Western Carolina 14, Georgia Southern 11
STATESBORO, Ga. ? Victor Roache recorded his first collegiate grand slam to give the Eagles their first lead of ballgame, but Georgia Southern left 14 base runners stranded as Western Carolina pulled out a late 14-11 win. The Catamounts rallied from a three-run deficit to score six in the ninth and held the Eagles scoreless in the bottom to seal the win and take the series.
The Eagles stranded 10 on base in the last five innings to fall to 22-19 overall and 13-8 in league play. Western Carolina pushed its record to 25-13-1, 8-9-1.
Dexter Bobo (Cumming, Ga.) was charged with the loss after working 3.1 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits. WCU’s Adam Curtis picked up his second win of the season and TJ Page recorded his first save.
Ross Heffley and Trevor Collias each homered twice for WCU ? three of which tied the ballgame on separate occasions. Heffley closed the game 4-for-5 with six RBI and three runs, while Collias went 3-for-4 with four RBI and three runs.
For the Eagles, Roache (Ypsilanti, Mich.) was 1-for-3 with a grand slam for four RBI and two runs scored. Kyle Blackburn (Marietta, Ga.) and A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) both posted two hits apiece. Blackburn joined Roache also recording a home run.
The Catamounts picked up two runs in the first, but the Eagles reversed the threat in the bottom of the frame loading the bases after a double from Kevin Bowles (Statesboro, Ga.) and two free passes from starter Kyle Stewart. Wirnsberger dropped a shallow fly ball to centerfield to cut the deficit in half bringing freshman Roache to the plate.
Roache drove his first pitch faced over the centerfield wall for his first collegiate grand slam, and first grand slam of the season, handing the Eagles a quick 5-2 lead. The long ball marked the second home run of the series for Roache as the freshman launched a two-run blast on Friday in the series-opener.
WCU was forced to make an early call to the bullpen as starter Kyle Stewart only worked two-thirds of an inning allowing five runs before being chased in the game.
The Eagles kept the inning going, batting through the lineup and picking up another run on Arthur Owens’ (Fayetteville, Ga.) second visit to the plate in the first. Owens singled through the right side plating Michael Burruss (Marietta, Ga.), who reached on a single, as GS took a commanding 6-2 lead after one complete.
WCU cut the score to two runs, 6-4, when Heffley homered for the first time, picking up two RBI. The Catamounts had the go-ahead run batting with runners on first and second with two outs, but Moye closed the threat picking off Collias at second.
GS took one of the runs back in the home half of the third using a sacrifice fly from Owens that scored Shawn Payne (Stone Mountain, Ga.).
Collias tied the contest, 7-7, in the fifth inning with a three-run home run that stayed just fair down the right field line. Blackburn took the lead right back in the sixth with a solo blast to right center for his 11th home run of the season. The hit marked the first for Georgia Southern since the second inning with the run in the third manufactured without a hit.
The Eagles left the bases loaded in the seventh when Daniel Ottone issued three walks, but the reliever forced a fly out to end the inning unscathed as GS pushed its runners left on base tally to 10. Meanwhile, WCU knotted the contest at 8-all in the next frame with a solo shot to left center from Collias.
The eighth inning would become adventurous as Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) dropped a first pitch single to left center and scored on an infield single with two outs from Payne to regain the advantage. The Catamounts worked through four pitchers in the inning and brought their right fielder in to pitch as Dullnig walked two runs in before being relieved with GS leading 11-8.
But a three-run home run from Heffley tied the contest in the ninth frame before the Catamounts rallied for another three runs to close the game with a final 14-11 score.
The Eagles stranded 10 on base in the last five innings of play including two bases loaded efforts.
Georgia Southern returns to the field with a mid-week matchup against Kennesaw State on Tuesday, April 27. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. at J.I. Clements Stadium.
Appalachian State 17, Samford 7
Appalachian State 7, Samford 3
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford baseball team committed a combined 13 errors in two games as the Bulldogs were swept in their Southern Conference doubleheader against Appalachian State Sunday afternoon at Joe Lee Griffin Field. Samford lost the first game, which was suspended Friday night in the fifth inning, by a score of 17-7. The Bulldogs dropped game two, 7-3.
With the losses, Samford drops to 23-16 overall and 11-6 in Southern Conference play. Appalachian State improves to 29-8-1 overall and 11-8-1 in league play.
The teams began the first game Friday evening, but the game was suspended just prior to the beginning of the fifth inning due to inclement weather. In that game, Wayne Miller went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Michael Johnson went 2-for-5 with a home run and an RBI. Austin Allison was also 2-for-4 in game one.
The Bulldogs committed eight errors in the first game, leading to 12 unearned runs. Jonathan Stephens started the game on the mound for Samford, pitching 4.0 innings, giving up seven runs, just one earned, on seven hits. Stephens struck out five batters while walking just one.
Josh Martin replaced Stephens on the mound when the game was resumed on Sunday, pitching 2.2 innings, giving up seven runs, but only two earned on seven hits to take the loss and drop his season record to 3-5. Michael Gunter and Tyler Vanderheiden also pitched in game one for Samford.
Appalachian State was led at the plate in game one by Wes Hobson, going 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI. Ryan Stetson also homered for the Mountaineers, going 2-for-7 with three RBI. Jeremy Dowdy went 3-for-6 with three RBI, while Tyler Zupcic went 3-for-5 for ASU.
Will Helms entered the game on the mound for ASU to get the final out before the game was suspended on Friday and then returned to start the fifth inning on Sunday. Helms pitched 1.1 innings, giving up no runs on two hits to earn the win and improve to 4-0 on the season.
After each team scored a run in the first inning of game one, Samford took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the second inning. Brad Moss grounded out to drive in Johnson for a 2-1 Samford lead. Miller later singled to left-center field to drive in Allison to give Samford a 3-1 lead.
ASU came back with a run in the top of the third inning. Hobson homered to center field to cut the Samford lead to 3-2.
Samford answered with a run of its own in the bottom of the third inning to push its lead to 4-2. Johnson homered to right field for a two-run Samford lead.
Appalachian State plated five runs in the top of the fourth inning to take a 7-4 lead. Stetson hit a three-run home run to left-center field and Hobson hit a two-run shot to right-center field for a three-run Mountaineer lead.
Samford came back with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to tie the score again at 7-7. Bo Smith singled up the middle to drive in Mason Meredeth and Miller to cut the ASU lead to one run. Trey Hayes later doubled to center field to drive in David Schulze with the game-tying run.
Prior to the start of the fifth inning, rain and lightning caused the game to be suspended. When the game was resumed on Sunday, Appalachian State plated a run in the fifth inning and another in the sixth to take a 9-7 lead. In the fifth inning, Doug Jones reached on an infield single to drive in Zupcic with the eventual game-winning run. The run in the sixth inning was scored when Jerod Faggart hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Hector Crespo for a two-run ASU lead.
The Mountaineers took control of the game with five runs in the seventh inning to make the score 13-7. Jones, Crespo, Faggart, Dowdy and David Towarnicky drove in a run each in the seventh inning for the Mountaineers.
ASU finished the scoring with three runs in the eighth inning to make the final score 17-7. Faggart was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Dowdy hit a two-run single for the game's final three runs.
In game two, Miller again led Samford, going 4-for-5 at the plate. Johnson went 2-for-4, while Schulze went 1-for-2 to extend his current hitting streak to 15 games.
Kyle Putkonen pitched 5.1 innings, giving up three earned runs on five hits to take the loss and drop to 3-3 on the season. Andrew Jones and Lex Rutledge also saw time on the mound for Samford. The Bulldogs committed five errors in game two, leading to three more unearned runs.
For ASU in game two, Hobson was 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI. Stetson was 3-for-5 for the Mountaineers as well. Dowdy went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Helms again earned the win for ASU, pitching a third of an inning in relief, allowing no hits to improve to 5-0 on the season. Chris Patterson pitched the final 2.1 innings, giving up no runs on four hits to earn his 13th save of the season.
After ASU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, Samford took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the first. Miller scored on an ASU error to tie the game. Hayes later hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Meredeth for a 2-1 Samford lead.
ASU tied the score with a run in the top of the third inning. Hobson doubled to right-center field to drive in Crespo to make the score 2-2.
Samford took the lead again with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Hayes walked with the bases loaded to score Moss for a 3-2 Samford lead.
Appalachian State took the lead for good with two runs in the top of the sixth inning. Towarnicky doubled to drive in Dowdy to tie the score. Jason Wallace later drove in Towarnicky from third base with a sacrifice bunt for a 4-3 ASU lead.
The Mountaineers added a run in the seventh inning and two more in the ninth to make the final score 7-3. In the seventh inning, Dowdy singled to drive in Hobson for a 5-3 lead. In the ninth inning, Dowdy and Faggart both scored on a Samford error for the game's final two runs.
Samford will return to action on Tuesday, April 27, when the Bulldogs play at Auburn. The game is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start from Plainsman Park.
Wofford 10, UNC Greensboro 3
GREENSBORO, N.C. ? Wofford got six strong innings from starter John Cornely and used a four-run sixth inning to blow open the game as UNC Greensboro fell to the Terriers in the rubber game, 10-3, on Sunday afternoon at UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Cornely picked up his third win of the season by allowing only one run, which came in the first inning, during his six innings on four hits and striking out 10 batters. UNCG starter Matt Parish was credited with the loss after giving up three runs on three hits in just 1 2/3 innings of work.
The Spartans (17-23, 4-16 Southern Conference) were led at the plate by Chris Barker and Corey Overholtzer who had back-to-back solo home runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Kyle Behrendt had a trio of hits to once again lead the Terriers (13-26, 6-12 SoCon), while David Roney and Konstantine Diamaduros each added a pair of RBI.
For the second-straight day the Terriers put up a pair of runs in the top of the second inning to take the early lead. James Foster led off the game with a walk and then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. After a fly out, Mac Doyle and Landon Bennett drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Roney then slapped a single through the right side of the infield to score Foster and Doyle and put Wofford up 2-0.
The Spartans responded though with a run in the bottom half of the first to cut the Terrier lead in half. Harry Slade led off with a double and Barker walked to put two runners on base. After a sacrifice bunt and a strikeout, Ed Jayjack drew a walk to load the bases. Ray Quinones followed by drawing a walk himself to let Slade score from third and pull the Spartans within, 2-1.
That’s all the offense the Spartans had in the early going as Wofford went on to score seven unanswered runs. With two outs in the second inning, Foster hit a single to center field and Alex Lee followed with a walk. The two runners both moved up on a double steal before Foster scored on a passed ball to make it a 3-1 ballgame.
The Terriers added two more runs in the top of the third inning as they scored on a bases-loaded walk and an RBI single by Matt Moore to make it 5-1 in favor of the visitors.
The game stayed that way until the top of the sixth inning when Lee led off with a solo home run to left center. Behrendt then singled to right field before scoring on a double by Doyle. Roney was hit by a pitch two batters later and he scored along with Doyle on a triple to left center by Diamaduros to make it 9-1.
The Spartans came back to put up two more runs though in the bottom of the seventh as Barker hit a one-out solo home run over the wall in right center for his second home run of the series. Three pitches later, Overholtzer made it back-to-back home runs with a shot to right center to pull the Spartans within 9-3.
The Terriers would go on to add one more run in the top of the ninth to make the final score, 10-3.
The Spartans will return to action on Wednesday as they host Davidson at 7 p.m. for the final midweek game between the two teams.