Appalachian State 9, UNC Asheville 5
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University baseball scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to rally from a 4-3 deficit and top UNC Asheville, 9-5, on Tuesday afternoon at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
Appalachian (10-11), which never trailed in its first nine wins of the season, sent 10 batters to the plate in Tuesday's six-run eighth to earn its first come-from-behind victory of the campaign.
ASU actually took the lead in the eighth without the benefit of a ball leaving the infield. After a leadoff strikeout, Hector Crespo (Miami, Fla./Florida Christian) singled to shortstop and Doug Jones (Charlotte, N.C./South Mecklenburg) laid down his second bunt hit of the day and ninth of the season to put runners on first and second. Tyler Zupcic (Charlotte, N.C./Providence) and Trey Holmes (Rockwell, N.C./East Rowan) followed with consecutive walks to knot the game at 4-4 and Jack Myers (Charlotte, N.C./Myers Park) drove in the go-ahead run on a groundout to second base.
After Daniel Kassouf (Lexington, N.C./North Davidson) was hit by a pitch to load the bases once again, Jeremy Dowdy (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield) delivered the inning's big blow with a bases-clearing double down the left field line that extended the Mountaineers' lead to 8-4. One batter later, Dowdy came home on Zack Briggs' (Lexington, N.C./Central Davidson) infield single to close out the six-run stanza.
UNCA (6-13) got one run back in the top of the ninth but Taylor Miller (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield) induced a lazy fly ball to center field to close out the victory. Miller (1-0) notched his first win of the year with 1.2 innings of one-run relief.
The Mountaineers jumped out to a 3-0 lead after four innings, thanks largely to Jones' RBI groundout in the second and bases-loaded walk in the fourth. The Bulldogs narrowed the gap to 3-2 with a pair of runs in the fifth and took the lead with two more in the top of the eighth.
Dowdy led Appalachian's 11-hit attack by going 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and three RBI. Jones drove in two runs and scored one in a 2-for-3 effort, Briggs went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Crespo added two hits of his own and scored a run.
Jordan Lurie led four Bulldogs with two hits by going 2-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI.
Appalachian continues a stretch of nine home games in 13 days when it opens a three-game non-conference series versus Cornell on Thursday at Smith Stadium. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
Davidson 22, North Carolina A&T 15
DAVIDSON, N.C. - After opening a 12-0 lead, the Davidson Wildcats needed a seven-run eighth and senior RHP Mike Frongello to survive the N.C. A&T Aggies, 22-15, in a wild non-conference game Tuesday night at Wilson Field.
Davidson (10-10) put up 12 runs in the first three innings, including a six-run second to take commanding lead in the early goings. An RBI-double by freshman left fielder Forrest Brandt(3-for-5, 2 RBI) and a sacrifice fly from sophomore third baseman Andrew Barna (1-for-4, 5 RBI) were part of the team's three-run first, before the Wildcats opened the game up, batting around for six runs on three hits in the second. Junior first baseman Drew Gadaire (2-for-4, 3 RBI) made it 11-0 for Davidson with a two-RBI triple in the third, and senior designated hitter Danny Weiss (1-for-3, 2 RBI) tacked on another with a sac fly.
On the mound, senior RHP Ryan Overcash (W, 1-1) was squarely in control, facing just one over the minimum and allowing a lone two-out base hit through three innings. N.C. A&T (6-14) scratched across a pair of runs in the fourth, the first on an RBI-double by Xavier Macklin, who scored the second on a wild pitch a batter later. On a scheduled short start, Overcash left the game with a 10-run lead, and the Aggies put up 14 runs over the next four innings, including a six-run sixth, to cut Davidson's lead to just a run, 15-14, after seven innings to bring on Frongello (S, 3).
Macklin got a leadoff base hit before the Aggies loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, but Gadaire cut down the lead runner at the plate for the second out, and Frongello got out of the inning with a strikeout to leave the bases juiced and pick up his third save of the season.
In the bottom half, the Wildcats punished A&T relievers Tyler Boone and Craig Erskine, batting around for seven runs on two hits, an error, five walks, and a hit by pitch. Weiss plated the ‘Cats' first run on an RBI-single, and Barna drove in his fifth RBI on a groundout before freshman right fielder Kelly Myers (1-for-4, RBI) took a bases-loaded walk and pinch hitter J.P. Craven (1-for-2, 2 RBI) drove in a pair on a two-RBI single to center in his second at-bat of the inning.
The Aggies managed a final run on a pair of hits in the ninth, but by this time the game was once again squarely in hand for the Wildcats, who put up 22 runs on just 13 hits. Brandt led the ‘Cats with a 3-for-5, 2-RBI night, and Gadaire and junior second baseman James Cerbie (2-for-3) each had a pair of hits. Barna drove in a game-high five runs, and Gadaire plated three for the ‘Cats.
N.C. A&T banged out 18 hits for 15 runs, led by Macklin, who went 4-for-6 with four RBI. Luke Tendler also drove in four, batting 3-for-4, while Dario Little was 4-for-6 with three RBI. Starter Sean Young (L, 0-1) took the loss for A&T, allowing seven runs (six earned) on four hits and walking four in 1 2/3 innings.
Davidson welcomes Western Carolina (8-10, 0-6 SoCon), who hosts Gardner-Webb tomorrow, to Wilson Field for a three-game SoCon series this weekend, beginning Friday at 7 p.m. Saturday's game is scheduled for 2 p.m., and the series wraps up at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Georgia Southern 8, Kennesaw State 2
STATESBORO, Ga. - The Georgia Southern Baseball team (13-9) broke open a 2-2 tie with a six-run eighth inning to defeat the Atlantic Sun's top team, Kennesaw State (14-9), 8-2. Andy Moye (Alpharetta, Ga.) knocked out three hits, including two in the eighth inning, and reached in all but one plate appearance. The senior captain was also crucial in scoring the tying run in the sixth inning. Moye got caught in a rundown and forced an error to allow Steve Cochrane (Mooresville, N.C.) to score.
Georgia Southern batted around in the eighth inning and scored six runs on six hits to break open a 2-2 tie. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases after a long fly out by Victor Roache (Ypsilanti, Mich.) started the inning. Andrew Austin struck out the first batter he faced for the second out but six consecutive hitters reached base to score the six runs.
The Eagles scored the first run of the game, but fell behind 2-1 in the second inning and trailed until the sixth. Justin Hess (Panama City, Fla.), who ran his consecutive-scoreless innings streak to 11.1, allowed Georgia Southern to get back in the game by scattering six hits over five innings. Hess struck out five batters, allowed no walks and threw 84 pitches in relief of Josh Adams (Bath, S.C.). Adams started the game for GSU and allowed two unearned runs on a single hit in the first two innings.
Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) and Cochrane both extended their streaks late in the game. Phillips reached 15-straight games with a hit after dropping a bunt single past the pitcher's mound in the eighth inning. Cochrane has reached base in every game this season after a base hit in the sixth and a walk in the eighth. The senior first baseman drove in the first run of the game with on a sacrifice fly and plated a run in the eighth inning with a bases loaded walk.
Georgia Southern took advantage of a Kennesaw State error in the first inning to score the first run. Shawn Payne (Stone Mountain, Ga.) moved back to the leadoff spot in the batting order and singled on his first at-bat and then promptly stole second base. The senior outfielder scored on what should have been the third out of the inning but an error allowing Michael Burruss (Marietta, Ga.) to reach earlier in the inning came back to cost the Owls.
Kennesaw took advantage of a two-out error in the second inning to score two unearned runs. A double by Drew Fowlkes and a walk by Peyton Hart came around to score on a ground out that got by the shortstop and rolled into the outfield.
Alan Busenitz was tagged with his second loss of the season after three of his runs for which he was responsible to score in the eighth inning. Busenitz lasted 1.1 innings, allowing 3 hits and three runs while striking out two batters. Travis Dean pitched well for the Owls, but received a no decision after leaving the game with a 2-1 lead. The freshman had one of his better outings on the season after allowing two unearned runs on three hits.
Georgia Southern hits the road for the next four games and will play at the College of Charleston this weekend. First pitch in the Southern Conference series is set for 6 p.m. at Patriot's Point. The Eagles will return following a Tuesday trip to Jacksonville to face The Citadel in a weekend series starting Friday, April 1st.
USC Upstate 8, Furman 5
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Trey Richardson and Austin Liput combined to drive in four runs and USC Upstate scored six runs in a decisive sixth inning on the way to an 8-5 win over Furman in baseball action Tuesday evening at Harley Park.
USC Upstate (8-13) and Furman (10-12) will play again Wednesday at Furman's Latham Stadium in the Paladins' first game in its home facility since Feb. 20.
Trailing 5-2, the Spartans combined six hits with a pair of walks and two Furman errors to score six runs - all after two outs - to turn a three-run deficit into an 8-5 lead.
After an throwing error on Paladin third baseman Kevin O'Leary allowed the first run to score, Richardson delivered the inning's big blow with a two-run triple to right center off Paladin reliever Matt Plate to tie the game at 5-5. Liput followed with an RBI double to score Richardson and give the Spartans a 6-5 lead. Furman's second error of the frame, charged to Paladin left fielder Will Owens, brought in another unearned run and led to a Tyler Miller RBI single that drove in Liput for the 8-5 advantage.
Furman managed only seven hits in the contest and just one safety - a Kevin O'Leary lead-off double in the eighth - over the final five innings. Will Owens had two of the Paladins' hits, and Taylor Johnson belted the Paladins' first home run in nine games, a two-run shot in the first inning for a 2-0 lead.
USC Upstate tied the game at 2-2 with a pair of runs in the first inning off Paladin starter Stephen Gary, but Furman answered with three in the third, taking advantage of three consecutive walks by Spartan reliever Ryan Newell for an RBI grounder by O'Leary and two-run double by Will Muzika to grab a 5-2 advantage.
USC Upstate collected 13 hits, including a 3-for-4 performance by Gaither Bumgardner, who also scored two runs. Luke Weber joined Richardson and Liput in going 2-for-5.
Chris Knauff (2-1), who entered the game with a 6.98 ERA, earned the win after pouring water on Furman's bats over the final four innings, allowing only one hit and a walk while striking out three.
Pate (2-2), meanwhile, suffered through his second consecutive rough outing and took the loss, allowing six runs, four of which were earned, on six hits in just 2/3 of an inning.
#14 Clemson 7, Elon 2
CLEMSON, S.C. -- A six-run sixth inning from the 14th-ranked Clemson Tigers proved to be the difference as the Elon Phoenix came out on the short end of a 7-2 decision in the first game of a two-game mid-week set on Tuesday night. The loss snapped Elon's six-game road winning streak and dropped the Phoenix to 15-7 on the year. Clemson improved to 11-7.
With two down and a runner on third thanks to a single, passed ball and a ground out, Will Lamb bounced a ball up the middle just out of reach of Neal Pritchard to score Spencer Kieboom with the game's first run in the bottom of the third.
Elon had a prime opportunity to even the score in the sixth, but failed to score. With two outs, Pritchard drew a walk and then raced to third when Alex Swim reached on an error. Clemson escaped the jam when Justin Sarratt fanned his 10th Phoenix hitter of the game.
Clemson capitalized on the momentum and plated six runs in the bottom half. Lamb led things off with a single to center and then stole second. After a fly out advanced Lamb to third, Elon intentionally walked Phil Pohl to set up a double play. Richie Shaffer followed and grounded a ball just past the glove of a diving Pritchard for a RBI single as the Tigers took a 2-0 lead. Clemson loaded the bases thanks to a bunt single from Jon McGibbon before Jason Stolz walked on a 3-2 pitch to force home Pohl. Chris Epps then made it a 5-0 game with a double to right that plated two. Kieboom delivered his third hit of the night, a liner to right, to score Stolz and up the Tiger edge to 6-0. Lamb drove in the sixth run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to center before another walk loaded the bases again. A ground ball to third from Pohl ended the inning.
Sebastian Gomez drew a walk to begin the seventh inning and moved to second on Garrett Koster's one-out single through the left side of the infield. Eric Serra got the Phoenix on the board with a line drive single to right that plated Gomez. After Jake Luce walked to load the bases, Niko Fraser grounded a single between first and second to score Koster. Elon could not push across any more in the frame as Clemson got Pritchard to pop up and Swim to fly out to center.
Thomas Girdwood (2-2) took the loss after being charged with four runs (three earned) in 5.1 innings.
Sarratt (1-1) won after holding Elon scoreless for six innings. He walked just one and struck out 10.
Both Fraser and Serra posted 2-for-4 days at the plate for the Phoenix.
Elon will face off with Clemson again on Wednesday. Game time has been moved up to 4 p.m. due to the threat of rain.
#4 South Carolina 24, #28 College of Charleston 4
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Adam Matthews knocked two home runs and had a career-high eight RBIs to lead #4 South Carolina to a 24-4 victory over the College of Charleston Tuesday evening at Carolina Stadium. The Cougars fall to 15-7 and will face Southern Conference foe Georgia Southern this weekend for a three-game series at Patriots Point.
South Carolina put the Cougars in a deep hole in the second inning, scoring seven runs as 10 Gamecock batters came to the plate. With one out, Adrian Morales singled to left and Brady Thomas followed up with a two-run home run to right field for a 2-0 lead. Charleston senior starter Robert Jeroszko (Greenville, S.C.) struck out Jake Williams, but followed up with a walk and hit a batter before Matthews doubled in a pair of runs with a shot down the left-field line. Jeroszko walked Peter Mooney and was relieved by senior RHP Casey Lucchese (Lexington, Ky.), whose first pitch to Jackie Bradley, Jr. was deposited over the fence in left for a 7-0 Gamecock lead.
The offensive barrage by South Carolina continued into the third inning, as the Gamecocks put up eight more runs to put the Cougars in a 15-0 deficit. A three-run homer to straightaway center field by Matthews and a pair of two-run doubles by Scott Wingo and Williams did the damage as South Carolina sent 13 batters to the plate in the frame, using five hits, three walks and an error to put runners on base.
Charleston broke the shutout bid of Gamecock starter Colby Holmes in the top of the sixth on a solo home run to right by redshirt-junior C Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J.). The round-tripper was Kral's third of the season and his 13 RBI on the year. South Carolina responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame, on a two-run home run to left by Matthews, his second of the game.
The Cougars struck again in the seventh, scoring two runs to cut the deficit to 17-3. Redshirt-freshman LF Daniel Aldrich (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) led off the inning with a solo home run to right field. Aldrich also singled in the fourth to extend his hitting streak to 17 games. Charleston also scored on a sacrifice fly to center by senior 2B Jesse Mesa (Miramar, Fla.) that plated redshirt-junior 1B Jose Rodriguez (Hialeah, Fla.).
South Carolina pushed across two more runs in its half of the seventh on a two-run double by Marzilli, while the Cougars scored their fourth run of the game in the eighth inning on a passed ball that brought home junior RF Marty Gantt (N. Augusta, S.C.) from third.
The Gamecocks plated five more runs in the eighth to complete the scoring. Colby Holmes picked up the win for South Carolina, allowing three runs on five hits in six innings. Jeroszko took the loss for the Cougars, giving up six runs on three hits in 1-2/3 innings. Charleston used eight pitchers on the evening and allowed 19 hits, 11 for extra bases.
Charleston returns to Southern Conference action this weekend as Georgia Southern comes to Patriots Point for a three-game series beginning Friday evening at 6:00 p.m.
Mississippi 3, Samford 0
OXFORD, Miss.- The Samford baseball team dropped a hard-fought, 3-0 contest at Ole Miss Tuesday evening at Oxford-University Stadium.
Samford left nine runners on base in the loss, while Ole Miss left 10 runners stranded.
"We hit some decent balls tonight," Samford head coach Casey Dunn said. "We had some good at-bats, but we just couldn't get that timely hit. We have to get better at that."
Samford was led at the plate by Phillip Ervin, going 2-for-3 for the Bulldogs. Brandon Powell, Gardner Richey and Brad Moss had one hit each for Samford.
Joshua VanFleteren (2-2) pitched 3.2 innings, giving up two runs on four hits to take the loss for the Bulldogs. Joseph Burns, Arthur Strauss, Josh Martin, Andrew Jones and C.K. Irby also saw time on the mound for Samford.
For Ole Miss at the plate, Matt Smith hit a two-run home run in a 1-for-3 performance. Alex Yarbrough and Taylor Hightower each went 2-for-4 for the Rebels.
Matt Tracy (3-1) pitched 5.0 innings, surrendering no runs on four hits to earn the win. Brett Huber tossed the final 2.0 innings to earn his third save of the season.
Ole Miss jumped on top early with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. After Blake Newalu was hit by a pitch with one out, Smith hit a home run to center field to give the Rebels a 2-0 lead.
The Rebels added a run in the bottom of the sixth inning to make the score 3-0. Eric Sauls doubled with two outs in the inning. Tanner Mathis then singled through the right side of the infield to drive in Sauls for a three-run Ole Miss lead.
With the loss, Samford drops to 15-8 on the season. Ole Miss improves to 16-6 with the win.
Samford will return to action on Friday, March 25, when the Bulldogs travel to Elon, N.C., for the first game of a three-game Southern Conference series at Elon. Friday's series-opener is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. (CT) start.