Furman 4, #4 South Carolina 2
GREENVILLE, S.C. - Furman pitcher Daniel Stallsmith pitched 5 2/3 innings on solid ball to lead Furman to a 4-2 victory over nationally fourth-ranked and defending national champion South Carolina in baseball action Tuesday evening at chilly Fluor Field.
Stallsmith (2-1), who two weeks ago dazzled Georgia in a 3-0 shared shutout of the Bulldogs at Fluor Field, improved to 3-0 in his career against Southeastern Conference foes, allowing only five hits and two unearned runs to the Gamecocks. He walked one and struck out two.
The junior left-hander didn't allow his first hit until two outs in the fifth inning and worked deep into the sixth before departing with a 4-2 lead.
Matt Plate came on in relief of Stallsmith to get the final out in the sixth and hurled 2 1/3 innings of scoreless ball, allowing one hit and walk.
Dylan Cole then took over in the ninth, negotiating around a leadoff walk to record the final three outs and earn his third save of the season.
The victory snapped a five-game losing skid for Furman (7-11) and marked the highest ranked opponent the Paladins have defeated under head coach Ron Smith, besting Furman's win 5-4 win over fifth-ranked South Carolina (11-3) in 2001. The Paladins have beaten USC six times over the last 11 seasons.
Taylor Johnson went 3-for-3 and drove in a run to lead Furman's nine-hit attack, and Paul Nitto banged two hits and drove in a run.
Adrian Morales had two of USC's six hits.
The Paladins got on the board first with two runs in the second against Gamecock starting pitcher Adam Westmoreland (0-1). Johnson led off with a single and moved to third on a J.B. Jenkins single before coming home on a balk. With Jenkins at second, Nitto stroked a single up the middle to plate the second run.
Furman scored two more in the fifth, loading the bases with a hit batsman, a Will Muzika double, and an intentional walk to Will Miller before Johnson bounced a base hit into center field to plate Aaron Thompkins. Jenkins got the second run home after working Gamecock reliever Jose Mata for a bases loaded walk.
South Carolina scored two unearned runs in the sixth on a pair of hits and a Furman error. Adam Matthews opened the frame with a bunt single then advanced to second after Paladin second baseman Kevin O'Leary misplayed a grounder off the bat of Jackie Bradley, Jr. With one out Morales drove home Matthews. Bradley later scored on Robert Beary's two-out single to left field, after which Plate was summoned from the bullpen to retire Evan Marzilli on a groundout to end the inning.
Plate retired the Gamecocks in order in the seventh and worked around a leadoff walk in the eighth to strand a pair of runners.
Cole came on in the ninth and retired Peter Mooney on a flyout, Scott Wingo on a strikeout, and Marzilli, who had walked, on a force play at second base to end the game.
Furman opens a three-game Southern Conference series at Wofford on Friday. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m.
Samford 5, UAB 4
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- The Samford baseball team earned a 5-4 win against cross-town rival UAB Tuesday evening at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
Samford improves to 12-6 with the win. The game marked Samford's fourth-straight one-run win after sweeping The Citadel over the weekend in thee one-run contests. UAB drops to 8-7 with the loss.
Samford's Joshua VanFleteren (2-1) earned the win, pitching 5.0 innings, giving up two runs on seven hits, striking out three batters and walking four. Andrew Jones pitched the final 1.2 innings, giving up no runs on two hits and walking two batters, to earn his third save of the season.
"We walked way too many guys and gave up way too many opportunities, but we found a way to get it done," Samford head coach Casey Dunn said. "Thankfully we were able to dodge the bullets and not let it hurt us, but we have to be better than that. Defensively we played well and that is probably the positive that comes out of tonight."
For Samford at the plate, Brad Moss went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI. Brandon Miller had a triple and drove in two runs in a 1-for-3 performance. Phillip Ervin also drove in a run, going 1-for-3 at the plate.
UAB's Blake Huddleston (1-1) pitched 4.2 innings, giving up five runs on six hits, striking out two batters and walking two to take the loss for the Blazers. UAB was led at the plate by John Frost who hit a two-run home run and drove in three runs in a 1-for-4 performance. Nick Crawford and Ryan Ussery each went 2-for-4 for UAB.
UAB jumped on top first with a run in the top of the third inning. Jamal Austin singled to center field to drive in Jacob German, who had walked to lead off the inning, to give the Blazers a 1-0 lead.
Samford put all five of its runs on the scoreboard in the fifth inning to take a 5-1 lead. Moss doubled to center field to drive in Tyler Filliben and Stephen Ballard for Samford's first two runs of the game. Ervin singled to right field to drive in Moss to make the score 3-1. Miller later tripled to left field to drive in Saxon Butler and Ervin to give Samford a four-run lead.
UAB plated another run in the sixth inning to cut the Samford lead to 5-2. Michael Busby scored from third base when Frost grounded out to second base.
The Blazers added two runs in the top of the eighth inning to make the score 5-4. Frost hit a home run to left field with Busby, who had reached base on an error earlier in the inning, on base.
Following Frost's homer, Jones came in to pitch for Samford and got the Bulldogs out of the inning with a one-run lead. He then held the Blazers scoreless in the ninth inning to preserve the win.
Samford and UAB will meet again Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. at UAB's Young Memorial Field.
Western Carolina 5, Kennesaw State 4
Kennesaw, Ga. - Senior Matt Johns drove in three runs including a two-run home run as a part of a three-run first inning as Western Carolina snapped a three-game slide with a 5-1 nonconference road victory over Kennesaw State on Tuesday night at Stillwell Stadium.
Sophomore LHP Adam Curtis (1-0) worked a career-long six and two-thirds innings to pick-up the win for the Catamounts, scattering seven hits while holding the Owls to one run. He countered two walks with four strikeouts in scoring the victory. Senior Andrew Chilcoat allowed one hit with a strikeout in an inning and a third out of the bullpen while Taylor Sandefur fanned two in working a perfect ninth in relief for WCU.
Western Carolina (8-6) took the early lead as senior Austin Schultz opened the game with a lead-off walk ahead of Johns who belted a 0-1 pitch over the left field fence for the 2-0 lead. Ross Heffley then singled, later scoring on an RBI double by freshman Adam Martin for the three-run edge.
Martin finished 2-for-3 with two RBI in the win.
Three innings later, the Catamounts added an insurance run as freshman Aaron Attaway led off with a single to right, scoring on a single to left center by Johns giving the senior a third RBI.
Kennesaw State scratched out a run in the fifth as back-to-back, two-out base hits including a double by Bucky Smith and an RBI single from Will Howard to trim the deficit to three, 4-1.
In the seventh, freshman Phillip Treadway laced a pinch hit double down the left field line scoring pinch runner Cody Jones to provide the final tally of 5-1.
Kennesaw State (10-7) starting pitcher Travis Dean (1-2) was tagged with the loss after working just four innings, surrendering four earned runs on six hits. Owls' left fielder Bucky Smith led the squad with a 3-for-4 outing at the plate with three doubles, scoring KSU's lone run.
Western Carolina opens a five-game home stand on Wednesday night by hosting UNC Asheville at 4:00 pm on Wednesday afternoon at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. UNCA, which is 4-10 overall including a 1-9 road record - with its lone road victory coming at UNC Greensboro - had its Tuesday game against Davidson rained out. The Bulldogs were swept by Eastern Kentucky last weekend and have lost 10-straight games.
#21 Georgia Tech 4, Georgia Southern 3
ATLANTA - Georgia Tech (13-4) capitalized on two Georgia Southern (11-6) errors to score a pair of unearned runs and take the first of two games in Atlanta between the two teams 4-3. The Yellow Jackets erased an early 2-0 Eagle lead and scored four unanswered runs before a solo shot by Victor Roache (Ypsilanti, Mich.) brought the Eagles within a run.
GSU threatened in the ninth inning and attempted a two-out rally. The Eagles took advantage of two wild pitches in the ninth inning to move a pair of runners into scoring position with two outs, but a strikeout ended the game without a run scoring.
Shawn Payne (Stone Mountain, Ga.) extended his reached-base streak to 46 games after a RBI single in the second inning and a walk in the ninth. The senior outfielder is tied with Ronnie Freeman of Kennesaw State. Freeman had a double in the Owls game with Western Carolina today. The Eagles and KSU will meet next Tuesday at J.I. Clements Stadium.
Matt Grimes earned his third win of the season for Georgia Tech after allowing two runs on four hits. Grimes struck out four batters in six innings. Luke Bard pitched the final three innings to earn his second save of the season. Bard struck out five batters and allowed one run on two hits.
Georgia Southern got off to a quick start, scoring single runs in the first two innings of the game, but two unearned runs put the Yellow Jackets up 4-2 after four innings of play. Both pitching staffs settled down in the fifth inning and cruised until the seventh inning.
Justin Hess (Panama City, Fla.) entered in relief of GSU starter Jarret Leverett (Eatonton, Ga.) in the fourth inning and faced the minimum in the next three innings keeping the game within reach. Roache pulled the Eagles within one run when he sent a 3-2 pitch deep over the centerfield wall in the seventh inning to put the score at 4-3 Yellow Jackets.
Leverett made his third start of the season and had a better outing than his first two, but was tagged with his third loss. The junior pitcher allowed two earned runs on five hits in 3.2 innings and struck out three batters. Hess ran into trouble in the eighth inning after a walk and a base hit put runners on first and second base with no outs. He struck out two batters and fielded a throw from at first base for the final out of the inning.
After two quick outs to start the first inning, Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) stroked a double down the left-field line. A wild pitch and a RBI-single by Steve Cochrane (Mooresville, N.C.) brought Phillips around third for the first run of the game.
The Eagles tacked on a second run in the top of the second inning, but Georgia Tech matched with an unearned run in the bottom half of the inning. Tom Richardson (Lilburn, Ga.) led off the second inning with a base hit and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ben Morgan (Evans, Ga.). Payne plated Richardson from third base.
A two-out double by Jacob Esch tied the game before a triple by Brandon Thomas gave the Yellow Jackets their first lead of the game in the third inning. Leverett stranded Thomas at third base after striking out Jake Davies at the plate.
Georgia Tech added another unearned run in the fourth inning, after a misplay by the shortstop allowed DaAndre Smelter to score from third with two outs. Hess entered following the error, but would have to wait until the fifth inning to face a batter after Kyle Wren became the second Yellow Jacket caught stealing in the inning. Hess set down the side in order in the fifth inning. The unearned run in the second inning scored after an error in the outfield allowed a two-out run to score from first base.
Georgia Southern and #21 Georgia Tech will meet again tomorrow at 4 p.m. in the finale of the four-game series. The Eagles will travel to Samford following the game and will face the Bulldogs in a three-game series this weekend.
East Carolina 4, Elon 3 (10 inn.)
ELON, N.C. -- A 10th inning wild pitch allowed the East Carolina Pirates to score the game-winning run in a 4-3 game against the Elon Phoenix on a wet Tuesday night. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Phoenix which fell to 12-6 on the season). ECU improved to 12-4 on the year with the win.
East Carolina got a lead-off double from Trent Whitehead to start the game before the next two hitters were retired. Zach Wright then gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead after his shot toward third glanced off the glove of a diving Seth Canipe for a double.
Elon manufactured the tying run in the bottom of the first. Niko Fraser drew a one-out walk before stealing second and heading to third on an errant throw on the steal. Fraser would race home to even the score at one when Alex Swim grounded out.
The Phoenix kept the pressure on in the second as Sebastian Gomez lined a double to right-center to begin the at bat with a double. Following a balk, Gomez scored on a Ryan Kinsella single off the glove of a lunging Pirate third baseman.
Zach Wright knotted the game at two when he drove a 3-2 pitch over the fence in left-center for his fourth homer of the year to begin the fourth inning. Chase McDonald followed with a double off the base of the wall in right. With a runner on third with one out, Chris Gosik grounded a ball to short for out number two, but McDonald scored on the play to put the Pirates back on top, 3-2.
Elon had a great opportunity to at least tie the game in the bottom of the seventh as Canipe tripled down the right field line. The Phoenix would not be able to score, however, as Kevin Brandt retired the next three hitters on a ground out and two strike outs.
Fraser reached on an infield single to begin the bottom of the eighth for the Phoenix. With one out, Fraser stole second and then, on a walk to #Neal Pritchard#, Fraser took off for third and the throw from the Pirate catcher sailed down the left field line allowing Fraser to score to tie the game at three.
With one down in the top of the 10th, Whitehead hit his second double of the game, this one off the wall in center. After a wild pitch sent Whitehead to third, another wild pitch let him score the go-ahead run as ECU took a 4-3 lead.
After the first two hitters of the bottom of the 10th were retired, Gomez drew a walk. Pinch-hitter Garrett Koster's infield single gave the Phoenix life and put the tying run in scoring position with Canipe stepping to the plate. Canipe swung at the first pitch he saw and the sent a hard ground ball to third that was snared and fired to second to end the game on the force out.
Mitch Conner (1-1) took the loss after he gave up one run on three hits in 1.2 innings. He also fanned three. Starter #Thomas Girdwood# had a solid outing, allowing three runs on five hits in 5.2 innings. Girdwood struck out a career-best five hitters.
Seth Simmons (2-0) picked up the win after tossing 1.2 scoreless innings out of the pen. Jake Harris claimed his second save of the year after walking one and giving up one hit, but not allowing a run in the 10th.
Fraser tallied two of Elon's six hits on the night while Swim collected the team's only RBI.
Wright ended the game 3-for-5 with a run and two RBI for the Pirates.
Elon will get back to Southern Conference action this weekend as the Phoenix visits Western Carolina for a three-game series beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon.
High Point 10, Appalachian State 6 (5 inn.)
HIGH POINT, N.C. - A furious rally wasn't enough to overcome High Point's seven-run third inning and Appalachian State University baseball dropped a rain-shortened 10-6 decision to HPU on Tuesday evening at Williard Stadium. The contest was called after five innings due to a steady rain that fell throughout the final two innings of the ballgame.
Appalachian (8-9) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning but High Point (11-7) answered with three runs in the second and seven in the third to take a commanding 10-1 lead.
Like on Sunday when Elon scored nine runs in the fourth inning of a 14-10 win over ASU, Appalachian's pitching faltered in Tuesday's seven-run third. Mountaineer southpaws Chad Farmer (Evans, Ga./Greenbrier) and Tyler Jackson (Jonesville, N.C./Starmount) combined to issue five walks and allow three doubles in the fateful frame.
Trailing 10-1 and seemingly facing the prospect of the game being called when it became official in the bottom half of the inning due to a steady downpour, ASU rallied for five runs in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit to 10-6. Tyler Zupcic (Charlotte, N.C./Providence) provided the big blow in the inning, a three-run double off the wall in left center field. Jeremy Dowdy (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield) and Trey Holmes (Rockwell, N.C./East Rowan) also drove in runs in the frame.
Despite the still-falling rain, the game continued in the bottom of the fifth and ASU reliever Zach Joyce (Lexington, N.C./North Davidson) turned in a one-two-three inning to bring the Apps back to the plate with a bit of momentum.
However, after a leadoff walk by Hector Crespo (Miami, Fla./Florida Christian) in the top of the sixth, the umpiring crew finally decided to halt play and, along with it, the Mountaineer comeback attempt. After an hour-and-10-minute delay, the game was called, giving High Point its first win over Appalachian since 2002 and snapping an eight-game ASU winning streak in the series.
The Panthers only out-hit the Mountaineers, 7-6, but ASU was doomed by six walks, a hit batter and three wild pitches. Holmes went 2-for-2 with a double, walk, RBI and two runs scored to lead the Apps offensively.
Appalachian will look to snap a four-game losing skid on Friday when it opens a three-game Southern Conference series at UNC Greensboro. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at UNCG Baseball Stadium.
The Citadel's Game at Winthrop on Tuesday Postponed
Rock Hill, S.C. - The game between Winthrop and The Citadel on Tuesday has been postponed due to rain in the Charlotte area.
The game will be rescheduled for Wednesday, April 6 at 6 p.m. The Bulldogs and Eagles are still scheduled to play on Wednesday, March 16 at 6 p.m. at Riley Park in Charleston.
For more information on Bulldog Baseball, visit CitadelSports.com.
Tonight's Baseball Game vs. UNC Asheville Moved to April 6
DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Due to rain in the forecast, tonight's baseball game against the UNC Asheville Bulldogs has been moved to Wednesday, April 6 at 7 p.m. at Wilson Field.
After four straight weekends of play at Wilson Field, the Wildcats will now hit the road for a three-game set against The Citadel (7-8, 3-3 SoCon) at Riley Park.