Elon 17, Wake Forest 12
ELON, N.C. -- Justin Hilt and Mike Melillo each homered while Alex Swim drove in a career-high five runs as the Elon Phoenix slugged its way to a 17-12 victory over the visiting Wake Forest Demon Deacons from Latham Park on Tuesday night. Elon has now won six straight over Wake Forest and improved to 16-10 on the year. The Demon Deacons are now 9-18.
Hilt gave Elon an early 1-0 advantage when he drilled a 3-2 pitch over the wall in left-center to lead off the bottom of the first. The bomb was the second of the season for Hilt.
After an Elon error allowed Carlos Lopez to reach to start the top of the second, Mac Williamson belted a homer to left-center to give the Deacons a 2-1 lead. Wake put runners on the corners when Matt Conway doubled and then went to third on a one-out single to center off the bat of Mike Lubanski. Mark Rhine followed with a double past a diving Ben Scott at third to plate Conway and put runners on second and third. The fourth Demon Deacon tally of the inning came when Lubanski came in on Pat Blair's ground out.
The Phoenix erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the second to go back on top. Elon loaded the bases with one away thanks to a Matt Hinson single and walks to Seth Canipe and Matt Kirchner. Hilt then drew a two-out walk to force Hinson home. Swim's single up the middle knotted the score at four as both Canipe and Kirchner crossed the dish. After Melillo was hit by a pitch to load the bases again, Ryan Adams lined a double to the gap in right that cleared the bases and gave Elon a 7-4 lead. Neal Pritchard grounded to third, but the ball was misplayed and Adams scored from second.
The bottom of the third began with an infield single from Kirchner before Scott was plunked. After a double steal, Hilt drew a walk to load the bases. Swim increased the Phoenix's lead to 10-4 with another two-RBI single as his line drive plated both Kirchner and Scott. Melillo cleared the bases by crushing his third homer of the season off the scoreboard in left-center. The three-run shot gave Elon a 13-4 edge.
With runners on the corners and one out in the top of the fourth, Blair bounced a ball slowly up the middle that was fielded by Pritchard at short and flipped to Canipe at second for a force out. On the play, Shane Kroker scored from third to make it 13-5.
Back-to-back doubles from Steven Brooks and Lopez to start the Wake Forest fifth scored the sixth Demon Deacon run of the contest. After Williamson singled to put runners on the corners, pinch-hitter Austin Stadler grounded out to score Lopez. Kroker's ground out then drove in Williamson, who was on third thanks to a wild pitch, to make it 13-8.
Elon got one back in the bottom of the fifth when Melillo's double into the left field corner scored Swim, who had walked, from first.
With two outs in the top of the sixth, a Lopez double down the left field line scored Brooks from first as Wake Forest remained with striking distance at 14-9.
A hit batter and two walks had the bases loaded for the Phoenix in the bottom of the sixth before Scott singled through the left side to score Pritchard from third. Elon extended its advantage to 16-9 on a Hilt infield single that plated Hinson. Swim's third single of the game brought home Kirchner.
In the eighth, Ryan Semeniuk singled and stole second before scoring on a Brooks single. After Brooks swiped second, Williamson went deep for the second time in the game to make it a 17-12 contest.
Ken Ferrer (3-1) was the winning pitcher after allowing one run on 2.2 innings in relief. He gave up two hits and walked one.
Wake Forest starter Brandon Johnson (0-4) was tagged with the loss after being charged with eight runs (seven earned) on four hits and four walks in just 1.2 innings. All but one of the six Wake Forest pitchers allowed a run.
Hilt and Swim each went 3-for-5 with three runs scored for Elon. Hilt finished with three RBI and stole a base. Melillo drove in four runs and scored twice with a 2-for-4 performance. Adams also drove in three runs. Every Phoenix starter scored at least once and seven of the starting nine recorded a hit.
Williamson's two-homer night led the way for Wake Forest. He finished 3-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored. Both Blair and Lopez drove in two. Brooks scored three times.
Elon returns to Southern Conference play this weekend with a three-game series at Triad rival UNC Greensboro. The first game is set for 7 p.m. on Friday night.
Western Carolina 17, High Point 11
Cullowhee, N.C. ? Trevor Collias drove in a career-high six runs as Western Carolina scored in all but two innings it took swings to outslug the High Point Panthers, 17-11, Wednesday night in mid-week, nonconference baseball action at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
Collias finished 4-for-5 with two home runs and a double as seven Catamounts posted multiple hit games. WCU (16-7-1) won its seventh-straight over the Panthers and stretched its unbeaten streak in the head-to-head series to 15-straight dating back to 1987. Senior Tyler Kirkpatrick and junior Matt Johns each drove in three runs apiece, while Austin Schultz and Ross Heffley each drove in a pair in WCU’s third-straight seasonal win.
Schultz and Heffley each finished 3-of-6 while catcher Ollie Goulder had a 2-for-3 showing with a pair of walks to stretch his streak of reaching base safely to 20 games.
Freshman right-hander Taylor Sandefur (1-0) surrendered four runs on seven hits with two walks in a career-long five innings of work in the starting effort to claim his first collegiate victory on the mound for WCU. The Mechanicsville, Va., native also struck out two in the win.
All told, the Catamounts used six pitchers with relievers Andrew Blackwell, Andrew Chilcoat, Brandon Johnson and Daniel Ottone each tossing an inning, while freshman Mat Batts was used in a match-up role, facing just one batter. Johnson added two strikeouts to his seasonal total out of the four batters he faced while Blackwell also fanned one batter.
After the Panthers lit the scoreboard first in the top half of the second inning with a two-out, solo home run to left by Steve Antolik, the Catamounts answered in the bottom of the frame by pushing across four runs to take a lead they would never relinquish.
Dylan de Graaf reached on the first of five HPU errors, ending up a second base at the end of the first play of the second inning. The next batter, Johns, singled up the middle to score de Graaf to tie the game. With Johns and freshman Tyler White aboard, Collias blasted the seventh pitch of his at bat over the left field fence for a three-run homer, handing the Catamounts a 4-1 lead through two. Collias would add a second home run, a solo-shot to right in the fourth.
Heffley led off the third with a home run to left on the first pitch of the inning to stretch the lead to four, 5-1, before High Point trimmed the margin back to two with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. Matt Gantner homered to right center for a single run with Antolik notching a second RBI with a single up the middle to plate the second run to make it a 5-3 game.
Leading 6-3, the Catamounts exploded in the home portion of the fifth inning, scoring six runs on five hits and capitalizing on two Panther miscues. After Goulder walked and de Graaf reached on a fielder’s choice, Johns laced the first of four WCU doubles in the frame down the left field line to plate two. Kirkpatrick, Collias and Schultz also subsequently doubled with Heffley closing the frame with an RBI single to left close the scoring in the inning.
The Panthers scored four runs in the top of the sixth inning including three on a three-run homer by Pablo Rosario to pull to within four, 12-8. High Point again closed to within two runs by manufacturing three in the top of the eighth. However, four runs in the home half of the eighth including a two RBI double off the bat of Kirkpatrick and run-producing singles by Collias and Schultz put the game out of reach.
High Point (16-10) starter Zach Haile was tagged with the loss after allowing five runs on seven hits and being chased after just two innings of work. He was just one of eight pitchers the Panthers trotted to the hill, all lasting at least one third of an inning.
Antolik and Sal Pezzino led High Point with three hits apiece ? both going 3-for-4 ? with Murray White IV marking the only other Panther with a multi-hit game with two hits in five at bats.
Western Carolina remains at home as it opens a three-game nonconference series with New York Tech beginning Friday at 6:00 pm. The home stand includes a 3:00 pm first pitch on Saturday with Sunday’s finale at 2:00 pm on-campus in Cullowhee.
No. 25 The Citadel 5, Charleston Southern 0
Charleston, S.C. - No. 25 The Citadel shutout Charleston Southern, 5-0, on Wednesday night at Riley Park in front of 1,024 fans to give Fred Jordan win number 642, the most in school history.
Jordan tied legendary Bulldogs coach Chal Port in Sunday's 6-3 win over Appalachian State and moved into sole possession of the most wins in school history with the second shutout of the season for the Bulldogs. They also did it against Western Carolina, 4-0, on March 12. The Citadel improved to 14-4 at home this season with the win.
"It is very special, no doubt about it," said Jordan. "We have tremendous memories and are very pleased to accomplish what we have in this program under my watch. Hopefully someday there will be somebody else standing out here breaking whatever record we end up with. Very pleased that we have continued the tradition that was established by Coach Port."
Austin Pritcher (Charleston, S.C.) induced four double plays and threw 6.0 scoreless innings of baseball. The freshman allowed only thee hits, one walk and struck out two on 75 pitches to earn his second consecutive win.
"I felt great tonight, I knew I had a good infield behind me and tried to get them (Charleston Southern) to hit it on the ground," said Pritcher. "I'm gaining confidence from the team and how we are playing and I just go out there any try to get better each week. This was my first choice of schools to go to so it was a no-brainer to come here when I got the offer to pitch in my hometown. I have been looking up to Coach Jordan since I was about five so it was pretty special to go out and get a win for him tonight."
Pritcher (2-1) was aided by the defense of his infield all evening as the Bulldogs turned double plays in the first, second, third and fifth innings to back to the right-hander. It was the first time The Citadel has turned four double plays in a game since Feb. 21, 1990, when they did it against Augusta.
Grant Richards (Morrisville, N.C.) had a career day for the Bulldogs at the plate as the catcher went 1-for-4 and drove in the first two runs of his career. The redshirt sophomore earned his first hit of the season on Friday vs. Appalachian State and tripled tonight, also the first of his career, to lead The Citadel attack.
"I had been struggling a little bit up at the plate and was just trying to get a good swing and it worked out for me today," said Richards. "I definitely feel more at ease behind the plate and am becoming more comfortable with all the pitchers. I am just here doing whatever I can do to help the team."
The Bulldogs scored their first run of the game in the third inning when Nick Orvin (Moncks Corner, S.C.) singled up the middle to reach base for the ninth time in the last 10 games. A groundout by Brad Felder (Orangeburg, S.C.) moved Orvin to second and Matt Simonelli (Orlando, Fla.) then singled to left to score the sophomore and drive in the game's first run.
The Citadel (19-7) would score their other four runs of the contest in the sixth as Bryan Altman (Summerville, S.C.) and David Greene (Columbia, S.C.) both singled to start the inning. Kyle Jordan (Goose Creek, S.C.) then attempted a sac bunt to advance the runners, but instead reached base when CSU starter Charlie McCreary couldn't make the play to get Jordan out at first which in turn also scored Altman. Two batters later, Richards tripled to deep right to drive in two more. Richards then tagged and score on a sac fly by William Ladd (Winnsboro, S.C.) to put the Bulldogs ahead, 5-0.
Chris Boyce (Simpsonville, S.C.), Raymond Copenhaver (Apopka, Fla.) and Drew Mahaffey (Summerville, S.C.) then pitched an inning each in relief to preserve the shutout for the Bulldogs.
"I thought we pitched and defended extremely well tonight and got two timely big hits to put the ballgame away. I thought Pritcher was outstanding, he threw three or four pitches for strikes, kept the ball at knee level and our infield played very well behind him. This is a very unselfish ballclub."
Charleston Southern (10-17) recorded four errors and grounded into the four double plays. The four hits by the Bucs were all by different players. McCreary (0-5) took the loss, going 5.1 innings, allowing seven hits, five runs, three earned runs, one walk and striking out two.
The Bulldogs hit the road for a five-game road trip beginning Friday at Wofford at 7 p.m.
UNC Greensboro 12, North Carolina A&T 5
GREENSBORO, N.C. ? UNC Greensboro scored at least one run in six of the eight innings they batted en route to a 12-5 win over cross-town rival North Carolina A&T on Wednesday evening at NewBridge Bank Park, home of the Greensboro Grasshoppers.
Starter Matt Parish pitched six innings for the Spartans (13-12) to pick up the win, while allowing just one run on six hits. Aggie starter Nick Oelker picked up the loss after giving up seven runs on eight hits in five innings of work.
Corey Overholtzer led the Spartans at the plate by going 2-4 with four RBI and two runs scored. Ray Quinones and Kris Richards also had nice days as they each picked up a pair of hits and had two RBI.
Xavier Macklin went 3-4 at the dish with three RBI and two runs scored to lead the Aggies (9-14) at the plate.
The Spartans got on the board first as they pushed two runs across the plate in the bottom of the first. Harry Slade led off with a walk before moving over to second on a sacrifice bunt by Drew Gehringer. Overholtzer then doubles to center field to allow Slade to score and put UNCG ahead, 1-0.
Overholtzer scored a batter later as Quinones followed with a single up the middle to give the Spartans a 2-0 advantage after one inning of play.
The Aggies responded though in the top of the second when James Howard delivered a double to right center that allowed Mark Nales to score from first and make it a 2-1 game.
The Spartans put together a two-out rally in the bottom of the third to extend their lead to 4-1. After the first two batters were retired, Quinones took a 1-0 pitch over the wall in left center for his third home run of the season. Ed Jayjack followed with a single through the right side before Lloyd Enzor hit a triple off the wall in right center to score Jayjack.
UNCG continued to pour it on in the bottom of the fourth as the Spartans put up a three spot to make it a 7-1 ballgame. Eric Brindle led off with a single to the shortstop in the hole, but the Aggies were able to retire the next two batters. Gehringer then doubled to right center to put runners on second and third. Overholtzer followed by taking the first pitch he saw deep to right center for the third time this season for his third home run this year.
In the sixth inning, Gehringer led off with a single to center fielder before Overholtzer walked. After a pair of Spartan outs, Enzor drew a five-pitch walk before Chris Barker did the same to walk home Gehringer from third and make it an 8-1 contest.
Howard led off the top of the seventh for the Aggies with a single and George Hines walked to put Macklin at the plate with two outs. Macklin hit a towering shot over the batter’s eye in center field for his team-leading seventh home run of the season to pull the Aggies within, 8-4.
That was as close as A&T would get the rest of the evening as the Spartans continued to push runs across the plate in the seventh and eighth inning. Richards extended his hitting streak to a team-high seven games in the bottom of the seventh as he led off with a single to center field.
Richards was out though on the next play as Slade reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced to second on a throwing error. Gehringer then reached on another Aggie error to put runners on the corners. After a fly out and a stolen base by Gehringer, Slade scored on a passed ball and Gehringer moved up to third on the play.
Quinones then drew a walk for the Spartans, but was caught leaning off first and was put in a rundown. Quinones made a smart play though by staying in the rundown long enough for Gehringer to score from third and give UNCG a 10-4 lead before Quinones was tagged for the third out.
Enzor added a double in the eighth inning and Barker singled to put runners on second and third before Richards slapped a single through the left side of the infield to score those two runners and put the Spartans ahead, 12-4.
The Aggies got a two-out RBI double from Marquis Riley to score one run in the top of the ninth to make the final score, 12-5.
The Spartans will return to action this weekend as they host backyard-rival Elon for a three-game series beginning Friday at 7 p.m.
No. 17 Vanderbilt 10, Wofford 7
NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? The Wofford baseball team was defeated 10-7 by Vanderbilt on Wednesday evening at Hawkins Field. The Terriers outhit the #17 ranked Commodores thirteen to seven on the night, but a five-run fourth inning for Vanderbilt was the difference in the game.
Wofford is 8-17 on the season, while Vanderbilt is 23-4 overall. The Terriers were led by Landon Bennett with three hits, including a solo home run, and James Foster with three hits and three RBIs. The Commodores had two hits and three RBIs from both Brian Harris and Jason Esposito.
The Terriers opened the top of the first with two walks, but both runners were left on base. The Commodores loaded the bases in the bottom of the first and scored two runs on an RBI single by Jason Esposito. Andrew Giobbi reached on a fielder’s choice to drive in a third run in the inning. After a wild pitch, Vanderbilt had a 4-0 lead after the first inning.
Landon Bennett had the first hit of the night in the top of the second for the Terriers, but was left on base. Kyle Behrendt added a single in the top of the third and stole second and third base. Mac Doyle drove in Behrendt with a double to right center for a 4-1 score.
In the bottom of the fourth, a bunt by Anthony Gomez added a run for the Commodores. Brian Harris hit a three-run homer over the scoreboard in left field to give Vanderbilt an 8-1 lead. Jason Esposito added an RBI single for a 9-1 lead at the end of four innings.
To open the fifth, Wofford had three straight doubles by Matt Moore, James Foster and Josh McKinney. Moore scored and Foster was brought home with a sacrifice fly by Kyle Behrendt. A ground out by Mac Doyle scored McKinney to make it a 9-4 game.
In the top of the sixth, Landon Bennett hit a solo home run that bounced over the left field wall. David Roney followed with a single and Matt Moore walked. A double to right center by James Foster scored both runners for a 9-7 score.
After retiring the Commodore side in the bottom of the sixth, Landon Bennett had his third hit of the night in the top of the seventh. David Roney added a single, but both runners were left on base. Vanderbilt went down in order in the bottom of the seventh.
James Foster singled in the top of the eighth with one out for Wofford, but was caught stealing. In the bottom of the eighth, Connor Harrell added a run for the Commodores on a wild pitch and Vanderbilt left two on base after a diving grab by Josh McKinney in left field to end the inning. Konstantine Diamaduros hit a two-out triple to right center in the top of the ninth, but was stranded for a 10-7 final score.
For the Terriers, starter John Cornely (1-5) went the first three innings and allowed four hits and four runs. Pete Noordsy recorded one out in the fourth and allowed three runs. Anthony Rowland worked an inning with two hits and two runs allowed. J.D. Osborne worked 2.2 innings and struck out four without a hit allowed. Brandon Yarusi worked two thirds of the eighth with one hit and one run scored. Gus White picked up the final out.
Vanderbilt starter Navery Moore (2-0) threw three innings with three hits and one run allowed and two strikeouts. Drew Hayes went two innings with three hits and three runs allowed along with one strikeout. Taylor Hill allowed three runs on three hits. Richie Goodenow worked 1.1 innings with two hits allowed and one strikeout. Russell Brewer had the save with two inning pitched and only two hits allowed.
Wofford returns home after the six-game road swing for a three-game conference series against The Citadel beginning on Friday, April 2.
UNC Asheville 3, Furman 0
GREENVILLE, S.C. ? David Ricker threw six innings of one-hit baseball to lead UNC Asheville to a 3-0 shutout of Furman in baseball action Wednesday evening at Latham Stadium.
Ricker (1-1) , a junior left-hander who entered the contest with a 7.90 earned run average, handcuffed Furman’s lineup, allowing only a first inning single and facing just 21 batters ? three over the minimum ? before departing after six innings with a 1-0 lead. He walked three and struck out one and was backed up by solid defense, including two double plays.
UNC Asheville (8-14) scored an unearned run in fourth inning and stretched their advantage to 3-0 in the eighth on Justin Schumer’s two-run double into the right center field gap off Furman’s Marc DeDecker, which scored Catlin Carter and Robert McIntosh.
Schumer moved from first base to the pitcher’s mound in the ninth and used a double play to help complete the shutout and earn his first save of the season.
Furman (8-17) managed only four hits in the contest, all singles, and failed to advance a runner to third base. The Paladins have only scored one run in their last two games.
The Bulldogs managed only six hits against Furman pitching, including two each by Schumer and Ian Graham, who both went 2-for-4.
McIntosh scored twice for UNCA, with the first coming in the fourth with two outs after Furman third baseman Cameron Allmendinger’s throw pulled first baseman Aaron Thompkins off the bag.
The error and unearned run made a loser of Furman’s Bobby Lyne (2-2), who allowed two hits over three innings of relief.
The Paladins open a three-game Southern Conference series at Appalachian State on Firday beginning at 6:00 p.m.