#30 The Citadel 7, #16 Virginia Tech 2
Box Score
Columbia, S.C. - The Citadel extended its winning streak to 13 games as the Bulldogs upset No. 16 Virginia Tech, 7-2, in the first game of the NCAA Tournament on Friday afternoon in front of 5,075 fans at Carolina Stadium.
The victory is the first over a ranked opponent for the Bulldogs this season. The Citadel improves to 43-20 overall while Virginia Tech falls to 38-21. It's the first win in the NCAA Tournament since June 5, 2004 when the Bulldogs cruised past Coastal Carolina, 10-1 in Columbia.
The winning streak for the Bulldogs now sits at 13, which is the longest active streak in the nation.
The Citadel would strike first and plate four in the top of the second off Virginia Tech starter Justin Wright. Bryan Altman (Summerville, S.C.) led off with a double that bounced off the center field wall. Justin Mackert (Cleveland, Ohio) then extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a single to right to put runners on the corners with no outs. Kyle Jordan (Goose Creek, S.C.) would follow with a sac bunt up the first base line that scored Altman and sent Mackert to second with one out. David Greene (Columbia, S.C.) then launched a two-run homer, his seventh of the season, to right field to make it 3-0.
Grant Richards (Morrisville, N.C.) would draw a four-pitch walk and move to third on a single by William Ladd (Winnsboro, S.C.). Nick Orvin then reached on an error when second baseman Michael Seaborn dropped a pop up in shallow right as Richards came in to score to make it 4-0.
In the bottom of the fourth and the fifth innings, Virginia Tech would threaten against Bulldog starter Matt Talley (Sumter, S.C.) as the Hokies led off with a pair of singles in both innings with no outs, but Talley was able to pitch out of trouble both times.
In the top of the sixth, Mackert led off with a base hit to left and Jordan then reached on a bunt single that rolled up the first base line that stayed fair to put two aboard with no outs. A sac bunt by Greene advanced both runners and Richards followed with a base hit to center that scored Mackert and Jordan to make it 6-0 and knock Wright from the game.
In the seventh, Orvin singled and moved to second on a wild pitch and then to third on a groundout. He would come around to score on base hit up the middle by Altman to make it 7-0 and give the senior second baseman his third hit of the day.
The Hokies were finally able to get to Talley in the bottom of the seventh as Tony Balisteri singled for the third time. Leadoff man Sean Ryan then sent the first pitch from Talley into the bullpen in left center field to cut the lead to 7-2.
Raymond Copenhaver (Apopka, Fla.) came out of the bullpen in the bottom of the eighth and allowed just one hit and one walk in two innings of scoreless relief to close out the win.
Talley went 7.0 innings, allowing eight hits, two runs, no walks and struck out three to improve to 8-3 on the season. Wright took the loss for the Hokies, going 5.1 innings, allowing 10 hits, six runs, one walk and five strikeouts as he fell to 8-5 on the season.
Every Bulldog batter had at least one hit as Altman led the offense going 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Greene went 1-for-3 with a homer and two RBI while Felder and Mackert collected two hits each. For Virginia Tech, Balisteri and Austin Wates each went 3-for-4.
The Citadel will face South Carolina Saturday at 7 p.m. at Carolina Stadium. A recap and box score will follow shortly after the game. Live stats, video and audo will be available. The game can be heard on Fox Sports Radio 1450AM in Charleston with play-by-play announcer Darren Goldwater. Stay current on Bulldog baseball at CitadelSports.com.
College of Charleston 9, North Carolina State 6
Box Score
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Sophomore LF Jose Rodriguez (Hialeah, Fla./Broward College) went 4-for-5 with a solo home run and senior RHP Kevin Decker (Washington, Ind./Seminole CC) struck out seven in 7.1 innings as the #2 seeded College of Charleston defeated #3 North Carolina State Friday evening in the opening round of the 2010 NCAA Regional at BB&T Coastal Field. The Cougars improve to 43-17 on the season and will meet #1 seed and regional host Coastal Carolina Friday evening at 7:00 p.m.
Charleston jumped out 3-0 in the bottom of the first inning, using four hits to stake the early lead. Senior 2B Joey Bergman (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny) led off the frame with a single and advanced to second when junior CF Cole Rakar (Mt. Pleasant, S.C./Wando) was hit by a pitch. A RBI single through the right side by redshirt-sophomore Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J./Randolph) scored Bergman and a sacrifice fly to left by sophomore 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla./American Heritage) plated Rakar for the first two runs. After a single by Rodriguez, junior RF Baker Knox (San Mateo, Fla./Daytona Beach CC) ripped a RBI single to left to bring home Kral.
The Cougars continued to pound away at Wolfpack starter Jake Buchanan, scoring four more runs in the fourth for a 7-0 advantage. Freshman DH Dre Watts (Laurens, S.C./Laurens) opened the inning with a single up the middle and advanced to third on a fielder's choice by junior SS Jamie Holler (Rock Hill, S.C./USC Sumter JC) and a throwing error by the Wolfpack's third baseman. A bunt single by Rakar loaded the bases for Leeds, who delivered a two-run single through the right side for his 83rd and 84th RBI, moving him into second place on the all-time single-season chart. Senior 1B Greg Blake (Westerly, R.I./Lake City CC) lofted a sacrifice fly to left to plate Rakar and give the Cougars a comfortable seven-run cushion.
North Carolina State (38-23) chipped away in the top of the sixth, scoring a pair of runs to cut the Cougars' lead to 7-2. A pair of RBI groundouts by Kyle Wilson and Dallas Poulk put the Wolfpack on the scoreboard, but Charleston came back with Rodriguez's solo blast to left in the bottom of the frame for an 8-2 lead.
The Wolfpack put a scare into the Cougar faithful, as Drew Poulk hammered a grand slam to left in the top of the eighth to cut the deficit to two runs and boost the noise level of the NC State fans. A lead-off single by John Gianis and a pair of walks to Wilson and Dallas Poulk chased Decker to the bench in favor of senior RHP Tom Schiller (Rochester, N.Y./Monroe CC). Poulk deposited an 0-1 pitch from Schiller over the wall in left for his 14th round-tripper of the season and left the Cougars clinging to an 8-6 lead.
Blake gave Charleston an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, crushing a 0-1 pitch from Wolfpack reliever Nick Rice over the fence in right center for the 9-6 final score.
Decker picked up his eighth win of the season, remaining undefeated on the mound. The senior allowed five runs, three earned, on five hits and walked four. Rakar added three hits on the evening and Leeds knocked in three runs to lead the Cougars. Each Cougar in the lineup had at least one hit as Charleston tallied 16 hits on the evening.
Buchanan allowed 13 of those hits in the loss, tossing four innings and giving up seven runs, four earned, with three strikeouts. Dallas Poulk and Gianis had two hits apiece for the Wolfpack.
#29 Alabama 11, Elon 2
Box Score
ATLANTA, Ga. -- A six-run fourth inning helped lead 29th-ranked Alabama to an 11-2 victory over Elon in the opening game of the 2010 Atlanta Regional in the NCAA Baseball Championships. The Phoenix dropped to 38-23 on the year while the Crimson Tide improved to 38-22.
Alabama pushed across the first runs of the game in the bottom of the third. Brock Bennett and Taylor Dugas began the frame with back-to-back singles that put runners on the corners. Josh Rutledge followed with a single to center to score Bennett. After Ross Wilson walked to load the bases, Clay Jones lifted a sacrifice fly to left to drive home Dugas with the second run. Elon escaped further damage as the next two hitters grounded out.
After walks put two Alabama runners aboard with one out in the fourth, Dugas doubled down the left field line to drive home the third run of the day for the Crimson Tide. Rutledge made it a 6-0 game when he belted his ninth homer of the year over the wall in left. Wilson then blooped a single down the right field line and stole second before racing home on a Jones single. With runners on the corners after a Jake Smith single, Jon Kelton put down a sacrifice bunt which brought home the eighth run of the game for Alabama.
The Phoenix got on the board in the sixth inning when Ryan Adams crushed his 12th homer of the year, this one clearing the wall in left-center.
Alabama got that run right back wehn Jones hit his 16th of the year over the wall in left with one out in the bottom of the sixth.
Dugas scored for the third time on the day on a Wilson ground out in the bottom of the seventh. Rutledge would then come in on Jones' double into the right field corner to make it an 11-1 game.
The Phoenix added its final run in the ninth when, after Chris Bresnahan singled, Grant McCoury doubled into the left field corner to drive home the run.
Jimmy Reyes, who had won his last seven starts, fell to 10-4 after taking the loss. Reyes allowed eight runs on eight hits in just 3.1 innings for Elon.
Alabama's Nathan Kilcrease improved to 7-4 after giving up just one run on three hits in seven frames.
Elon's five hits came from five different players. Along with Adams, Harry Austin, Bresnahan, McCoury and Alex Swim all recorded hits.
Much of the damage done by the Crimson Tide came from the top of the order. It's 1-2 hitters, Dugas and Rutledge, combined to go 8-for-10 with five runs and five RBI. In the four hole, Jones was 3-for-3 with two runs and four RBI.
Elon will take on Mercer at 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. The game will be broadcast live on WPCM 920 AM and on elonphoenix.com. It will also be televised on CSS.