The Citadel 4, Furman 2
Charleston, S.C. - Asher Wojciechowski hurled his third career complete game and Bryan Altman homered twice to lead The Citadel past Furman, 4-2 on Friday night at Riley Park.
Wojciechowski (Sturgis, Mich.) allowed six hits, two runs, one earned run, three walks and struck out 12 Paladin batters in the game on his way to improving to 8-0 overall and 5-0 in the Southern Conference. The right-hander threw 126 pitches, 75 for strikes.
"I felt good, despite the first inning," said Wojciechowski. "I was eventually able to settle in and get comfortable out there. Close games are always fun to pitch in. It was big to get back into conference play and come up with this win."
Furman's Ian Parry (2-4) matched Wojciechowski for most of the game as the Paladin ace went 8.0 innings, allowing six hits, four earned runs, three walks and struck out five on 127 pitches, 79 for strikes. Perry allowed three solo homers that were the difference in the game. Coming into the game Perry had only walked five batters all season as three Bulldogs drew base on balls on Friday.
The Paladins came out of the gate quick against Wojciechowski as Will Owens hit ball just inside the left field line for a double on the first pitch of the game. Aaron Thompkins then hit attempted a sac bunt, but would reach second and Owens would score when Wojciechowski's throw went wide of first base. Two batters later, Dylan Cole would shoot a single up the middle to score Thompkins as Furman took a 2-0 lead.
In the second, The Citadel (24-13, 12-1) would respond as Altman (Summerville, S.C.) took a pitch by Parry out to left. Two batters later, Kyle Jordan (Goose Creek, S.C.) followed suit with a homer of his own, also to left to knot the game at two.
The Bulldogs would threaten for a big inning in the third as William Ladd (Winnsboro, S.C.) led off with a base hit. Nick Orvin's (Mocks Corner, S.C.) sacrifice attempt resulted in an out for Ladd, but Brad Felder (Orangeburg, S.C.) then followed with a base hit to right to put two runners aboard. Matt Simonelli (Orlando, Fla.) was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. A pop up to shallow center would drop for Altman and score Orvin, but Felder would be tagged out on the way to third. A groundout would then end the threat for Perry and Furman, but not before The Citadel took a 3-2 lead.
Wojciechowski and Parry would trade zeroes of the next several innings, until the bottom of the eighth when Altman homered off the Furman ace for the second time to left field to increase the lead to 4-2 in favor of the Bulldogs. "Wojo" would get a pair of strikeouts in the ninth to seal the game and finish his first complete game of the season.
"We saw two of the better pitchers in this league tonight. Wojo was able to compose himself and get into a flow. Our guys were able to get a couple of get swings off Parry that got out of the park in what turned out to be the difference in the game and we played great defense tonight."
Altman went 2-for-4 with a pair of homers, two runs scored and three RBI. It was the first time Altman has homered twice in a game in his career. Owens went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored to go with a triple and a double to lead the Paladins.
"Wojo gives us a chance every Friday night to win so that always take pressure off the offense and we can go out there loose," said Altman. "We faced a good pitcher and pitching and defense really won it tonight. It was a good win to get back into conference play."
The Citadel continues the three-game set with Furman on Saturday at Riley Park. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
Appalachian State 12, UNC Greensboro 1
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University turned in one of its best all-around performances of the season to rout visiting UNC Greensboro, 12-1, on Friday evening at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
Appalachian (25-7-1, 8-7-1 SoCon) won for the 11th time in 12 games overall and sixth time in its last seven Southern Conference contests to move over .500 in conference play for the first time this season. The victory also upped ASU to 31-2-1 in its last 34 home games.
The Mountaineers got a terrific start on the mound by senior Matt Andress (Charlotte, N.C./South Mecklenburg) and hits from eight of the nine batters in their starting lineup to highlight their biggest SoCon win since a 19-4 triumph at UNCG on May 9 of last season.
Andress (7-2) allowed just one run on six hits over seven strong innings for the 24th victory of his career. The right-hander is just one win shy of tying Kevin Simmons (1983-86) atop ASU's all-time victories list.
Andress was buoyed by a Mountaineer offense that banged out 12 hits and benefitted from five UNCG errors. The Apps led 10-0 after four innings, thanks in large part to a seven-run fourth that featured more Spartan errors (4) than ASU hits (3).
Wes Hobson (Winston-Salem, N.C./North Forsyth) sparked Appalachian's 12-run onslaught, going 3-for-5 with his ninth home run of the year ? a solo shot in the third ? two RBI and two runs scored. In the process, the senior second baseman raised his batting average to .407 on the season.
Jason Wallace (Greensboro, N.C./Ragsdale) also homered and Jerod Faggart (Concord, N.C./Northwest Cabarrus) and Jeremy Dowdy (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield) added two hits apiece in the winning effort.
Sterling defense also contributed to the big night for the Mountaineers. The Apps didn't commit any errors and received a number of highlight-reel plays in the field, including two by shortstop Doug Jones (Charlotte, N.C./South Mecklenburg).
UNCG starter Blake Hassebrock (0-4), who shut the Mountaineers out over 7.2 innings of relief in last year's series opener, surrendered eight runs (three earned) in 3.2 innings on Friday night to suffer the loss. Corey Overholtzer recorded two of the Spartans' six hits.
The clubs continue their three-game SoCon series on Saturday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Smith Stadium.
College of Charleston 8, Wofford 2
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. ? Charleston freshman RHP Christian Powell (Greenwood, S.C./Greenwood) struck out a career-high eight batters and allowed only two runs in 6-1/3 innings as College of Charleston opened a weekend series with an 8-2 win over Wofford Friday evening at Patriots Point. The Cougars improve to 25-11 on the season, 10-6 in the Southern Conference and will host the Terriers in game two of the series tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m.
Wofford opened up a 1-0 lead in the first inning on back-to-back doubles by Alex Lee and Mac Doyle. The Cougars, however, were unfazed by the early run, scored seven runs of their own in the next two frames.
Senior 2B Joey Bergman (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny) led off the first by reaching on a fielding error by Wofford shortstop Matt Moore and advancing to second on a single to left by junior C Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J./Randolph). Sophomore 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla./American Heritage) brought home a pair of runs with a RBI double to right, giving CofC a 2-1 lead after the opening stanza.
Charleston opened a 7-1 lead in the second inning, plating five runs off Terriers starter Tom Dolinak. Leading off the inning, senior 1B Greg Blake (Westerly, R.I./Lake City CC) reached on a dropped fly ball by Dolinak. Junior SS Jamie Holler (Rock Hill, S.C./USC Sumter JC) hit into a fielder’s choice with Blake out at second and advanced to third on a single to right by Bergman. After Bergman stole second, junior CF Cole Rakar (Mt. Pleasant, S.C./Wando) roped a two-run double down the left-field line for a 4-1 advantage. Kral followed up with a RBI single to center, scoring Rakar and moving to second on the throw. Kral would score on a RBI double to left center by Leeds and the Cougars would tally the final run of the frame on a fielder’s choice by junior RF Baker Knox (San Mateo, Fla./ Daytona Beach CC) that scored Leeds.
Both teams traded single runs in the fifth inning, with Wofford plating a run on a sacrifice fly by Alex Lee and the Cougars scoring on a RBI single by junior DH Kolby Epley (Yadkinville, N.C./Forbush).
Powell scattered six hits in earning his fifth victory of the season, while junior RHP Josh Salay (Rock Hill, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist College) and freshman LHP Cameron Holmes (Boiling Spring, S.C./Boiling Springs) combined for 2.2 innings of shutout relief. Leeds led the Cougars with a pair of doubles and three RBI, while Kral and Bergman had two hits apiece.
Dolinak took the loss for Wofford, allowing eight runs, seven earned, on 11 hits with six strikeouts. Lee and Kyle Behrendt had two hits apiece for the Terriers.
Game two of the series is set for tomorrow evening at 7:00 p.m.
Georgia Southern 5, Samford 2
STATESBORO, Ga. ? Eagle starter Jake Brown worked 7.2 innings allowing only two runs to the Samford Bulldogs as Georgia Southern edged top-ranked Samford, 5-2, Friday night (April 16) at J.I. Clements Stadium. Eric Phillips continued his strong performance at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored in the win that pushed GS to 19-15 overall and 10-6 in Southern Conference play. Meanwhile, Samford, who entered the contest with only one league loss, watched its record dip to 21-12, 11-2.
Brown (Forest Hill, Md.) picked up his fifth win of the season improving to 5-4 on the year. Brown held the Bulldogs to only five hits in 7.2 innings after facing the minimum through the first three innings. Samford reached second for the first time in the fourth and scored and stranded a run in the sixth.
Bulldog starter Jonathan Stephens (5-1) drew his first collegiate loss at Samford, falling to 12-1 in his two seasons. Stephens tossed 7.0 innings, allowing eight hits and four earned runs.
Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) led the way for GS followed by A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) who went 2-for-4. Michael Burruss (Marietta, Ga.) drove in three runs for a career-high.
For Samford, David Schulze was perfect on the evening, going 4-for-4 with two RBI.
Both teams were held scoreless through the first three innings as the game opened with what was projected to be a pitcher’s duel. Georgia Southern struck first in the bottom of the fourth. Kyle Blackburn (Marietta, Ga.) opened with a single up the middle with one out and moved to third on Phillips’ first hit of the game, a double down the left field line. Victor Roache (Ypsilanti, Mich.) picked up two RBI using a single to left field that plated the first runs of the game handing Georgia Southern a 2-0 lead. Burruss followed Roache with a single through the left side as the Eagles scored the only runs needed in the fourth inning, all on two outs.
The Bulldogs stranded its third runner on base in the fifth inning, but got on the board in the sixth. With one out, Stephen Ballard was hit-by-pitch before Mason Meredeth popped up to second for the second out. Schulze doubled down the right field line to drive in Ballard for a 3-1 score.
A free pass in the bottom half of the inning plated another runner as Georgia Southern took the run back, 4-1. Phillips singled to right center before Wirnsberger doubled to right center putting runners on second and third. After Roache was intentionally walked, Burruss drew Stephens’ second walk of the contest, thereby walking in Phillips.
The conference foes again traded runs in the eighth inning. A Schulze single through the left side allowed Ballard to score, but a sacrifice fly from Burruss in the home half of the inning capped the scoring for both teams. Phillips led off with his second single of the contest and scored three batters later on the sacrifice fly to centerfield.
Dexter Bobo (Cumming, Ga.), who entered in the eighth, picked up his fourth save of the season shutting down the Bulldogs in 1.1 innings, walking none and allowing no hits.
The conference foes continue series action on Saturday with a 6 p.m. first pitch.
Elon 3, Western Carolina 0
ELON, N.C. -- Jimmy Reyes threw the first nine-inning shutout of his career, striking out nine and allowing just three hits, to lead the Elon Phoenix to a 3-0 victory over the visiting Western Carolina Catamounts in the opener of a three-game Southern Conference series from Latham Park on Friday night. Elon is now 24-12 overall and 10-6 in SoCon play while Western Carolina dipped to 22-10-1, 5-7-1.
Reyes (5-3) faced 32 batters during the first complete game shutout by an Elon pitcher since Steven Hensley accomplished the task in an 8-0 win at Wofford on April 8, 2006. Reyes had previously thrown a five-inning complete game shutout in a win over High Point in 2008. The shutout was also the first for the Phoenix in a SoCon game since a 6-0 decision over Davidson on March 30, 2007.
Reyes' nine strikouts propelled the junior into ninth place on Elon's career strikeouts chart with 194. He surpassed Ronnie Johnson (1975-78) and Chris Murphy (1990-92) who each had 186 as well as Gil Watts (1956-59) who fanned 191 hitters.
The Phoenix loaded the bases with two outs when Catamount starter Jason Sullivan threw 12 consecutive balls to Mike Melillo, Ryan Adams and Neal Pritchard in the bottom of the first. Sullivan got out of the jam without allowing a run by striking out Matt Hinson on a 2-2 pitch.
Elon got to Sullivan in the second when Scott Riddle led the inning off by sending 3-2 pitch over the wall in left-center to give Reyes and the Phoenix the only scoring they would need on the night. After Justin Hilt walked, Ben Scott reached on a fielder's choice which erased Hilt ahead of walks to Harry Austin and Alex Swim that loaded the bases. With a 3-2 count on Melillo, the pitch missed low and the walk forced Scott home with the second run. The Phoenix could not add to its lead, however, as Adams grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the scoring opportunity.
The game remained 2-0 until the bottom of the seventh when Pritchard singled home Swim from second with two outs. Swim was aboard thanks to a leadoff single and stolen base. On the first pitch to Hinson, Pritchard broke for second and that is where the play turned quirky. The Catamount catcher lost the handle on the ball on his attempted throw and Pritchard was credited with two stolen bases as he ended up on third. The Phoenix was not able to push Pritchard across though as Hinson struck out to end the at bat.
Sullivan (4-2) was charged with the loss. In his inning-plus, he allowed one run on one hit while walking three and striking out two. Taylor Sandefur kept the Catamounts in the game, giving up one run on three hits in his 4.1 innings out of the pen. In the game, five Western Carolina pitchers issued 10 walks.
All six of Elon's hits came from different batters. Riddle was 1-for-4 while Swim and Scott each went 1-for-3 with a run scored. Pritchard was also 1-for-3 with a RBI.
Ross Heffley notched two of Western Carolina's three hits on the night, the last coming on an infield single with two outs in the ninth. Tyler White had the other hit.
The Phoenix and Catamounts will go at it again on Saturday afternoon from Latham Park. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.