4 win over Elon Sunday afternoon in the finale of a three game Southern Conference baseball series at Latham Stadium.
Fondu, who beat out an infield single with one out, advanced to second on a two-out base hit by Brian Harrison, and to third on a wild pitch by Elon reliever Dylan Clark. After Furman’s Will Miller worked the count to two balls and no strikes, Phoenix catcher Mike Mellilo appeared set to call for the intentional walk after standing and taking ball three well off the plate. After a pause to confer with Phoenix coaches, Mellilo resumed his normal catching stance behind the plate, and Clark’s next pitch skipped past him, allowing Fondu to race home for the winning run.
The victory helped Furman (6-9, 1-2 SoCon) avoid the series sweep and halted the Paladins’ nine-game losing streak to Elon (10-5, 2-1 SoCon). It also represented Furman’s first win over the Phoenix in Greenville since 2004.
Both teams struggled defensively in the late innings, with Elon committing errors in the seventh and eighth, which led to Furman runs, and the Paladins mishandling a relay throw for an error in the eighth that allowed the Phoenix to score.
Elon led 3-2 after six innings before Furman tied it in the seventh. With one out Will Owens reached on a bunt single and advanced to second on the play on Phoenix third baseman Scott Riddle’s throwing error. Owens then moved to third on a wild pitch by Elon’s Daniel Britt and later scored on Britt’s second wild pitch of the frame.
In the Phoenix eighth, Mellilo was hit by a pitch to lead off, moved to second on a sacrifice, and came around to score after Fondu, playing center field, recorded the second out of the inning on a deep fly, but his throw back to the infield sailed over both cutoff men.
Furman promptly took advantage of a pair of Elon mistakes in the bottom of the inning to make it 4-4. Will Miller led off with a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and moved to third after a errant pickoff throw by Mellilo got away. Aaron Thompkins followed with an RBI single to center field.
Elon put the potential go-ahead run on with one out in the ninth, but Paladin reliever Jay Friedman stranded the runner at third by striking out Justin Hilt to end the inning and set up the decisive bottom of the ninth.
Friedman (1-1) earned the victory, and Clark (0-1) was charged with the loss.
Furman senior Kevin Gaid made his first weekend start of the season, working six innings and allowing eight hits, three runs, and a walk. He struck out one.
Marc DeDecker continued his solid work out of the bullpen with two innings of shutout relief.
Furman claimed a 9-8 advantage in hits, with Thompkins and Will Muzika leading the way with 2-for-4 performances. Miller had three walks and scored a pair of runs for the Paladins.
Elon was paced by Alex Swim, whose two-run home run in the third inning gave the Phoenix a 2-1 lead.
Furman plays South Carolina on Tuesday at Fluor Field. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m.
Elon hosts UNC Wilmington Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Samford 18, College of Charleston 4
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. ? Samford’s David Schulze batted 6-for-6 with two home runs and seven RBI to lead the Bulldogs to an 18-4 win over College of Charleston in Southern Conference action Sunday afternoon at Patriots Point. Charleston falls to 12-5 overall, 1-2 in the SoCon; Samford improves to 9-6, 2-1.
Samford jumped to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning, scoring on a RBI single by Mason Meredeth and plating two runs on a RBI double to right by Schulze. Charleston got on the board in the bottom of the inning with a run on a RBI single by junior SS Baker Knox (San Mateo, Fla./Daytona Beach CC).
The Bulldogs put four more runs across the plate in the second, on the strength of a pair of two-run singles by Meredeth and Schulze to take a 7-1 lead after two innings. CofC added another run in the third to cut the Samford lead to 7-2 on a RBI triple to right center by Knox, but Samford responded with another four-spot in the fifth to take a 11-2 advantage.
An RBI single by Stephen Ballard increased the Samford lead to 12-2 before Charleston tallied two runs in the sixth. Junior 2B Jesse Mesa (Miramar, Fla./Central Florida JC) singled through the left side to score senior 1B Justin Brewer (Greer, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist College) and junior CF Cole Rakar (Mt. Pleasant, S.C./Wando) came across the plate during a double-play groundout.
Samford added three more runs both the seventh and eighth innings to pull away with a 18-4 lead. The Bulldogs plated the three in the seventh on a solo home run by Schulze, a RBI single by Michael Johnson and a RBI double by Brad Moss. Back-to-back round-trippers by Marcus Rodriguez and Schulze completed the scoring for the Bulldogs in the eighth.
Junior RHP Josh Salay (Rock Hill, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist College) took the loss for the Cougars, allowing seven runs on nine hits in four innings. Samford’s Andrew Jones earned the win for the Bulldogs, tossing 3.1 innings and scattering four hits in relief of starter Josh Martin. Martin allowed two runs on six hits in 3.2 innings of work.
Charleston returns to action with a pair of mid-week games, facing #12 Coastal Carolina Tuesday night and taking on Jacksonville Wednesday. Both games are scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m.
Samford entertains Jacksonville State Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT.
UNC Greensboro 4, Princeton 3
GREENSBORO, N.C. ? Pinch hitter Brad Raynor delivered a walk-off two-out two-RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap off another ninth-inning comeback for the Spartans as UNC Greensboro defeated Princeton, 4-3, on Sunday afternoon at the UNCG Baseball Stadium. It was the third ninth-inning comeback for the Spartans this season.
Colby Hyatt picked up the win for the Spartans (9-4) after pitching the final 2 2/3 innings and giving up just two hits and striking out two. Starter Warren Slack had a nice effort as well as he pitched six innings and gave up just three runs, only one earned, while tying his career-high with eight strikeouts.
Raynor’s single spoiled the efforts of Tiger starter David Palms who threw 108 pitches. Palms pitched 7 2/3 innings while allowing just one unearned run on two hits and striking out six batters. Matt Grabowski was credited with the loss for the Tigers (0-6) after giving up three runs on three hits in just one inning of work.
Lloyd Enzor and Zach Leach each went 2-4 at the plate to lead the Spartans, while Ray Quinones and Taylor Schwarz added an RBI each. Noel Gonzales-Luna went 2-3 with a pair of RBI for the Tigers.
After the Spartans recorded just two hits in the first eight innings, things looked bleak for UNCG after Grabowski retired the first batter in the bottom of the ninth. Enzor followed with a single to right field though and Leach delivered a double off the wall in left center to move Enzor to third. Chris Barker drew a walk to load the bases before a groundout by Schwarz scored Enzor to make it a 3-2 game. That was when Raynor stepped to the plate and took the first pitch he saw through the left side of the infield to score pinch runner Joey Frabasile and Barker to give UNCG the 4-3 victory.
UNCG was the first team to get on the board though as the Spartans pushed one run across the plate in the bottom of the first. Drew Gehringer led off the inning by reaching on a fielding error and then advanced to second on a groundout to the first baseman. Gehringer then stole third before Quinones hit a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed Gehringer to score and give UNCG a 1-0 lead.
The Tigers got to Slack in the top of the second as they scored three runs although just one was earned. Slack struck out the first batter before Sam Mulroy singled to center field. After advancing on a wild pitch, Mulroy went to third after John Mishu reached on a UNCG fielding error. Matt Broscious singled through the right side to score Mulroy and tie the game at one apiece. Slack struck out the next batter, but Gonzales-Luna doubled to left field that scored Mishu and Broscious to put Princeton ahead, 3-2.
Neither team was able to provide much offense for the rest of the game until Princeton had runners on second and third with only one out in the seventh inning. Hyatt came out of the bullpen though for the Spartans and got the next two batters to ground out on just four pitches to get UNCG out of the jam.
The Spartans will look for their third sweep this season as the two teams face off on Monday at 6 p.m.