UNC Greensboro 6, Davidson 5
GREENSBORO, N.C. ? UNC Greensboro got 8 1/3 strong innings from starter Warren Slack and held on late as the Spartans defeated Southern Conference foe Davidson, 6-5, on Tuesday evening at the UNCG Baseball Stadium. The Spartans and Wildcats will play three midweek contests this season instead of the traditional weekend series due to conflicts with Davidson’s exam schedule.
Slack allowed three runs on four hits in the first inning, but settled down after that to give up just five hits, while striking out seven over the final 7 1/3 innings to pick up the win. Blake Hassebrock came in to record the final out for the Spartans (12-12, 1-6 SoCon) to pick up his first save of the season.
Reliever Brian Russell was credited with the loss for the Wildcats (13-12, 4-6 SoCon) after allowing three unearned runs on just one hit in an inning of work.
The Spartans were led by Kris Richards who went 3-4 at the plate with a run scored and Corey Overholtzer who was 2-4 with a runs scored. Lloyd Enzor also added a two-run home run for UNCG.
Danny Weiss helped pace the Wildcats by going 2-3 with two walks and an RBI. Drew Gadaire and Jamers Cerbie also chipped in a pair of hits for Davidson.
The game didn’t get started off on a good note though for the Spartans as Davidson jumped on Slack for a trio of early runs in the first inning. With one out, Gadaire singled to center field before Weiss tripled to dead center to score Gadaire and give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.
Andrew Barna then singled through the left side to score Weiss to make it a two-run game. Tommy Piacenza kept the momentum rolling for the Wildcats as he delivered a double to right center that allowed Barna to come all the way around and score from first to put Davidson ahead, 3-0.
The Spartans responded though in the bottom half of the second as Ed Jayjack drew a one-out walk. Enzor then stepped to the plate and belted his third home run of the season out to left field to pull the Spartans within 3-2.
UNCG took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth inning as Zach Leach drew a one-out walk. Eric Brindle then reached base on a fielding error by the Wildcat third baseman to put runners on first and second. Richards followed with a single to right field to load the bases.
Harry Slade hit a sacrifice fly to deep left field that scored Leach and allowed all of the runners to move up a base and tie the game at three. With Drew Gehringer at the plate, Brindle scored on a passed ball to put the Spartans ahead, 4-3.
With runners on the corners, Gehringer was caught leaning off the bag and put in a rundown, but Richards wisely took the opportunity to race home before Gehringer was tagged out to make it a 5-3 advantage for the Spartans.
In the fifth inning, Overholtzer led off the inning with a triple to left field. The triple was the 16th of Overholtzer’s career, which ties him with Ryan Gordon for the most in school history. He scored on the next play on a groundout to the second baseman to extend UNCG’s lead to 6-3.
The score stayed that way until the ninth inning when the Wildcats put together a late-game rally. Michael Goldberg lead off the inning by reaching on a fielding error. Slack got the next batter to strikeout before Cerbie singled through the left side and put runners on first and second.
That was the end of the night though for Slack as he had to turn it over to the bullpen. The runners advanced to second and third though as the next batter grounded out to the first baseman. A wild pitch allowed Goldberg to score and Gadaire then singled through the left side to score Cerbie and pull Davidson within, 6-5.
Hassebrock was then called out of the pen and he induced Barna to fly out to left field to end the game.
The Spartans will return to the diamond on Wednesday as UNCG and North Carolina A&T renew their annual rivalry at 6 p.m. at NewBridge Bank Park, home of the Greensboro Grasshoppers.
Appalachian State 14, East Tennessee State 4
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University baseball put together one of its most complete performances of the season to rout East Tennessee State, 14-4, on Tuesday afternoon at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
With the victory, Appalachian (15-6-1) snapped a five-game winless streak and upped its record in non-conference games this season to 13-0. ASU also won for the 25th time in its last 26 non-conference games overall and moved to 23-1-1 in its last 25 home games.
With every member of the starting lineup recording at least one hit, the Mountaineers scored in 6-of-8 innings in Tuesday's triumph. Perhaps even more impressively, led by freshman Nathan Hyatt (Brevard, N.C./Brevard), the Apps held East Tennessee State's high-powered offense scoreless over the final six stanzas of the ballgame. ETSU (16-6) came into the contest hitting .334 as a team and averaging 9.8 runs per game.
Appalachian trailed 4-3 when Hyatt came into the contest with one out in the third inning and the bases loaded with Buccaneers. However, Hyatt got out of the jam when he induced an inning-ending double play on only his third pitch.
From there, it was all ASU, as the Mountaineers grabbed a 7-4 lead with four runs in the bottom of the third and never looked back. Jeremy Dowdy (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield) gave the Apps the lead for good with a three-run to left field, one of four Appalachian homers on the afternoon.
ASU added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, two in the sixth and three in the seventh to stretch the advantage to 14-4, which would be more than enough for Hyatt. The right-handed rookie allowed just two hits while striking out six over a career-high 4.2 innings to earn the first win of his career. Will Helms (Charlotte, N.C./Providence) and Chris Patterson (Laurinburg, N.C./Scotland County) each worked a scoreless inning to close out the triumph.
Dowdy paced the Mountaineers' 14-run, 15-hit onslaught by going 2-for-5 with a career-high four RBI. Ryan Stetson (Charlotte, N.C./Ardrey Kell), Jerod Faggart (Concord, N.C./Northwest Cabarrus) and David Towarnicky (New Bern, N.C./New Bern) also homered for the Apps while and Tyler Zupcic (Charlotte, N.C./Providence) drove in three runs. Senior Wes Hobson (Winston-Salem, N.C./North Forsyth) went 2-for-4 to move within four hits of Appalachian's all-time record of 260, held by former teammate Isaac Harrow (2006-09).
Appalachian continues its nine-game homestand when it hosts longtime rival Furman for a three-game Southern Conference series this weekend. Game times are set for 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Easter Sunday at Smith Stadium.
College of Charleston 9, Charleston Southern 4
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. ? Junior LF Jose Rodriguez (Hialeah, Fla./Broward College) blasted a three-run home run to left, sparking a five-run seventh inning, as College of Charleston knocked off Charleston Southern University 9-4 Tuesday night at Patriots Point. CofC took all three games from the Buccaneers this season, extending their winning streak to 13 games over their local non-conference rival.
The two clubs traded single runs in the opening inning, with Charleston Southern (10-16) taking the early lead on a RBI double to right center by Nick Chinners. The Cougars (20-7) knotted the score with a RBI single up the middle by senior 2B Joey Bergman (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny) that scored junior RF Baker Knox (San Mateo, Fla./Daytona Beach CC), who walked to lead off the frame.
Charleston added two runs in the third to take a 3-1 lead. With two outs, Bergman walked on five pitches and advanced to second on a wild pitch by Buccaneers starter Patrick Dolan. Sophomore 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla./American Heritage) followed up with his 10th home run of the season, a two-run shot to right field.
The Bucs cut the deficit in half with a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Dolan that scored Tyler Thornburg. Thornburg reached on a single to left and stole second base, before reaching third on a fielding error by junior SS Jamie Holler (Rock Hill, S.C./USC Sumter JC). The Cougars restored the two-run advantage in the top of the sixth on a leadoff home run to right center by junior DH Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J./Randolph). The round-tripper was Kral’s sixth of the season.
Knox opened the seventh with his third walk of the game. Junior CF Cole Rakar (Mt. Pleasant, S.C./Wando) lined a single to the left side, moving Knox to second and Knox went to third on a fielding error by CSU shortstop Walt Quattlebaum. Knox scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Bergman. After Rakar stole second, Rodriguez deposited a 2-2 pitch over the left-field wall for his eight home run of the season. Senior 1B Greg Blake (Westerly, R.I./Lake City CC) roped a double down the left-field line and was brought home on a RBI single up the middle by junior C Kolby Epley (Yadkinville, S.C./Forbush).
CSU closed out the game with a pair of runs in the ninth, scoring a pair of unearned runs on a throwing error by Holler and a RBI single through the right side by Tom Burkett.
Charleston freshman LHP Jake Zokan (Columbia, S.C./Spring Valley) earned his second win of the season, allowing two runs and scattering five hits over five innings and striking out four. Dolan took the loss for the Buccaneers, allowing three runs and two hits with five walks over five innings.
The Cougars return to action this weekend as they host Georgia Southern in a Southern Conference doubleheader at Patriots Point. Friday’s game is set for a 6:00 p.m. first pitch.
Georgia Southern 3, North Florida 2
STATESBORO, Ga. - Georgia Southern’s Justin Hess took a no-hitter into the ninth inning as the Eagles ran their winning streak to four games with a 3-2 victory over North Florida on Tuesday (March 30) at J.I. Clements Stadium.
Trailing 2-0, the Ospreys broke up the no-hitter and scored two runs with one out in the top of the ninth before Georgia Southern (15-11) won the game on a fielder’s choice by Shawn Payne (Stone Mountain, Ga.) with one out in the bottom of the inning.
Hess (Panama City, Fla.) allowed two earned runs on two hits with six strikeouts and four walks. He set North Florida (14-13) down in order in the first, fifth, sixth and eighth innings.
Aided by two Eagle errors, the Ospreys put runners into scoring position in the second, third and seventh innings, but Hess worked his way out of trouble each time.
Georgia Southern scored its first run in the bottom of the first. After Kyle Blackburn (Marietta, Ga.) doubled with two out, A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) followed with an RBI single past the third baseman, plating Blackburn for the 1-0 lead.
But that would be the only earned run the Eagles would muster against North Florida starter John Atteo. He worked 7.1 innings, giving up two runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
In the top of the third, the Ospreys used two walks and an error to load the bases, but Hess got the next two batters on a line drive to the first baseman and a fly ball to right field. Georgia Southern turned a double play to end the fourth inning, and that started a streak in which Hess retired 14 of 15 batters.
The Eagles scored an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth. Payne led off with a single and was safe at second when the third baseman committed a throwing error on Roman Grimaldi’s (Duluth, Ga.) groundball. After moving to third on a Kevin Bowles (Statesboro, Ga.) walk, Payne scored when the center fielder dropped Blackburn’s fly ball to short right-center for a 2-0 advantage.
Hess retired the first batter he faced in the top of the ninth, but North Florida’s Andrew Karmeris ended the no-hitter when he singled sharply to center field. Justin Preckajlo followed with a single that moved Karmeris to second base, and Colin Snow (Alpharetta, Ga.) came on to relieve Hess, who received an ovation from the crowd of 1,615 fans.
The Ospreys’ Kevin Martin greeted Snow with a two-run double into the right field corner that tied the score, 2-2. After walking Robbie Collier, Snow fielded a comebacker and threw to third base to force Martin for the second out. The inning ended when the next batter grounded out to the second baseman.
In the bottom of the ninth, Steve Cochrane (Mooresville, N.C.) drew a walk from North Florida reliever Kris Linster and was replaced by pinch-runner Al Williams (Detroit, Mich.). Casey Medlen relieved Linster and committed a balk that sent Williams to second base. After Williams advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.), Michael Burruss (Marietta, Ga.) was intentionally walked to set up a potential inning-ending double play.
But Payne followed with a slow groundball to the second baseman that allowed Williams to score from third and give Georgia Southern the win.
Snow (1-1) was credited with the win. He worked 0.2 innings, giving up no runs on one hit with no strikeouts and one walk.
Linster (0-1) was charged with the loss. In 0.2 innings, he gave up one earned run on no hits with no strikeouts and one walk.
The Eagles will play their next six games on the road against Southern Conference opponents. They will visit the College of Charleston on April 2-4 and Elon on April 9-11.
Georgia Southern will return home to play Jacksonville on April 13 at 7 p.m.
No. 23 East Carolina 8, Elon 0
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Zach Woods struck out a career-high 15 hitters to lead the 23rd-ranked East Carolina Pirates to an 8-0 victory over the Elon Phoenix on Tuesday night. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Phoenix which is now 15-10 on the year. ECU won its eighth consecutive outing to improve to 17-8.
The shutout was the first suffered by the Phoenix since a 12-0 loss to 19th-ranked Coastal Carolina on April 16, 2008.
The Pirates went on top in the second inning when Cameron Freeman's ground out plated Zach Wright, who had doubled to lead off the inning, from third.
After retiring the first two hitters on a pitch apiece in the bottom of the third inning, Elon's Dylan Clark walked the bases loaded before giving up a grand slam to Wright to make it 5-0.
ECU added another when Dustin Harrington singled home Freeman from second in the fourth inning.
The Pirates loaded the bases in the fifth with a walk to Devin Harris, a double by John Wooten and Freeman being hit by a pitch. Philip Clark's fielder's choice erased Freeman, but allowed Harris to score. A wild pitch then let Wooten race home as the ECU lead grew to 8-0.
Woods improved to 4-1 on the season. He allowed three hits and walked one while fanning the most hitters since Hal Baird's school-record 20 K's in 1970. Woods worked 7.2 innings
Clark fell to 0-2 after giving up five runs on three hits in three innings. He walked four and struck out three.
Justin Hilt had two of Elon's three hits. Ben Scott had the other.
Wright went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and four RBI for ECU.
Elon returns home to face Wake Forest at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night.
No. 14 South Carolina 10, No. 25 The Citadel 1
Columbia, S.C. - No. 14 South Carolina hit five homers to power past No. 25 The Citadel on Tuesday night in front of 6,451 at Carolina Stadium.
The first inning saw the Gamecocks take a quick 2-0 lead when Jackie Bradley Jr. smacked the first pitch from Bulldog starter TJ Clarkson (Coral Springs, Fla.) past the center field wall, scoring Whit Merrifield who reached on an error by Legare Jones (Columbia, S.C) at second to open the frame. Adam Matthews then singled and scored on a bloop single to shallow center by Robert Beary that fell to give South Carolina a 3-0 lead.
Clarkson would get into trouble again in the second when he walked Scott Wingo and Merrifield on four pitches each to put a pair of runners on with one out. Bradley then hit a ball hard to first that got past Justin Mackert (Cleveland, Ohio) to score Wingo. A passed ball by Bryan Altman (Summerville, S.C.) then allowed Merrifield to score. A pair of walks to Brady Thomas and Jeffrey Jones would end the day for Clarkson (1-2), who last justed 1.1 innings, the shortest outing in his career as a starter. He allowed six runs, four earned, on four hits with four walks and two stikeouts in the loss.
Matt Reifsnider (Ormand Beach, Fla.) came on in relief and walked in Matthews to score a run, but limited the damage after that with the bases loaded and South Carolina (20-5) leading, 6-0.
The Bulldogs were able to get on the board in the third inning off South Carolina starter Colby Holmes when Brad Felder (Orangeburg, S.C.) launched his team-leading fifth homer of the year to left center field to give The Citadel their first run and their first hit of the game.
In the top of the fifth, The Citadel (18-7) would threaten against Holmes with three singles to load the bases. A strikeout by the Gamecock freshman got himself out of the jam and preserved the 6-1 lead.
Reifsnider would retire nine in a row in relief for the Bulldogs. The Gamecocks however, would increase their lead on four solo homers in the late innings. In the sixth, Wingo went deep for South Carolina. Jones then followed suit in the seventh, as did Beary to end the evening for Reifsnider who went 5.0 innings out of the bullpen, allowing three runs, on five hits to go with a walk and three strikeouts. Jeffrey Spillane (Houston, Texas) then came in and Michael Roth took the first pitch from the freshman out to center to increase the lead to 10-1. It was the first time The Citadel has given up back-to-back homers since 2007, which also came against the Gamecocks.
Felder led the Bulldogs, going 1-for-4 with a solo homer and was hit by a pitch. Orvin, who has now hit safely in eight of the last nine games, went 1-for-5. Bradley with 3-for-5 with thee RBI and two runs scored to lead South Carolina. Holmes (1-0) picked up first collegiate win, going 5.0 innings, allowing five hits, one run, one walk and four strikeouts.
The Citadel returns to action on Wednesday at 6 p.m. when they host Charleston Southern at Riley Park.
No. 17 Vanderbilt 7, Wofford 2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? The Wofford baseball team was defeated 7-2 by Vanderbilt on Tuesday evening at Hawkins Field. The #17 ranked Commodores scored three runs in the second and third innings on the way to the victory as the Terriers had ten hits in the contest.
Wofford is 8-16 on the season, while Vanderbilt is 22-4 overall. The Terriers were led by Josh McKinney with three hits and an RBI, while Matt Moore added an RBI as well. The Commodores were led by Andrew Giobbi who was 4-of-4 on the night with four RBIs.
After both sides were retired in order in the first inning, the Terriers had the first hits of the game with singles by Landon Bennett and David Roney. A single to center by Josh McKinney scored Bennett from second for a 1-0 lead. Wofford loaded the bases with a walk to Matt Moore with two outs, but a fielder’s choice ended the half of the inning.
The Commodores responded with a two-run homer by Andrew Giobbi over the left field wall. An RBI single by Anthony Gomez added a run for a 3-1 lead. Vanderbilt added two runs on an RBI double to right center by Giobbi and he was driven in by a single from Connor Harrell for a 6-1 advantage.
Wofford had two runners on base in the top of the fourth, but a double play ended the scoring chance. The Commodores added another run in the bottom of the fifth when Jason Esposito reached on a hit by pitch, stole second, moved to third on an error and scored on a wild pitch for a 7-1 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth, Vanderbilt loaded the bases with two out on a single, walk and hit by pitch, but all three runners were stranded. Wofford had back-to-back doubles by Josh McKinney and Matt Moore to score one run in the top of the seventh for a 7-2 score.
The Terriers left two runners on base in the top of the eighth inning and the Commodores left to on base in the bottom of the eighth. Josh McKinney added his third hit of the day in the top of the ninth, but was left on base for a 7-2 final score.
For the Terriers, starter Cash Collins (0-1) threw 2.2 with eight hits and six runs allowed along with two strikeouts. Ryan Traylor went three innings in his longest outing of the season with three hits and one run allowed. Bobby Streisel went the final 2.1 innings with only two hits allowed and a strikeout. James Foster did not have a hit in the game, ending a 21-game streak that was the second longest in school history and the third longest in the nation this season.
Vanderbilt starter Chase Reid went the first two innings with one run scored on three hits and two strikeouts. Will Clinard (2-0) pitched four innings and gave up three hits with five strikeouts. Corey Williams threw the seventh and allowed one run on two hits with two strikeouts. Sam Selman went the eighth with one hit allowed and two strikeouts, while Grayson Garvin threw the ninth and had one hit and three strikeouts.
Wofford will complete the two-game series at Vanderbilt on March 31 before returning home for a three-game conference series against The Citadel beginning on Friday, April 2.