Elon 7, South Florida 5 (16 inn.)
TAMPA, Fla. -- Niko Fraser's one-out single in the top of the 16th inning drove home two runs sending the Elon Phoenix baseball team to a 7-5 victory over the South Florida Bulls on Sunday afternoon. The win gave Elon (5-2) the series win two games to one.
The 16-inning affair was the longest for the Phoenix since an 18-inning contest against Wofford on May 1, 2009. It equaled the longest game in USF history.
After six scoreless frames, the game was still even at five in the top of the 16th inning when Harry Austin drew a one-out walk and moved to second when Eric Serra was hit by a pitch. A passed ball moved both runners up a bag before Fraser's clutch hit - a line-drive single to right-center which drove home both runners to put Elon on top 7-5.
USF (1-5) took a 1-0 lead in the second thanks to back-to-back two-out hits. Chad Taylor lined a single to left and then came around to score on James Ramsay's double to the gap in right-center.
Elon answered right back, once again taking advantage of a USF error this series. Garrett Koster led the at bat off by drawing a walk. Austin put down a sacrifice bunt, but the throw to first was off its mark allowing Koster to score and Austin to wind up on third. Jake Luce's single to right plated Austin to give the Phoenix a 2-1 advantage.
The Phoenix added another in the fourth without the benefit of a hit. Seth Canipe began the inning with a walk before three consecutive two-out walks forced in a run to make it a 3-1 game.
Alex Swim extended his career-best hitting streak to 11 games with a single up the middle to lead off the Elon fifth. After Neal Pritchard was plunked to put two aboard, Canipe reached on fielder's choice that erased Pritchard. With Grant McCoury at the plate, Canipe swiped second. McCoury then singled home both runners with a line drive down the right field line as the Phoenix edge reached 5-1.
After the first two hitters of the USF eighth were retired, Daniel Rockhold lifted a fly ball to center that was dropped. With Rockhold on second after the error, Todd Brazeal singled to center to plate the second Bull run of the game. Back-to-back singles from Andrew Longley and Taylor loaded the bases for Ramsay who flew out to right to keep Elon's lead at 5-2 heading into the ninth inning.
Clinging to a three-run lead, the Phoenix turned to closer Thomas Girdwood. Girdwood plunked Luis Llerena to start the inning. After a wild pitch and a ground out moved Llerena to third, Junior Carlin singled to left to make it a 5-3 contest. Girdwood then got Sam Mende to pop out to right before Rockhold singled to put the tying run aboard. Brazeal's double to the gap in left-center should have just scored one, but the fourth Elon error of the contest allowed pinch-runner Anthony Diaz to score to tie the game at five.
Elon's Mitch Conner (1-0) picked up the first victory of his career after holding USF to no runs and just one hit over the final three innings. He also struck out a career-best four hitters. Phoenix starter Jared Kernodle turned in his best outing of the season and left after 7.2 innings. He was charged with two runs (one earned) on eight hits. Kernodle fanned two.
The Phoenix used a total of five pitchers who combined did not issue a walk. The trio of Conner, John Brebbia and David Whitehead combined to thrwo 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing just four hits.
Offensively, Elon finished the day with nine hits, including two apiece by McCoury and Swim. Luce, Fraser and McCoury all tallied two RBI during the three-hour, 25 minute game.
USF's Andrew Loynaz (0-1) was the losing pitcher. He gave up two runs (one earned) on one hit in an inning. The Bulls used nine pitchers including starter Nick Gonzalez. Gonzalez allowed just one hit in four innings, but walked six Elon hitters and gave up three runs (one earned).
Carlin led USF with a 3-for-6 day. He scored a run and drove in one. Four other Bull hitters had two-hit outings as USF finished with 15 base hits.
Elon will play at home for just the second time this season when the Phoenix welcomes UNC Wilmington to Latham Park for a 4 p.m. contest on Wednesday. Elon's next five games will be at home.
UNCG 10, Cleveland State 3
GREENSBORO, N.C. - UNCG exploded for five runs in the first inning and got seven strong innings from Colby Hyatt as the Spartans claimed the series on Sunday by winning the rubber game, 10-3, over Cleveland State at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Hyatt picked up his first win for the Spartans (4-3) after allowing just four hits and three runs, one earned, in his seven innings of work. Cleveland State starter Nate Blankemeyer was credited with the loss after allowing five runs, three earned, on just two hits in two innings.
John Hein two-run triple in the contest for UNCG, while Trevor Edwards and Ray Quinones each went 1-3 at the plate with an RBI and two runs scored.
The Vikings (2-4) were led by Steve Mahler who had a pair of singles and a run scored and Zach Thompson and Tyler Wynn provided to lone RBI.
Cleveland State struck first in the top half of the first after loading the bases on a pair of singles and a Spartan error. Wynn then hit a sacrifice fly to deep center to allow the runner from third to score and give the Vikings a 1-0 lead.
That lead didn't last long, though, as UNCG put up five runs in the bottom half of the inning thanks to a pair of Viking errors. Drew Gehringer led off with a walk andChris Barker was hit by a pitch for the sixth time this season to put two runners on base. Quinones then reached as his sacrifice bunt attempt was dropped by the pitcher to load the bases.
Edwards followed with a single through the right side of the infield that scored Gehringer to tie the game at one. Eric Brindle then drew an eight-pitch walk to score Barker before Bobby Martin delivered an RBI single that scored Quinones to make it 3-1.
Joe Hager then hit a ball that the Viking second baseman couldn't handle that allowed Edwards and Brindle to come home to give UNCG a 5-1 lead.
The Vikings responded immediately with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning to trim the Spartan lead to 5-3. Alex Gnezda led off with a single up the middle and Frank Dufour reached on a fielding error by UNCG to get things going. The Vikings would score later in the inning on a sacrifice fly and a throwing error by the Spartan shortstop to make it a two-run contest.
UNCG would add a run in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly to make it 6-3 and things would stay that way until the bottom of the sixth. Ray Crawford led off the inning with a single and Cambric Moye reached on an error. Hein plated Crawford and Moye with a blast to right center for a triple to put the Spartans ahead, 8-3.
An RBI double by Quinones and an RBI single by Andrew Spleth in the bottom of the eighth inning provided the final runs for UNCG and made it 10-3.
The Spartans return to the diamond on Tuesday as they hit the road for the first time all season at Wake Forest at 4 p.m.
Davidson 5, Lafayette 4
DAVIDSON, N.C. -- The Davidson Wildcats scored five runs in the first inning and held on for the 5-4 victory over the Lafayette Leopards in the weekend finale at Wilson Field Sunday afternoon.
Davidson (5-4) got five runs in the home half of the first on four hits and a pair of walks and hit batsmen for their only scoring of the game.
Lafayette (0-3) put up single runs in both the second and fifth and cut Davidson's lead to one on a two-RBI single from catcher A.J. Miller in the seventh, but the Wildcat defense stranded five Leopards over the last four frames to get the win.
After junior RHP Brian Russell (W, 1-0) worked a one-two-three first inning, the Wildcats gave him a 5-0 cushion in the bottom half. He picked up his first win of the year by scattering six hits for a pair of runs and striking out six in 5 1/3 innings.
Junior center fielder Seth Freeman (2-for-3, RBI) was hit by a pitch in the Wildcats' first at-bat, and he bumped over to second as junior second baseman Calvin Sigelbaum (1-for-5) followed with a base hit up the middle. Junior right fielder Drew Gadaire's (2-for-4) bunt single loaded the bases, and senior designated hitter Danny Weiss (0-for-2, RBI) was John Gentile's (L, 0-1) second victim of the inning for Davidson's first run.
With the bases full of Wildcats, sophomore third basemanAndrew Barna (1-for-3, RBI) plated Sigelbaum with a base hit through the left side, and junior first baseman Matt Ray (1-for-3, RBI) got the 'Cats' fourth hit of the game to send in Gadaire. As the 'Cats batted around in the first, freshman left fielderForrest Brandt (2-for-3, RBI) and Freeman took bases-loaded walks to push Davidson's lead to 5-0 before Gentile finally got a ground ball from Sigelbaum for the third out.
Miller, who batted 2-for-4 and drove in three for the Leopards, led off the second with a solo home run, but Russell struck out a pair and freshman catcher Daniel Gerow gunned down right fielder Alex Bechta (2-for-3) to end the inning. Bechta singled up the middle to lead off the fifth and, after Lafayette loaded the bases, scored from third on a wild pitch to cut Davidson's lead to 5-2.
Russell coaxed a ground ball from second baseman Kevin Casey to leave a pair of Leopards on base, but loaded the bases in the sixth with a pair of hits and a walk to bring on freshman RHP Danny Mooney. A heads up play from Ray, who fielded the offering from designated hitter Andrew Ruck and cut down the runner at the plate, gave the 'Cats a second out, and Mooney sat third baseman Matt Fenster down on strikes to leave the bases loaded.
Lafayette got something going in the seventh when shortstop Brian Davila and center fielder Rob Froio led off with back-to-back singles. Casey sacrificed the pair a base before Mooney got his second strikeout, and the Leopards cut Davidson's lead to a run on Miller's two-RBI single off RHP Mike Frongello (S, 2).
Frongello retired pinch hitter Brad Hopek on strikes to leave the tying run aboard and struck out his first two hitters in the eighth. Sophomore shortstop Michael Zeblo erased pinch hitter Andrew Santomauro, who slapped a two-out base hit into right field, to get out of the eighth and Frongello undid his own mistake in the top of the ninth by picking off Froio, who drew the leadoff walk, on the way to getting his second save of the season.
Davidson finished with nine hits, led by Freeman and Brandt. Lafayette tallied 10, including a pair each by Froio, Miller and Bechta.
The Wildcats will travel to the triangle for a pair of midweek games, taking on N.C. State at 3 p.m. Tuesday and heading over to No. 18 North Carolina for a 3 p.m. game Wednesday. Davidson opens SoCon play next weekend, hosting Furman for a three-game set at Wilson Field.
Western Carolina 9, Manhattan 8
Cullowhee, N.C. - Freshman Luke Gragg drove in the game-winning run with a walk-off, two-out bloop single to right field to score senior Stephen Notaro as Western Carolina took Sunday's rubber match of the three-game series with Manhattan College, 9-8, at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
Tied at eight with two runners aboard and two down in the bottom of the ninth, Gragg, who pinch hit for starting designated hitter Macon Smith in the sixth inning, lifted the seventh-pitch of his at bat into shallow right field close to the foul line where it was out of reach of all three right-side players - right fielder, second baseman and first baseman. Running with the crack of the bat, Notaro raced around third and scored the game winner from second base.
Gragg finished 2-for-2 in the win, recording his first career double in his first plate appearance of the day in the sixth.
Senior reliever Brandon Johnson (2-0) picked up the victory out of the bullpen, tossing the final two frames with a pair of walks and three strikeouts. WCU starter Adam Curtis threw a career-long 4.1 innings in his first career start, scattering six base hits and two earned runs. The Arden, N.C., native fanned three against just one walk.
Matt Benedict tossed an inning and a third of relief, with Andrew Chilcoat, Morgan McKinney and Jeremy Sluder combining for an inning and a third out of the pen. All told, WCU pitchers recorded eight strikeouts with just four free passes.
Western Carolina (5-2) had to rally twice after jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the home half of the first inning. Senior Austin Schultz drew the first of his four walks on the day to open the frame with Cameron Dullnig plunked by his team-leading fourth pitch of the season to put two aboard with no outs. Back in the lineup after missing the opening two games of the series due to illness, junior Ross Heffley doubled to left center on the first pitch he saw and moved to third on the throw to the plate. Seeing Heffley running for third, the Jaspers cut-off the throw home, heaved the ball towards the corner where it scooted away from the third baseman allowing Heffley to scamper home for a 3-0 lead.
Heffley drove in four runs on a 2-for-5 showing with a pair of doubles. The Snellville, Ga., native currently leads the team with 14 RBI and four two-baggers. Notaro finished 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Manhattan (1-2) chipped away at the Catamount lead with single runs in the fourth through sixth innings while Tyler White belted his first home run of the season to keep WCU ahead, 4-3, after six complete.
In the seventh, the Jaspers rallied for two runs to grab their first lead of the contest. Mark Onorati singled to left and sacrificed into scoring position where Chad Salem drove him in on a RBI single up the middle. Austin Sheffield - who opened Manhattan's scoring with a solo homerun in the fourth inning - then doubled to left center to score Salem and put the Jaspers ahead, 5-4.
However, WCU rallied in the bottom of the seventh with a single run to knot the game at five. Matt Johns pushed a bunt single to third base. A balk call moved the Stafford, Va., native to second where he promptly stole third with no throw. White then drove in his second run of the game on a sacrifice fly ball to right, tying the game 5-5.
Manhattan regained momentum in the game as Anthony Vega blasted a home run to right field, handing the Jaspers a 6-5 lead. Back-to-back singles put two aboard with a sacrifice bunt putting the runners at second and third with just one out. Consecutive walks to Mike McCann and Salem drove in a second run, with Sheffield recording his third RBI on a sacrifice fly to left, handing Manhattan an 8-3 lead through seven and a half.
Two walks amongst the first three batters started to swing momentum back to the home dugout. It continued to back the Catamounts as Schultz grounded into a would-be, inning ending double-play, but raced down the line to beat the relay throw to first. Dullnig then singled through the right side to score Aaron Attaway, who drew first free pass of the inning, with Heffley doubling home the game-tying runs with Dullnig sliding into home ahead of the tag to tie the game, 8-8, setting up Gragg's walk-off heroics.
Reliever Taylor Sewitt (0-1) was saddled with the loss after starter Mike Giordano settled down after the first-inning miscues. Giordano worked six innings, allowing four runs on four hits with six walks and six strikeouts. Sewitt allowed one earned run on two hits in one-inning of action.
Onorati finished 2-for-3 while Nick Camastro was 4-for-5 with two runs scored to lead the Jaspers in the series finale. Sheffield drove in three runs on two base hits, while Salem had two RBI including one on a walk.
Western Carolina travels to Richmond, Ky., on Tuesday and Wednesday for a two-game set against Eastern Kentucky, which is where WCU head coach Bobby Moranda played for two seasons.
Georgia Southern 20, North Carolina Central 4
STATESBORO, Ga. - Steve Cochrane (Mooresville, N.C.) drove in seven runs to help Georgia Southern Baseball (6-2) complete the sweep of North Carolina Central (0-7) with a 20-4 win on Sunday, February 27th. More than 47 runs were scored by the Eagles at J.I. Clements Stadium in the three games.
Cochrane launched his second home run of the season in the fifth inning and recorded an RBI on all but one plate appearance to finish just two short of the school record.
Brent Pugh (Atlanta, Ga.) continued to impress since making his first career start on Saturday and banged out four more hits today. Pugh finished with two doubles, two singles and four RBIs.
Junior Matt Murray (Spring City, Pa.) earned the win in relief of Will Middour (Atlanta, Ga.), who allowed three runs on six hits in 4.2 innings of work. Murray entered in the fifth inning and struck out the first batter he faced.
Georgia Southern blew open what had been a close game with four runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings. North Carolina Central led, for just the second time this season, 3-2, after the top half of the third inning. The Eagles quickly responded in the bottom half of the inning and scored nine unanswered runs to take a 11-3 lead after five innings.
Victor Roache (Ypsilanti, Mich.), who singled with two-outs in the third inning, scored on an error by the first baseman. Four straight Eagles scored with two outs in the fourth inning on a Cochrane two-RBI single and a home run by Roache.
Three-straight two-out hits, including Cochrane's third career homer, led to four more runs in the fifth inning. Pugh, who finished nine for 12 for the series, led off the inning with his first career double. Michael Burruss (Marietta, Ga.) drove Pugh in with a two-out single. Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) laid down a bunt single moving Burruss to second base and both runners scored on Cochrane's home run.
Georgia Southern tacked on nine more runs in the seventh and eighth innings combined. Five walks, a hit, a passed ball and a wild pitch scored four runs in the seventh inning. D.J. Henderson (Detroit, Mich.) beat out a throw from the shortstop for his first career hit in the eighth inning and scored along with Andy Moye (Alpharetta, Ga.) on a Tom Richardson (Lilburn, Ga.) single. Stryker Brown (Dalton, Ga.) walked following a two-out double by Ben Morgan (Evans, Ga.) and both would score on Pugh's three-RBI double.
Georgia Southern Baseball hits the road for the first time in 2011 on Wednesday, March 2nd. The Eagles will face North Florida at 6:30 p.m. before returning home for a three-game series with St. John's this weekend.
#19 College of Charleston 6, Youngstown State 2
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Redshirt-freshman LF Daniel Aldrich (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) and senior SS Jamie Holler (Rock Hill, S.C.) each homered in the second inning and senior RHP Josh Salay (Rock Hill, S.C.) tossed five no-hit innings to lead #19 College of Charleston to a 6-2 win and a series sweep over visiting Youngstown State Sunday afternoon at Patriots Point. The Cougars remain undefeated at 7-0 on the season, while Youngstown State falls to 0-6.
The Cougars jumped out to the early 2-0 lead on the round-trippers by Aldrich and Holler in the second frame and extended the lead to 5-0 with three runs in the sixth. Senior 2B Jesse Mesa (Mirimar, Fla.) opened the inning with a single to left and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Holler. After a six-pitch walk by redshirt-graduate student PH Ryan Daniels (Victoria, Texas), redshirt-junior DH Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J.) ripped an RBI single through the right side to score Mesa. Junior RF Marty Gantt (North Augusta, S.C.) followed with a RBI single up the middle to score freshman pinch-runner Blake Ross (Evans, Ga.), while a third-straight RBI single by redshirt-junior 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla.) plated Kral and gave the Cougars the five-run advantage.
Youngstown State got their first hit of the game in the seventh inning, a single up the middle by Jeremy Banks off sophomore reliever Matt Pegler (Greenville, S.C.). Banks would later score on a RBI single to left center by Greg Dissinger to cut the Cougars' lead to 5-1. Charleston would get the run back in the eighth on a RBI double to right by Gantt that scored senior CF Cole Rakar (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) from second. The Penguins plated their final run in the top of the ninth on a RBI single by Phil Lipari.
Salay picked up his first win of the season, allowing only a base on balls in the fifth inning and striking out one. Gantt, Leeds and Holler each recorded two hits on the afternoon, with Gantt posting two RBIs as well. Robert Switka took the loss for Youngstown State, allowing four runs on six hits in 5-2/3 innings and walking four.
The Cougars return to action with their first away contest of the season on Tuesday, March 1, at Jacksonville. First pitch is set for 4:00 p.m. and all the action can be followed via live stats on www.CofCSports.com and via twitter at www.twitter.com/cofcsports.
Wright State 6, The Citadel 2
The Citadel 4, Old Dominion 3
Charleston, S.C. - The Citadel Baseball team split their two games at Riley Park on Sunday in the final day of the Homewood Suites Shootout presented by the Charleston Crab House.
In game one, The Bulldogs dropped a 6-2 decision to Wright State. In the afternoon contest, The Citadel rallied late to defeat Old Dominion by a final of 4-3.
Game One
The Raiders (2-5) got on the board in the second inning off Citadel starter Justin Russell (Jacksonville, Fla.) as right fielder Kyle Mossbarger tripled to right center field, scoring Ryan Ashe and Corey Davis for a 2-0 lead.
Wright State would get two more runs and knock Russell out of the game in the fifth with two outs as Ashe tripled to left field, just past the outstretched arms of William Ladd (Winnsboro, S.C.) to score Kody Krizman. Logan Cribb (Rock Hill, S.C.) then came on in relief and gave up a base hit up the middle to Sam Picchiotti to score Ashe and increase the Raider lead to 4-0.
Russell (0-2) went 4.2 innings, allowing nine hits, four runs, two walks and struck out seven in the loss. The Bulldogs (2-5) got on the board in the bottom of the sixth off WSU starter Michael Woytek as third baseman Drew DeKerlegand (Pearland, Texas) doubled in Matt Simonelli (Orlando, Fla.) from second.
A double by center fielder Nick Orvin (Moncks Corner, S.C.) in the seventh would score catcher Joe Jackson (Mauldin, S.C.) to cut the lead in half, 4-2. It would end the game for Woytek (1-1) as well as he went 6.1 innings, allowing six hits, two runs, a walk and a pair of strikeouts in the win. Raider reliever Michael Schum however would shut the door on the Bulldogs the rest of the way as he picked up the save in 2.2 innings, allowing just two hits.
The Raiders would get an insurance run in the eighth and ninth off Bulldog relievers Connor Hitchingham (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Cam Grimsley (Jacksonville, Fla.) for a final of 6-2. Eight different Bulldogs registered a hit in the game while Orvin and DeKerlegand collected an RBI each. Krizman went 3-for-4 with a run, while Picchiotti went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI to lead the Wright State offense.
Game Two
The Citadel (3-5) has trailed at some point in every game this season and that did not change in the second game on Sunday against Old Dominion (5-4). The Monarchs plated a run in the top of the first when leadoff man Josh Wright reached on an error by shortstop Legare Jones (Columbia, S.C.). After stealing second base and moving to third on a groundout, Wright scored on a wild pitch from Bulldog starter Bryce Hines (Hanahan, S.C.).
ODU would move in front 2-0 in the top of the fourth when Brandon Shelton walked, moved to third on a double by Chris Baker and then scored on a groundout.
The Bulldogs cut the lead in half in the fourth off Old Dominion starter Dean Ali when Simonelli scored on an RBI single up the middle by Ladd. The Citadel would just get one run however and leave the bases loaded.
The Monarchs would get the run back in the top of the seventh when Kenny Stoneback singled home Brent Frazier. Hines received a no-decision in first career start, but went 7.0 innings, allowing just three hits, two earned runs, five walks and struck out 10.
Ali went 6.0 innings, allowing three hits, one run, one walk and struck out six in a no-decision. The Bulldogs wasted no time getting to the Monarch bullpen as Jones walked and Grant Richards (Morrisville, N.C.) was then hit by a pitch from Louis Singleton with no outs. After a sac bunt from Orvin, Brad Felder (Bowman, S.C.) then grounded out to score Charles Flowers (Silver Spring, Md.) who pinch ran for Jones.
In the eighth inning, DeKerlegand singled to center and moved to third on ball hit by Jackson that dumped into shallow left field. After a walk to Calvin Orth (Jacksonville, Fla.) who came in to replace Jones, ODU pulled reliever Mike Ney in favor of closer Adam Wisniewski. Richards then came up with bases loaded and two down and put in a hit to shallow center that no Monarch could get to that scored both DeKerlegand and pinch-runner Hughston Armstrong (Columbia, S.C.) to put the Bulldogs in front, 4-3.
Closer Drew Mahaffey (Summerville, S.C.) then came into the game in the ninth and ventured around a pair of singles to earn his second save of the year. Junior Jeremy Long (Clover, S.C.) picked up his first career win for The Citadel with a scoreless eighth inning of relief.
Ney (1-1) took the loss for Old Dominion, going 1.1 innings, allowing two hits, two runs and a walk. Richards led the Bulldog offense, going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI. Nathan Hartman and Stoneback picked up an RBI each for Old Dominion.
"Hines was very impressive today," said head coach Fred Jordan. "He threw a ton of strikes with his breaking pitch and really showed some heart out there in his first start. Offensively, we fought ourselves all day long. ODU's shortstop made two outstanding defensive plays to save runs, but we managed to string a few hits together at the right time to pull out a win."
The Citadel returns to action on Friday, March 4 when they open Southern Conference action against Appalachian State at Riley Park at 6 p.m. For more information on Bulldog Baseball, visit CitadelSports.com.
Cincinnati 9, Furman 8
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Jake Proctor went 3-for-4 and belted a three-run home run to propel Cincinnati to a 9-8 win over Furman in baseball action Sunday afternoon in the final game of the First Pitch Invitational at Fluor Field.
Proctor's three-run home run to left center field off Furman reliever Matt Plate highlighted a five-run seventh inning that gave Cincinnati (2-4) a 9-6 lead. He also scored three runs for the Bearcats, who erased a 6-2 fifth inning deficit.
Furman (4-4) cut it to 9-7 on Will Owens' RBI double in the eighth and threatened to tie the game in the ninth when, with one out and runners on first and second, designated hitter Taylor Johnson launched a deep fly to left center field that bounced high off the wall. Furman's Kevin O'Leary, guarding against the ball being caught, remained close to second base and was only able to move to third, which limited Will Miller to an advance to second, and Johnson to a long single.
Harrison Farmer delivered a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to center field to score O'Leary and make it a 9-8 game, but Miller, who advanced to third on the sacrifice, was stranded there when Bearcat closer Cory Hough induced Hunter Burton on an groundout to end the game.
Cincinnati pounded out 16 hits, including four by Justin Riddell, who went 4-for-5 with two RBI. Jake Saylor collected three RBI, including a two-run double to deep center field in the decisive five-run Cincinnati seventh.
Furman had 11 hits and was paced at the plate by Will Owens, Aaron Thompkins, Will Muzika, and Rob Fondu - all of whom had two hits apiece.
The Paladins grabbed a 3-0 lead in the third on Thompkins' two-run double to right center field and Muzika's single to center field that plated Thompkins.
Furman starting pitcher Tyler Wood breezed through the first three innings but ran into trouble in the fourth, yielding two runs on three hits. Paladin right field Will Miller saved Wood from further damage by spearing Saylor's line drive with a diving catch, which he followed with a throw to second base to double off Riddell and end the inning.
Wood allowed three more hits in the fifth but was again saved by his defense. Paladin left fielder Will Owens played a line drive single off the left field wall and made an accurate throw to second base to nail Braden Kline by five steps. Later, Wood got Nic Spence to hit into an inning ending double play.
The Paladins got a pinch hit RBI single from O'Leary, a pinch hit sacrifice fly, and a run scoring balk in the fifth to stretch their advantage to 6-2.
The lead began to erode in the sixth after the Bearcats collected three hits off Wood, including an RBI double by Riddell. Jay Friedman came on for Wood to get the Paladins out of the inning with a 6-4 lead.
Plate was hit hard in the seventh, allowing five runs on five hits and a walk, with the big blow coming on Proctor's three-run jack over the left center field wall.
Furman plays at South Carolina, the defending national champion, on Tuesday in a 7:00 p.m. game.
Dayton 6, Wofford 5
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - On Sunday afternoon the Wofford College baseball team was defeated 6-5 by Dayton at Russell C. King Field. The Terriers had a 3-1 lead after three innings, however a three-run fourth by the Flyers gave them the lead.
Wofford is now 5-2 on the season. Dayton improves to 4-3 so far this season. The Terriers were led by Konstantine Diamaduros with three hits and Mac Doyle with two hits, including a home run. The Flyers were led by Ian Hundley with two hits and Zach Stewart with two RBIs.
Dayton opened the game with a double by Ian Hundley and he was driven in when C.J. Gilman reached on an error to take an early 1-0 lead. The Terriers tied things up in the bottom of the second when David Roney hit a ball to left field that was dropped for an error and Roney advanced to third. A sacrifice fly by Alex Lee made it a 1-1 game.
In the bottom of the third, Mac Doyle led off with a double and Konstantine Diamaduros added a single. A single by Clark Wise drove in Doyle and a ground out by Taylor Rozier scored Diamaduros for a 3-1 lead. The Flyers added three runs in the top of the third as Zach Stewart hit an RBI triple and Mike Coughlin and Ian Hundley added RBI singles to take a 4-3 lead.
The Flyers added two more runs in the top of the fifth on ground out RBIs for a 6-3 advantage. Wofford was able to get one run back in the bottom of the fifth as Konstantine Diamaduros led off with a double and scored on a sacrifice fly by David Roney. Dayton loaded the bases in both the top of the sixth and the top of the seventh, but three runners were left on base in each inning. Wofford was able to get within one run in the bottom of the seventh on a solo home run by Mac Doyle to left center field for a 6-5 score.
After neither team scored in the eighth, Dayton left one runner on base in the top of the ninth. In the bottom of the ninth, Mac Doyle was hit by a pitch and Konstantine Diamaduros singled, but both runners were left on base to end the contest.
Wofford starter Eric Eck (0-2) threw 3.1 innings with four runs allowed on three hits along with three strikeouts. Ryan Traylor went 2.1 innings with two runs allowed on three hits. Pete Noordsy and Bobby Streisel combined for an inning of work. John Cornely threw then final 2.1 innings with only one hit allowed and three strikeouts.
For the Flyers, starter Tim Bury went the first four innings with three runs allowed on four hits with four strikeouts. Tim Corbey (1-0) threw two innings with two runs allowed on two hits. Tommy Konrad threw two-thirds of an inning with one hit allowed and Burney Mitchem recorded the save by going the final 2.1 innings without allowing a run on two hits.
Next week, the Terriers host USC Upstate on Tuesday and visit Clemson on Wednesday before hosting Pittsburgh in a three-game weekend series.
Jacksonville 11, Samford 4
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Samford baseball team dropped its fourth-straight game in an 11-4 setback at Jacksonville Sunday afternoon at Sessions Stadium.
With the loss, Samford drops to 5-4 on the season. Jacksonville improves to 6-2 with the win.
Samford's Josh Martin (1-1) took the loss on the mound for the Bulldogs. Martin pitched 3.1 innings, giving up eight runs, only five earned, on eight hits, while striking out three batters and walking just one.
Phillip Ervin, Gardner Richey, Matt Frederick, C.K. Irby and Tyler Filliben had one hit each to account for Samford's five hits in the game. Tripp Swannand Kevin Putkonen had Samford's only two RBI in the game.
For Jacksonville, Chris Kaminski (1-2) earned the win, allowing no runs on four hits over 6.1 innings of work. Kaminski struck out three Samford batters, while allowing two walks.
Jacksonville was led at the plate by Daniel Gulbransen, going 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Esterlin Perozo went 3-for-4 with an RBI for the Dolphins. Jonathan Murphy went 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Taylor Ratliff also went 2-for-4 for Jacksonville.
Jacksonville jumped on top early with four runs in the bottom of the second inning. Adam Brett Walker, who singled to lead off the inning, scored the first run when Perozo doubled down the right field line. Perozo later scored when Alex Swenson reached base on a Samford error. Swenson and Zac Houck later scored on another Samford error for a 4-0 Jacksonville lead.
Jacksonville added four runs in the fourth inning, one run in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth to break the game open and take an 11-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, Murphy tripled to right-center field to drive in Ratliff and Colin Monagle to make the score 6-0. Gulbransen then homered to right field with Murphy on base for an eight-run JU lead.
Jacksonville's Perozo singled to lead off the fifth inning. Perozo later scored from third base when Monagle grounded out to make the score 9-0.
In the sixth inning, Murphy singled up the middle to drive in Ratliff for Jacksonville's 10th run of the game. Murphy later scored when Jimmy Howick grounded into a double play to make the score 11-0.
Samford plated four runs in the ninth inning to make the final score 11-4. Byron Soler scored Samford's first run of the game when Christiaan Durdaller reached base on a Jacksonville error. Swann and Putkonen both walked with the bases loaded for Samford's second and third runs of the game. The final run of the game was scored when Gary Cramer scored on a wild pitch.
For the game, Samford committed five errors, while Jacksonville committed two errors. Jacksonville pounded out 13 hits in the game, compared to five for Samford.
Samford will return to action on Tuesday, March 1, when the Bulldogs play host to in-state rival Troy. The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start from Joe Lee Griffin Field, and it can be heard locally on WVSU-FM 91.1, or worldwide on the internet at www.samford.edu/wvsu. Fans can also view the game online via the Bulldog Big Screen at www.samfordsports.com.