Elon 4, #20 North Carolina 2
ELON, N.C. - Ken Ferrer allowed one run over 5.2 innings and Thomas Girdwood slammed the door shut to earn his Southern Conference record-tying 29th career save as the Elon Phoenix defeated the 20th-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels 4-3 in front of 1,839 fans from Latham Park on Tuesday night.
Elon (20-10) picked up its third victory of the season over a top-25 program, matching the most wins over the top-25 since the start of the 1999 campaign. The Phoenix program has 22 wins over ranked foes. Elon is also 4-0 against ACC squads this year.
The Phoenix took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Ryan Adams ripped a two-out double to the gap in right-center to drive home Justin Hilt from second. After a wild pitch, Neal Pritchard's infield single allowed Adams to come home to make it 2-0.
UNC (20-11) broke through in the fifth when Levi Michael singled home Jacob Stallings from third. After Michael stole second, Jesse Wierzbicki drew a walk to put two aboard for the Tar Heels. The Phoenix got out of the inning there when Ferrer picked Michael off of second base.
Elon pushed its lead back to two runs when Matt Hinson crushed a 3-2 pitch over the wall down the right field line for his eighth homer of the year to lead off the bottom of the sixth.
Ryan Graepel singled with one out to get things going for UNC in the top of the eighth. After going to second on a ground out, Graepel scored on a single off the bat of pinch-hitter Brett Knief to trim the Tar Heel deficit to 3-2. Girdwood came on and ended the inning by getting Jacob Stallings to fly out to left.
With Hinson on first with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Scott Riddle laced a 3-2 pitch just inside the left field line for a double to score Hinson as Elon built a 4-2 lead.
In the top of the ninth, Girdwood retired the Tar Heels 1-2-3 to finish off the victory.
Ferrer won in his fourth consecutive outing and improved to 5-1 on the season. He struck out three. Jim Stokes, John Brebbia and Kyle Webb kept UNC off the board before Jimmy Reyes allowed a run in the eighth. Girdwood threw a perfect 1.1 innings to claim his second save of the year.
Garrett Davis fell to 3-3 after he gave up two runs on two hits in 1.2 innings.
Both Pritchard and Hinson went 2-for-4 to lead Elon at the plate. They accounted for four of Elon's six hits.
Mike Cavasinni recorded two of UNC's eight hits, going 2-for-5.
Elon will play host to Georgia Southern in a three-game Southern Conference series beginning on Friday at 7 p.m.
Appalachian State 15, North Carolina A&T 4
Appalachian State 3, North Carolina A&T 2
BOONE, N.C. - Freshman Hector Crespo (Miami, Fla./Florida Christian) hit a walk-off double into the right field corner to complete Appalachian State University baseball's doubleheader sweep over visiting North Carolina A&T on Tuesday afternoon at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium. Appalachian won the first game, 15-4, and the second, 3-2.
Appalachian (19-7-1) appeared in danger of dropping its first non-conference game of the season when it trailed 2-0 in the fifth inning of Tuesday's seven-inning nightcap. However, Doug Jones (Charlotte, N.C./South Mecklenburg) sparked a Mountaineer rally with a two-out, inside-the-park home run that knotted the score at 2-2.
On the tying hit, the sophomore shortstop drove a 3-2 pitch into the right-center field gap for what looked to be an RBI triple. But as N.C. A&T center fielder George Hines was fielding the ball, his legs got tangled in the outfield fence and the speedy Jones took advantage of Hines' misfortune, never letting up as he rounded the bases and easily beating the throw to the plate for ASU's second inside-the-park home run of the season (David Towarnicky hit the first versus Rider on March 6).
Thanks to Appalachian closer Chris Patterson (Laurinburg, N.C./Scotland County), who turned in 1.2 innings of one-hit scoreless relief, the score remained tied heading into the bottom of the seventh and final inning.
With one out in the seventh, Jones hit a hard grounder to first that scooted under the glove of A&T first baseman Nick Rogers for an error. On the very next pitch, Crespo belted a double down the right field line that easily brought Jones home all the way from first with the winning run.
Crespo and Jones led ASU's winning effort in game two, with Crespo going 2-for-4 with the game-winning RBI double and Jones scoring the tying and winning runs in a 1-for-3, two-RBI performance. Towarnicky also had two hits in the nightcap.
Patterson earned the win to move to 2-1 while N.C. A&T's Jonathan Smith surrendered the unearned run in the seventh to suffer the tough-luck loss and fall to 0-2.
Starting pitcher Seth Grant (Etowah, N.C./West Henderson) was the story for Appalachian in the opener, as he turned in eight solid innings, allowing four runs on eight hits and striking out six to earn his first-career victory. The eight innings and six strikeouts were both career highs for the right-handed sophomore, who moved to 1-0 on the season.
The Mountaineers scored early and often in support of Grant. The Apps plated two runs in each of the first three innings and one more in the fourth to take a commanding 7-0 lead. The Aggies cut the ASU advantage to 7-3 with four runs in the top of the fifth but Appalachian responded with four runs of its own in the bottom of the fifth and tacked on four more in the seventh to account for the final margin.
Wes Hobson (Winston-Salem, N.C./North Forsyth), Jerod Faggart (Concord, N.C./Northwest Cabarrus) and Jeremy Dowdy (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield) had three hits each to lead the Mountaineers' 15-run, 16-hit onslaught in the opener. Faggart and Hobson also hit home runs ? Faggart's team-leading ninth of the season and Hobson's sixth ? and drove in three runs apiece.
With the victories, Appalachian moved to 15-0 in non-conference games this season and 26-2-1 in its last 29 home games.
The Mountaineers close a nine-game homestand this weekend when they host Davidson for a three-game Southern Conference series. Game times are set for 6 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday at Smith Stadium.
Charleston Southern 8, The Citadel 7
Ladson, S.C. - Charleston Southern scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth to overtake The Citadel, 8-7, on Tuesday afternoon at Buccaneer Ballpark.
The Citadel (21-9) used seven different pitchers, but could not hold on to a 7-3 advantage they held after scoring three runs in the top of the ninth. The Bulldogs managed to steal five bases in the game, the most since they swiped seven against Coppin State on Feb. 19, 2005.
Nick Orvin (Goose Creek, S.C.) led the game off with a single, stole a base and would come around to score on an RBI single by Bryan Altman (Summerville, S.C.) In the second, William Ladd (Winnsboro, S.C.) singled to left to score David Greene (Columbia, S.C.), who reached on a base hit and stole a base before coming around to score.
In the second, Bulldog starter TJ Clarkson (Coral Springs, Fla.) got himself into trouble when he hit Tom Burkett and Tyler Thornburg in between Matt Still reaching on an error by Greene at third to load the bases with no out. After a fly out double play to get the runner out at second, Patrick Dolan then singled in Burkett and Bentley Christmas then drove in Thornburg to tie the game at two.
The Bulldogs would retake the lead the lead in the fifth when Altman was hit by a pitch from CSU stater Jesse Cadenhead. He then stole his second base of the game, the first time he has done so in his career, and came around to score on a passed ball by catcher Nick Chinners. Cadenhead went 7.0 innings, allowing seven hits, three runs, a pair of walks, while striking out 10 on 123 pitches.
Clarkson went 6.0 innings, allowing three hits and two runs while stiking out four and walking no one on 87 pitches. Matt Reifsnider (Ormand Beach, Fla.) came in and pitched a scoreless seventh, while striking out a pair of Buccaneers.
Justin Mackert (Cleveland, Ohio) launched his first career homer over the center field wall to increase the Bulldogs lead to 4-2 in the top of the eighth.
Charleston Southern (13-18) would mount a comeback in the eighth as lealdoff man Brantley Meier singled off new reliever Raymond Copenhaver (Apopka, Fla.). A sacrifice moved Meier over and a bouncer over the head of Altman at second by Chinners scored the leadoff man. A single by Burkett would chase Copenhaver and bring Chris Boyce (Simpsonville, S.C.) in to the game for the Bulldogs who registered a strikeout and a walk to load the bases that prompted Drew Mahaffey (Summerville, S.C.) to enter the game as he got Walt Quattlebaum to fly out to right to end the Buccaneer threat.
An RBI double to center by Altman would score Matt Simonelli (Orlando, Fla.) and give the Bulldogs back a run as they moved ahead, 5-3 in the top of the ninth. A walk to Mackert, followed by RBI singles by Kyle Jordan (Goose Creek, S.C.) and Greene plated two more as the Citadel moved up, 7-3.
In the bottom of the ninth, Dolan and Christmas earned a pair of walks and Meir then doubled to deep center to plate both runners and knock Mahaffey out of the game with the no outs. Jeremy Long (Clover, S.C.) came out of the bullpen and hit Jon Matthews as Nick Sprowls (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) was then called up on to pitch for The Citadel. After inducing a pop up to short, Sprowls then walked Burkett to load the bases. A single by Still would cut the defecit to 7-6 and a base hit to left by Thornburg would plate a pair to give the Bucs the walk-off 8-7 win.
Greene led the Bulldogs, as he went 3-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored. Altman added two RBI in his 2-for-4 performance with two runs scored and two stolen bases. Meier led the Bucs, going 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI and a pair of runs. Burkett and Dolan both went 2-for-3 for CSU. Stew Brase (2-1) picked up the win for Charleston Southern.
The Citadel concludes their five-game on Wednesday when they head to Rock Hill to face Winthrop at 6 p.m.
Troy 11, Samford 9
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford baseball team erased an eight-run deficit, but could not hold on as the Bulldogs fell to in-state rival Troy, 11-9, Tuesday evening at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
Troy plated two runs in the first inning and six more in the second to jump out to an 8-0 lead. Samford came back with a run in the fourth inning, two runs in the fifth inning and five more in the sixth to tie the game at 8-8.
Troy, however answered with three runs in the seventh to take an 11-8 lead. Samford put one final run on the board in the ninth, but could get no closer as the Bulldogs fell, 11-9.
"When you look at it, it's a game we had no business being in with the way we started," Samford head coach Casey Dunn said. "But, now we are disappointed we didn't get a win because of the way we did fight back. We tied it up there, but then gave up three more runs in the seventh."
Samford used nine pitchers in the game, with no one pitching more than 1.2 innings. Sean Handlan took the loss for the Bulldogs, pitching a third of an inning, giving up one run on two hits. Charles Terry, Dayne Cutrell, Tyler Vanderheiden, Michael Gunter, Rumiko Forrester, Mark Lewallyn, Andrew Jones and Lex Rutledge all saw time on the mound as well.
"It's disappointing," Dunn said. "We had some guys who threw poorly, but at the same time, we had some guys who threw the ball really well tonight too."
Samford (17-11) was led at the plate by Trey Hayes, going 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI. Mason Meredeth went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Wayne Miller went 2-for-5 at the plate for the Bulldogs.
For Troy (16-12) at the plate, Steven Felix hit a two-run home run in a 1-for-4 performance. Adam Bryant went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Chase Whitley was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate. Whitley also earned the save on the mound for the Trojans, pitching the final 3.0 innings, giving up one run on two hits. Cass Abercrombie tossed a third of an inning to earn the win.
After falling behind, 8-0 in the first two innings, Samford got on the board first with a run in the fourth inning when Hayes singled up the middle to drive in David Schulze.
In the fifth inning, Samford plated two more runs to cut the Troy lead to 8-3. Miller scored from third base when Schulze grounded into a double play with the bases loaded for the first run of the inning. Matthew Bennett later doubled down the right-field line to drive in Stephen Ballard for Samford's third run of the game.
Samford tied the score with five runs in the sixth inning. Byron Soler doubled down the right-field line to drive in Michael Johnson for the first run of the inning. Ballard later doubled to drive in Soler to make the score 8-5. Meredeth then singled to right field to drive in Ballard. Hayes then doubled to right-center field to drive in Schulze and Meredeth to tie the score at 8-8.
Troy came right back with three runs in the top of the seventh inning to take an 11-8 lead. Blake Martz hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Miles Hoyle for the first run of the inning. Adam Bryant then doubled to right field to drive in Steven Rosado and T.J. Rivera for a three-run Troy lead.
Samford came back with one final run in the bottom of the ninth inning, but could not manage another run to make the final score 11-9. Hayes led the inning off with a solo home run to left field for the final run of the game.
Samford will return to action on Friday, when the Bulldogs play host to UNC Greensboro in the first game of a three-game Southern Conference series. Friday's series-opener is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start from Joe Lee Griffin Field.