College of Charleston 10, Holy Cross 7
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. ? Sophomore 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla./American Heritage) snapped a 6-6 tie with a two-run home run to right center in the sixth inning to lead College of Charleston to a 10-7 win over visiting College of Holy Cross Wednesday afternoon at Patriots Point. The Cougars improve to 7-1 on the season and will play Charleston Southern at 5:00 p.m. this evening, while Holy Cross falls to 1-3.
Holy Cross jumped out to a 2-0 first inning lead on a home run by Eric Oxford. The Cougars responded with single runs in the first and second frames to knot the score at 2-2. Junior DH Kolby Epley (Yadkinville, N.C./Forbush) ripped a RBI single down the right field line in the first, while junior C Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J./Randolph) evened the score by coming home on a throwing error on Crusaders’ pitcher Bobby Holmes.
After Holy Cross plated a run in the top of the fourth, Charleston took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the frame. Sophomore RF Thomas Brittle (Cross, S.C./Berkeley) knocked a RBI single to left field and junior CF Cole Rakar (Mount Pleasant, S.C./Wando) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score the go-ahead run. The Cougars increased their lead to 5-3 on a RBI single through the left side by junior SS Jamie Holler (Rock Hill, S.C./USC Sumter JC).
The Crusaders took a 6-5 lead in the sixth on a two-run double down the left-field line by Nick Ciardello. Ciardello would later score on a passed ball by Kral. After Leeds’ round-tripper gave Charleston a 7-5 lead, senior 1B Greg Blake (Westerly, R.I./Lake City CC) added another run with a RBI single to increase the Charleston lead to 8-6. Holy Cross cut the lead in half as Steven Tkowski scored on a fielder’s choice in the seventh inning.
Charleston completed the scoring with two runs in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Epley and a RBI single by Leeds. Leeds finished the game 2-for-5 with three RBIs, while Oxford led Holy Cross with five hits and three runs scored.
Senior Tom Schiller (Rochester, N.Y./Monroe CC) earned the win for the Cougars, tossing two innings of relief with five strikeouts. Senior Owen Brittle (Cross, S.C./Florence Darlington Tech) tossed two innings of scoreless relief to earn his second straight save. Brittle allowed two hits and struck out two. Chris Blanchard took the loss for Holy Cross allowing six hits and four runs in two innings of relief.
College of Charleston 12, Charleston Southern 7
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. ? Sophomore RF Thomas Brittle (Cross, S.C./Berkeley) had three hits and senior 1B Greg Blake (Westerly, R.I./Lake City CC) blasted a solo home run as College of Charleston took advantage of five Charleston Southern errors to defeat the Buccaneers 12-7 Wednesday evening at Patriots Point. The Cougars improve to 8-1 on the season, while Charleston Southern falls to 2-6.
CSU took an early 1-0 lead on a RBI single by Matt Still in the first inning, but Charleston responded in the bottom half of the frame on a two-run double down the left-field line by junior Jose Rodriguez (Hialeah, Fla./Broward College). The Cougars added three more runs in the second to take a 5-1 lead.
The Bucs cut the deficit to 5-3 in third inning on a bases-loaded walk by Still and a RBI groundout by Walt Quattlebaum. The teams traded single runs in the fifth inning, CSU scoring on a solo home run by Tyler Thornburg and the Cougars picking up a run on Blake’s first round-tripper of the season.
Charleston added two runs in the sixth as Brittle scored on throwing error by Drew Woodall and junior DH Kolby Epley (Yadkinville, N.C./Forbush) plated fellow junior CF Cole Rakar (Mount Pleasant, S.C./Wando) with a sacrifice fly to center. CSU cut Charleston’s lead to 8-6 in the seventh with a RBI single by Quattlebaum and a sacrifice fly by Derek Smith.
The Cougars padded the lead to 12-6 with four runs in the eighth, scoring on a RBI single by Blake and a two-run double by junior SS Jamie Holler (Rock Hill, S.C./USC Sumter JC). Junior C Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J./Randolph) scored the final run on a passed ball by Will Bedenbaugh. CSU closed the game’s scoring with a solo home run to left in the ninth.
Freshman Jake Zokan (Columbia, S.C./Spring Valley) earned his first collegiate victory, going five innings and giving up five hits and four runs with four strikeouts. Junior Heath Hembree (Cowpens, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist College) picked up his first save on the season, tossing 1.2 innings with four strikeouts. Stew Brase took the loss for the Bucs, allowing six runs, three earned, on five hits in five innings with seven strikeouts.
Charleston returns to action for a three-game series with SEC foe Alabama this weekend at Patriots Point. Game time is set for 6:00 p.m. Friday and 1:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Auburn 7, Davidson 6
Auburn 7, Davidson 6
AUBURN, Ala. -- The Auburn Tigers escaped with a pair of 7-6 wins to sweep a doubleheader and snap the Davidson Wildcats' six-game winning streak in midweek non-conference action Wednesday at Plainsman Park.
Auburn (6-2) scored six runs in the fourth off sophomore Chris Lamb (0-1), who was making his 2010 debut, to take control of the first game, but junior Mike Frongello silenced the Tiger bats over the last four shutout innings to give the Davidson (6-4) offense a chance.
The Wildcats charged back with four runs in the sixth, including a three-run home run from freshman right fielder Coleman Barron (2-for-4, 4 RBI), and added another in the ninth, but Tiger reliever Austin Hubbard got out of a two-out, two-on jam in the eighth and stranded the tying run in the ninth to save the 7-6 win.
Auburn's Dexter Price (1-0) earned the win, allowing four runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, while Hubbard picked up the save after working the final 1 1/3 innings and allowing just one run on one hit.
For the Wildcats, Lamb took the loss, allowing seven runs (six earned) on nine hits in four innings.
Barna scored the first run of the day, leading off the second with a single to left and scoring two batters later on Barron's RBI-knock, to give Davidson a 1-0 lead. Auburn got the run back in the second, on an RBI-single by catcher Tony Caldwell, and batted around in the fourth, scoring six runs on six base hits and a walk to open up a 7-1 lead.
With Frongello dealing, the Davidson offense mounted a two-out comeback with four runs in the top of the sixth. Senior catcher Tommy Piacenza started the rally, getting hit by a pitch and advancing to second on junior first baseman Matt Ray's infield single. Barron cleared the bases driving a 0-0 pitch over the left field wall for his first collegiate home run, to cut Auburn's lead to 7-4. Freshman second baseman Michael Goldberg extended the inning, reaching on an error by first baseman Hunter Morris, and bumped over to third as freshman shortstop Michael Zeblo singled down the right field line. Payne reached courtesy of the second Tiger error in the inning, scoring Goldberg from third to put the 'Cats within two runs.
Davidson had its chances in the eighth and ninth, but Hubbard got outs at critical times to earn the save. Goldberg and Zeblo drew consecutive two-out walks in the eighth, and Hubbard came out of the bullpen to promptly pick off Zeblo to end the inning. Payne (hit by pitch) and Gadaire (single) made positive things happen for the 'Cats in the ninth, but Hubbard coaxed a pair of ground outs from General and Barna and sat Piacenza down on strikes to end the threat.
The Tigers pulled off another narrow escape in game two, scoring the winning run in the eighth inning to bust up a 6-6 stalemate. Hubbard (2-0) again was the fortunate one, stranding a pair of runners in the eighth and getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to earn the win.
Davidson got on the scoreboard in the second as Barron doubled to lead off and scored two batters later on a wild pitch, but Auburn put up another six-spot in the fourth inning to open a 6-1 lead. The Wildcats, though, chipped away with a pair of runs in sixth, on a two-run home from by Zeblo (1-for-4, 2 RBI), and seventh, on a two-run double by Barna (3-for-5, 2 RBI), and strung together three two-out base hits by Freeman, Goldberg (2-for-3) and Payne for the tying run in the eighth.
But Auburn reclaimed the lead with what proved to be the winning run in the bottom of the inning. Junior Andy Bass (0-2) struck out his first batter, but surrendered a single to Ryan Jenkins, who bumped to third on wild pitches and scored on a ground out by Justin Hargett. Bass struck out the next batter to end the inning, and Davidson had a chance in the top of the ninth but stranded three. After Barna hit a one-out single up the middle, Zeblo was hit by a pitch and Barron walked to load the bases. Barna was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice by sophomore first baseman Calvin Sigelbaum for the second out, and pinch hitter Danny Weiss struck out the end the game.
Davidson will return to action this weekend, hosting UNC Asheville and Bryant at Wilson Field. The Wildcats will play a doubleheader Saturday, starting with a 2 p.m. game against UNC Asheville.
Baseball game at NC State postponed
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Due to inclement weather in the Raleigh, N.C. area over the past day, the UNC Greensboro baseball team will not travel to NC State for its scheduled 3 p.m. contest today.
The game has been postponed although no makeup date has been set yet.
The team will return to competition on Friday as the Spartans host Army for a three-game series over the weekend. The two teams will kick off the series at 4 p.m. on Friday at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Weather Changes Baseball Schedule
BOONE, N.C. ? A winter storm that impacted much of North Carolina this week has caused a series of changes to Appalachian State University’s upcoming baseball schedule. Wednesday’s game at North Carolina A&T has been postponed and this weekend’s series versus Rider, originally scheduled to be played at ASU’s Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium, will instead take place at L.P. Frans Stadium in Hickory.
Game times for this weekend’s three-game set versus Rider will remain at 3 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. Tickets for the games at the home of the Hickory Crawdads, a single-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, will cost $5 and ASU season tickets will be honored.
A makeup date for Wednesday’s game at N.C. A&T is expected to be finalized soon.