College of Charleston 5, No. 8 Coastal Carolina 4
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. ? Senior 1B Justin Brewer (Greer, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist College) hit a sacrifice fly to center field in the bottom of the seventh inning to score junior LF Jose Rodriguez (Hialeah, Fla./Broward College) and lift College of Charleston to a 5-4 victory over #8 Coastal Carolina Tuesday night at Patriots Point. The win was the Cougars fourth straight over the Chanticleers and improves CofC to 13-5 on the season, while Coastal Carolina falls to 15-3.
Charleston jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the second inning, as Rodriguez and junior SS Baker Knox (San Mateo, Fla./Daytona Beach CC) hit back-to-back solo home runs to put the Cougars up 2-0. Later in the inning, Charleston plated another pair of runs on bases-loaded walks issued to junior CF Cole Rakar (Mt. Pleasant, S.C./Wando) and junior C Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J./Randolph) for the 4-0 advantage.
Coastal Carolina rallied back to knot the score at 4-4 with a single run in the fourth and three in the fifth. Jose Iglesias homered down the left-field line to lead off the fourth to cut the Cougars’ lead to three, while a Rico Noel sacrifice fly with the bases loaded brought the Chants to within two early in the fifth. A RBI groundout by Tommy La Stella and a passed ball that scored Scott Woodward knotted the game at 4-4.
Rodriguez doubled to left to lead off the seventh and Knox followed with a single to left center, moving Rodriguez to third and advancing to second on the throw. Brewer then came to the plate, pinch-hitting and seventh RBI of the season.
Senior P Kevin Decker (Washington, Ind./Seminole CC) earned the win for the Cougars, tossing two innings of no-hit relief of freshman starter Matt Pegler (Greenville, S.C./Riverside). Pegler tossed a strong six innings, scattering four hits and allowing four runs, three earned, with seven strikeouts. Junior Heath Hembree (Cowpens, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist College) pitched a perfect ninth for his third save.
Matt Laney took the loss for Coastal Carolina, giving up one run on two hits in 0.2 innings of work.
Charleston returns to action tomorrow night as Jacksonville visits Patriots Point for a non-conference tilt. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
Georgia Southern 8, Kennesaw State 7
STATESBORO, Ga. ? A.J. Wirnsberger launched a two-run home run, Eric Phillips drove in three RBI and Kyle Blackburn laced a two-run double in the eighth inning that returned the lead to Georgia Southern. Kennesaw State took the lead in the seventh, but Blackburn’s run-scoring double would stay the final margin as the Eagles defeated the Owls, 8-7, at Stillwell Stadium Tuesday afternoon (March 16).
GS used 17 hits and three Owl pitchers to improve to 9-8 overall this season. Five Eagles posted multi-hit games with Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) going 3-for-5, Steve Cochrane (Mooresville, N.C.) going 2-for-5, Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) batting 3-for-4 and Randy J. Williams (Valdosta, Ga.) going 2-for-5.
Georgia Southern got off to a good start, scoring three off Kennesaw State starter Zak Griffth in the first three innings. The Eagles used a Williams RBI single to score in the top of the second before a two-run blast from Wirnsberger put GS up 3-0 in the third.
The advantage lasted through the third as Eagle starter Justin Hess (Panama City, Fla.) retired the Owls before they struck in the bottom half of the fourth. KSU loaded the bases with zero outs off a double, error and single. Hess looked to be on target to squeeze out of the jam striking out the next two batters. But a free pass to Sean McClurken walked in the first run before Tyler Stubblefield singled up the middle, driving in two and evening the ballgame, 3-3.
Wirnsberger created a threat for the Eagles in the fifth doubling down the left field line advancing Kevin Bowles (Statesboro, Ga.) to third who reached on a single. A Cochrane fly ball proved shallow enough to hold both runners as Phillips stepped to the plate with two outs.
Phillips singled to center field, clearing the bases and returning the lead back to Georgia Southern, 5-3.
Phillips drove in an insurance run in the top of the seventh, which would prove beneficial as Josh Whitaker launched a two-run home run for his first of the season in the bottom of the frame to slice the game to one-run, 6-5. A one-out single from Ronnie Freeman to left chased Michael Hester (Evans, Ga.) from the game. Owl third baseman lifted a two-run single to left off Charles Matthews (Athens, Ga.) as Kennesaw State took a 7-6 lead with one out. Matthews escaped further damage striking out Bucky Smith and forcing a popup from pinch-hitter Ray Anderson.
Arthur Owens (Fayetteville, Ga.) and Shawn Payne (Stone Mountain, Ga.) opened the eighth with back-to-back singles that led to a call to the bullpen. Bowles laid down a sacrifice bunt advancing both runners before Blackburn (Marietta, Ga.) laced one to the outfield wall in right center driving in Owens and Payne for an 8-7 GS lead.
Colin Snow (Alpharetta, Ga.) relieved Matthews in the eighth and closed out the game, retiring six straight for save number two on the season. Matthews picked up the win improving to 1-1 on the year.
Georgia Southern travels to No. 7 Clemson for a midweek match-up on Wednesday, March 17. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. as Chris Beck (Jefferson, Ga.) and Scott Firth are scheduled to take the mound.
Western Carolina 10, UNC Asheville 3
Cullowhee, N.C. ? Western Carolina tacked on seven runs in the first inning en route to a 10-3 victory over mountain rival UNC Asheville on Tuesday at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. WCU (11-5) won their third consecutive non-conference game, while the Bulldogs dropped to 4-9 on the season.
The Catamounts collectively hit for the cycle in the first inning with Cameron Dullnig smacking a lead-off triple. WCU answered with a pair of doubles, a single and a Ross Heffley home run to left, to give the Cats a 7-0 advantage after one full inning. UNCA answered with a pair of runs in the top-half of the fifth inning before Western Carolina added a duo of runs to extend their lead to 10-2 in the home-half of the frame. The Bulldogs added a run in the ninth for a final score of 10-3.
Every Western Carolina starter collected a hit in Tuesday evening’s mid-week contest. Dullnig, a native of San Antonio, Texas, hit 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI in the leadoff role for WCU. Heffley jacked a three-run blast to left field for his first homer of the year. The sophomore hit 1-for-5 with a run scored and three runs-batted-in.
Freshman Cory Cronan began the first inning with a double before adding a single and finished the evening with a run scored. Short stop Austin Schultz played a productive role with a 2-for-4 evening including two runs scored and a RBI. Matt Johns also notched a multi-hit contest.
WCU freshmen made an impact on the mound as Lefty Mat Batts (2-0) earned his second mid-week win of the year, tossing a full five innings with two earned runs allowed on seven hits and three strikeouts. Batts was relieved by fellow freshman Taylor Sandefur who pitched two hitless innings with a walk and strikeout. Preston Hatcher filled a hitless eighth inning for the Cats, while T.J. Page closed out the contest for WCU.
In the bottom of the first, Dullnig and teammate Dylan de Graaf scored after Heffley’s long-bomb to left field. Ollie Goulder continued his team-high eight game hit streak with a double before Tyler White reached on base due to a UNCA error, allowing Goulder to score. Cronan reached on base with a double to left, while Austin Schutlz drove in White for a score. Dullnig’s single to right would then drive in Cronan and Schultz to open the contest at 7-0. UNCA added a pair of runs scored by Beau Zinman and Cody Buch in the top of the fifth. WCU answered with three more runs in the bottom half of the fifth to seal the contest.
Buch led the Bulldogs with a 3-for-4 performance, two RBI and a run scored. UNCA right-hander Carson McLean tossed two-thirds of an inning, giving up seven runs on six hits to fall to 0-3 on the season.
Western Carolina resumes non-conference action with Charlotte on Wednesday afternoon. The contest is scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. start. Fans in attendance will have the opportunity to chow on $1.00 hot dogs, courtesy of B & AL’s. Live GameTracker of Wednesday’s contest will be available online at CatamountSports.com.
Appalachian State 10, Columbia 9
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University baseball strung together three-straight RBI hits in the bottom of the ninth inning to erase a two-run deficit and extend its winning streak at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium to 17 games with a 10-9 win over Columbia on Tuesday afternoon.
Freshman Tyler Zupcic (Charlotte, N.C./Providence) ended the wild affair with an RBI double to the right center field warning track that brought home Chris Alessandria (Ponte Vedra, Fla./Nease) with the game-winning run. Two batters earlier, Alessandria had sliced Appalachian's 9-7 ninth-inning deficit in half with an RBI single through the left side of the infield. Pinch-hitter Chris Trappy (Palm City, Fla./Martin County) followed with an RBI double that fell in nearly the same spot as Zupcic's game-winner and tied the game at 9-9.
During the subsequent at-bat, Zupcic fell behind 0-2 to Columbia's Alex Black (0-1) before driving a 1-2 pitch deep into the right center field gap and well over the heads of the Lions' drawn-in outfielders. As the ball caromed off the wall on one hop, the Mountaineers poured out of their dugout to mob Zupcic in between second and third base in appreciation of the rookie's first-career walk-off hit.
The final at-bat heroics were necessary only because Appalachian (12-2) suffered a late-inning collapse. ASU took a 6-3 lead into the top of the eighth inning but Columbia (2-6) used a walk, sacrifice fly, two singles and a two-out, two-run double off the bat of Billy Rumpke to score four runs and take a 7-6 lead.
In the bottom of the eighth, freshman Hector Crespo (Miami, Fla./Florida Christian) lined a one-out triple down the right field line and scored on Jerod Faggart's (Concord, N.C./Northwest Cabarrus) sacrifice fly to center field to knot the game at 7-7.
The Mountaineers turned to senior Matt Andress (Charlotte, N.C./South Mecklenburg), the club's No. 1 starter who was available due to Tuesday being his designated day to throw in the bullpen, in the ninth inning. Making only his seventh relief appearance in 52 career outings, the right-handed senior surrendered a two-out, two-run double to Nick Ferraresi that put the Apps in the 9-7 hole.
Appalachian's five hits in the ninth inning capped a season-best 19-hit effort for the team. Alessandria and David Towarnicky (New Bern, N.C./New Bern) led the outburst with three hits apiece while Alessandria and Faggart each drove in two runs. Ten different Mountaineers recorded a hit with seven of the nine Apps in the starting lineup registering multiple hits.
On the other side of the diamond, Columbia's high-powered offense banged out 10 hits, six of which came over the final two innings. The Lions also benefitted from ASU's season-high four errors, three of which came in Columbia's two-run fifth inning.
Despite allowing two runs in his only inning of work, Andress was credited with the win to move to 4-1 on the season and into a tie for third on ASU's all-time victories list with 21 for his career.
After playing its first 13 games of the year on the road, the triumph in Tuesday's opener at Smith Stadium stretches the nation's longest home winning streak to 17 in a row (20 when including a three-game home series versus Rider that was played in Hickory, N.C. due to snow in Boone). Appalachian has not dropped a home affair since a 10-7 setback to Georgia Southern on March 21 of last year. ASU's 3-1 victory over GSU the next day started the run of home dominance.
The Mountaineers look to continue their winning ways at Smith Stadium on Wednesday when it wraps up the two-game series with Columbia beginning at 3 p.m.
No. 30 VMI 4, The Citadel 3
Charleston, S.C. - The Bulldog baseball team saw their four-game winning streak halted by No. 30 VMI, 4-3, on Wednesday night in front of 854 fans at Riley Park.
The Citadel (11-4) gave up their first run in the ninth inning all season as VMI (15-1) broke a tie game when catcher Alex Haitsuka reached base when he was hit by a Raymond Copenhaver (Apopka, Fla.) pitch with one out. A wild pitch then sent Haitsuka to second, followed by a Copenhaver (0-1) strikeout that gave way to closer Drew Mahaffey (Summerville, S.C.). A passed ball allowed Haitsuka to head to third and with a full count and two outs, leadoff man Sam Roberts singled home Haitsuka to put the Keydets ahead, 4-3.
The Bulldogs got on the board first as David Greene (Columbia, S.C.) and Kyle Jordan (Goose Creek, S.C.) laced a pair of doubles to left field in the bottom of the second to go up, 1-0. A Justin Mackert (Cleveland, Ohio) single scored Jordan to put The Citadel ahead, 2-0. VMI would respond with two runs of their own in the top of the third as right fielder Jacob Morley led the inning off with a double and eventually scored on a fielder's choice RBI by Cory Spangenberg, who would reach first when Greene's throw was a second late getting to the plate in an attempt to gun down Morley at the plate. An RBI single by Justin Ballard would later score Spangenberg to tie the game at two.
Bulldog starter TJ Clarkson (Coral Springs, Fla.) went 5.0 innings, giving up four hits, two runs, one earned run and one walk while striking out three. Matt Reifsnider (Ormand Beach, Fla.) came in to relieve Clarkson and went 3.0 innings, giving up three hits, one run and striking out two. VMI got their third run off Reifsnider in the seventh when the Keydets hit three consecutive singles to take a 3-2 lead.
In the eighth, the Bulldogs would once again even the score when Jordan led off the inning with a single. He would move to second on a Mackert groundout and to third on a wild pitch. A Legare Jones (Columbia, S.C.) double to right would score Jordan as Jones was tagged out trying to stretch to third.
Michael Devine (3-0) earned the win for the Keydets in relief as he went 0.2 innings, allowing a hit and a strikeout. John Garrett earned his first save of the season when he came in to close out the ninth, striking out a pair of Bulldog hitters. VMI was led by Spangenberg who went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI. Jordan led the Bulldogs, going 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI.
The loss was only the second of the season at home for the Bulldogs, who also lost their first contest to a ranked opponent when No. 34 Kansas State squeaked past The Citadel, 2-1, on opening weekend in The Citadel Memorial Challenge presented by the Charleston Crab House.
The Citadel continues their two-game midweek series against VMI on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
UNC Wilmington 14, Elon 1
ELON, N.C. -- The UNC Wilmington Seahawks homered six times on their way to a 14-1 victory over the homestanding Elon Phoenix from Latham Park on Tuesday night. The Phoenix dropped to 10-6 on the season while the Seahawks upped their record to 9-7 with their fifth consecutive victory.
The Seahawks put runners on the corners when they got back-to-back singles from Andrew Cain and Robbie Monday to begin the second inning. With one out, Monday swiped second before J.D. Reichenbach got out of the inning by striking out Matt Holt and getting Ben Thielsen to ground out to first.
In the fourth, Cain led off with a single after a dropped foul pop-up allowed his at bat to continue and went to second on an Alex Hill bunt single with one away. Holt followed by ripping his first home run of the year to left-center to put UNCW on top 3-0. Thielsen then drew a walk and went to third on a hit-and-run single off the bat of Michael Rooney. The Seahawk lead reached 4-0 with Grayson Evans singled through the left side. After Cody Stanley advanced both runners with a ground out, reliever Bobby Kennedy unleashed a wild pitch that allowed Rooney to score. The lead reached 6-0 when Hunter Ridge singled home Evans.
UNCW tacked on another run when Evans belted a one-out homer to center in the top of the sixth.
The Seahawks added two more when Monday started the seventh with his fourth homer right before Hill went deep to right for his third home run.
Elon erased the shutout when Mike Melillo led off the Phoenix seventh with a homer to right, his first of the year and 29th of his career.
Stanley got that run back when he led off the eighth with his fifth home run of the year, this one down the left field line.
UNCW added on four runs in the ninth with RBI hits from Rooney and Evans and a two-run homer by Stanley.
Reichenbach (0-1) suffered the loss after giving up six runs (three earned) on eight hits in 3.1 innings. Elon used a total of six pitchers in the contest.
Daniel Cropper (1-1) was the winning pitcher. He stymied Elon hitters over 7.0 innings, allowing one run on three hits and striking out eight.
Melillo recorded two of Elon's four hits while Alex Swim and Grant McCoury each added one hit. Seth Canipe went 0-for-3 to snap his hitting streak at 10 games.
Eight of UNCW's nine starters had at least two hits. Evans led the way, going 4-for-6 with three runs scored, three RBI and a homer. Stanley homered twice and drove in two.
The Phoenix will play host to The Citadel in a three-game Southern Conference series beginning Friday at 6 p.m.
No. 24 South Carolina 15, Furman 0
GREENVILLE, S.C. ? Nolan Belcher pitched six shutout innings and Scott Wingo went 2-for-4 and drove in four runs to power South Carolina to a 15-0 shutout of Furman in baseball action Tuesday evening in front of 3,256 fans at Fluor Field.
Belcher (2-0) surrendered three of his four hits in the third inning but didn’t allow a run in keying the Gamecocks (12-4) to their third straight shutout of the Paladins (6-10). The sophomore right-hander struck out six and walked only one.
Wingo delivered a three-run double in the third inning and added an RBI single in the fifth to highlight USC’s 14-hit attack, which saw every starter score. Evan Marzilli crossed the dish three times, and Kyle Enders, Nick Ebert, Adam Matthews, Robert Beary each scored twice.
Whit Merrifield went 3-for-6 with three RBI, and Adrian Morales and Christian Walker also drove in a pair of runs for USC.
Will Owens had two of Furman’s five hits.
Trailing 2-0, Furman came unglued after two outs in the third when USC needed only one hit to go along with two walks, a hit batsman, two wild pitches, including one on a swinging third strike, a passed ball, and an error to plate five runs. Wingo’s bases clearing double capped the frame and staked USC to a 7-0 lead.
The Gamecocks added another unearned run in the fourth and blew the game open with a three-run fifth that included a Wingo RBI single and two-run double by Merrifield that made it 11-0.
Taking the loss for Furman was Barry Benton (0-3), who surrendered nine hits and 11 runs, though only four were earned.
Furman opens a three-game Southern Conference series against Davidson on Friday. First pitch at Latham Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m.
Jacksonville State 11, Samford 7
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Jacksonville State baseball team plated seven runs in the first inning on its way to an 11-7 win at Samford Tuesday night at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
Samford drops to 9-7 with the loss. Jacksonville State improves to 7-9 with the win.
Samford was led at the plate by Wayne Miller, going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. David Schulze went 2-for-4, while Bo Smith went 2-for-5 at the plate for the Bulldogs.
Arthur Strauss, who left the game with shoulder problems, faced two batters and gave up two runs to take the loss. Mark Lewallyn (3.1 innings, no runs) and Charles Terry (3.0 innings, no runs) pitched the final 6.1 innings without giving up a run for the Bulldogs.
For Jacksonville State, Sam Eberle went 2-for-6 with two home runs and six RBI. Bert Smith went 2-for-4 with an RBI, becoming the all-time leading hitter in Jacksonville State history. Jake Sharrock went 2-for-5 with two RBI, while Blake Seguin was 2-for-2 at the plate. Daniel Adamson also homered for the Gamecocks in a 1-for-3 performance.
Bill Henke pitched 2.1 innings in relief, giving up two runs on two hits and striking out four batters to earn the win on the mound for the Gamecocks.
In JSU's seven-run first inning, the Gamecocks sent 12 men to the plate. Eberle hit the first of his two three-run homers to start the scoring. Sharrock drove in two runs in the inning, while Andrew Edge and Smith drove in a run each.
After a solo homer by Adamson in the second gave JSU an 8-0 lead, Samford put its first two runs of the game on the board in the bottom of the second. Trey Hayes and Michael Johnson drove in a run each for the Bulldogs in the second inning.
JSU plated its final three runs of the game in the top of the third inning. Eberle hit another three-run homer to give the Gamecocks an 11-2 lead.
Samford scored one run in the third inning and two more in the fourth to cut the lead to 11-5. Miller scored the run in the third inning on a JSU error. In the fourth inning, Gardner Richey scored the first run of the inning on another Gamecock error. Johnson scored the final run of the inning when Miller hit a sacrifice fly to center field.
Samford plated the final two runs of the game in the sixth inning to make the final score 11-7. Miller homered to center field with Johnson on base for the game's final two runs.
Samford will return to action on Thursday when the Bulldogs open a four-game series with Minnesota. The first game of the series is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start at Joe Lee Griffin Field. The teams will also play Friday (6 p.m.), Saturday (1 p.m.) and Sunday (12 p.m.).