Western Carolina 11, High Point 0
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina built an 11-run lead through the first four innings and blanked the High Point Panthers, 11-0, in nonconference action Tuesday night at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. The Catamounts plated four runs in the third inning and batted around in hanging six on the scoreboard in the fourth en route to the squad's eighth-straight victory over the Panthers.
WCU starting pitcher Preston Hatcher (1-1) limited the Panthers to just three hits in scoring the victory for the Catamounts. The Atlanta, Ga., native worked around three walks with one strikeout in five innings of scoreless action. Jeremy Sluder, Andrew Blackwell and Vance Chavis each tossed one inning of scoreless relief with a strikeout apiece, while Kyle Deese fanned two in the ninth before Taylor Sandefur recorded the final out for a third of an inning pitched.
Five different Catamounts recorded two hits in the game as WCU pounded out a combined 13 including five doubles. Senior Matt Johns led the way with a 2-for-3 showing at the dish, scoring three times and driving in a game-high four. Ross Heffley also recorded two RBI on a 2-for-5 showing and was a part of turning two double plays in the field.
Johns scored the game's first run in the bottom of the second after being hit by a pitch, later coming home on a two-out single up the middle by Macon Smith, his first collegiate RBI.
High Point (15-12) recorded the first two outs of the third inning on just two pitches before the Catamount bats erupted for four runs on four hits - all of which were doubles. Freshman Julian Ridings doubled to left field ahead of Heffley who laced a RBI two-bagger down the left field line. Catcher Adam Martin drew the first of his two walks on the evening to put two aboard for Johns who doubled to the gap in left center to drive in two, handing WCU a 4-0 lead. Johns later touched home on an RBI double by Dykota Spiess for a 5-0 lead through three innings.
Using six hits in the fourth, WCU scored six runs to take a commanding, 11-0 lead. A total of 12 batters took swings in the decisive fourth as the Catamounts batted around. Johns drove in two on an RBI single up the middle, with Heffley also recording an RBI. Aaron Attaway walked twice during the frame with his second free pass drive in the sixth run of the inning.
Drew Dades (2-2) took the loss for High Point after surrendering five runs in two and two-thirds innings with a walk and a strikeout. He was one of eight Panther pitchers to toe the rubber on Tuesday night.
Offensively, designated hitter Scott Glover collected two of High Point's five hits on the night, finishing 2-for-3 in the loss.
Western Carolina returns to Southern Conference action this weekend as it travels to the South Carolina Lowcountry to face the College of Charleston Cougars. The three-game series gets underway at 6:00 pm on Friday night at Patriot's Point, and continues at 3:00 pm on Saturday and 1:00 pm on Sunday afternoon.
Davidson 4, North Carolina Central 2
DAVIDSON, N.C. - The Davidson Wildcats used a three-run sixth inning to reclaim the lead, and senior RHP Mike Frongello tossed the final two shutout innings for his fourth save of the season in the 4-2 win over NC Central Tuesday night at Wilson Field.
Douglas Dalley held Davidson (12-12) to just one run on four hits through five innings in the start for NC Central (1-23), and the Eagles took a 2-1 lead in the fifth as Dylan Drayton (1-for-5, RBI) and Alex Moore (0-for-1, RBI) both drove in a run.
The Wildcats rallied with three runs in the sixth to go ahead 4-2, as freshman center fielder Kelly Myers (3-for-4, 2 RBI), senior right fielder Sam Payne (1-for-4, RBI) and freshman left fielder Forrest Brandt (2-for-5, RBI) each plated a run.
After senior RHP Matt Sliwiak (W, 1-0) and sophomore RHP Michael Goldberg both tossed a shutout inning of relief, Frongello (S, 4) worked the eighth and ninth, allowing just a two-out base hit in the former and a one-out base hit in the latter to pick up his fourth save of the season.
Junior RHP Brian Russell made the start for the ‘Cats, striking out Drayton to start the game before giving up back-to-back base hits to Akeem Hood (1-for-1) and Troy Marrow (1-for-4). But Russell picked off pinch runner Alex Moore (0-for-1, RBI), in the game for Hood who left with an injury, and got Carter Williamson to ground out to junior shortstop Calvin Sigelbaum to escape the inning unscathed.
Russell allowed just a leadoff single in the second inning and left the game with the Wildcats up 1-0 after putting up a third straight shutout inning. Davidson got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second when Myers drove in senior designated hitter Danny Weiss, who took his first of three walks and went from first to third on a hit-and-run with junior second baseman James Cerbie (2-for-3).
Freshman RHP Danny Mooney took over for Russell and faced the minimum in the fourth before the Eagles put up a pair of runs in the fifth. Mooney struck out Blake Murray for the first out, but Central put together three straight hits for a run when Drayton got an infield RBI-single out of a check swing. A balk bumped the runners to second and third, and the Eagles went ahead 2-1 on an RBI-groundout from Moore.
Mooney fielded the flip from junior first baseman Drew Gadaire to get out of the inning, and after Sliwiak and Goldberg worked a shutout inning of relief, the Wildcats put up three runs in the sixth inning on reliever Jasper Jones to retake a 4-2 lead. Cerbie was plunked to start the inning and scored from first as Myers doubled down the right field line. Freshman catcher Chris Dyer put down the sacrifice bunt, and in his return to the starting lineup, Payne plated Myers with an RBI-single to right field. Payne stole second, moved to third on a balk and trotted home on Brandt's RBI-double to deep center field as Davidson added an insurance run. Brandon Oatis took over for Jones and got back-to-back groundouts to Marrow at third base, who made a barehanded grab on a slow chopper for the final out to rob Weiss of a base hit.
After fielding the first putout in the eighth, Frongello allowed an infield single to Edwar Pegues but got a double play ball from pinch hitter Derrek Parker for no harm. A groundout by Drayton voided a two-out single by Ross Plummer to end the game, and Frongello got his fourth save of the season.
The Wildcats will travel to Birmingham, Ala., for a three-game set against Samford this weekend. First pitch for Friday's game is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST. Samford (17-9, 6-3 SoCon) defeated Jacksonville State, 7-4, Tuesday night in Birmingham, and is one of three teams in the league with a 6-3 record, second best in the conference.
The Citadel 12, Charleston Southern 5
Charleston, S.C. - The Citadel Baseball team stole a season-high six bags and racked up 12 runs on 14 hits in a 12-5 win over Charleston Southern at Riley Park on Tuesday night.
The Bulldogs (10-14) have now won scored 25 runs on 29 hits with 15 walks in their last two games, outscoring their opposition 25-10 in those contests. The loss for the Buccaneers (14-12) snapped a four-game winning streak and handed CSU their ninth loss in the last 11 meetings between the two teams.
Powered by a career night from senior Legare Jones (Columbia, S.C.) who picked up career highs in RBI and hits by going 3-for-4 with three RBI and a walk and redshirt junior Brad Felder (Bowman, S.C), who went 2-for-4 with a run and a season-high four RBI, every Bulldog starter reached base at least once.
"I felt like we were striking the ball well as a team tonight," said Jones of his career night. "We hadn't been doing that coming into the last couple of games and now it is starting to pay off. It takes pressure off our pitching staff, they have done well this year, but we haven't always been able to come through for them. Hopefully our aggressiveness at the plate will continue momentum as we head back on the road."
Felder opened up the scoring in the bottom of the second inning when he ripped a triple to right center, scoring Joe Jackson(Mauldin, S.C.) and Justin Mackert (Cleveland, Ohio). Jones then shot a single up the middle to score Felder and give the Bulldogs an early 3-0 lead on CSU starter Anthony Markham.
The Bucs would narrow the gap in the fourth when Drew Woodall doubled in Jaren Sustar and Brandon McKinney singled home Woodall to cut the lead to 3-2 off Bulldog starter Connor Hitchingham (Jacksonville, Fla.) who went 4.0 innings, allowing five hits and two runs.
CSU would take the lead in the fifth when Nick Chinners lined a homer to left field off Bulldog reliever TJ Clarkson (Coral Springs, Fla.), but the Bulldogs quickly responded to tie the game up in the bottom half of the fifth when Felder picked up an RBI on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded to plate Matt Simonelli (Orlando, Fla.).
The final eight runs of the ball game belonged to the Bulldogs as The Citadel broke open the game in the sixth with five runs. Nick Orvin (Moncks Corner, S.C.) singled, stole second and scored on a line shot through the left side by Drew DeKerlegand (Pearland, Texas). A single by Simonelli would knock Markham from the contest, as William Ladd (Winnsboro, S.C.) reached on an infield hit to load the bases off CSU relievers. Jackson then walked to drive in a run and Mackert was hit by a pitch to plate another. After a pitching change, Felder singled to left, picking up his fourth RBI of the game after having only four all season, to score Ladd and Jones then walked to score Jackson for the fifth run of the inning.
An RBI double to right by Mackert brought home Simonelli and Ladd while an RBI single by Jones up the middle later brought in Mackert for the final three runs of the game in the seventh. Clarkson (1-2) picked up the win in relief, going 2.1 innings, allowing five hits, three runs, a walk and a strikeout. Logan Cribb (Rock Hill, S.C.) came on in the seventh with the bases loaded to get Clarkson out of a jam by inducing a ground ball double play to end the inning. Jeremy Long (Clover, S.C.) closed out the game for the Bulldogs with 2.0 scoreless innings.
In addition to Jones and Felder on offense, Ladd went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs, Simonelli scored three times and stole two bases while Mackert went 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBI. Leading CSU at the plate was Chinners, who went 3-for-5 with a run, two RBI and a homer. Markham took the loss after going 5.1 innings, allowing 10 hits, seven runs, four walks and struck out three.
"We are starting to play more relaxed and it is showing out on the field," said head coach Fred Jordan. "We aren't trying to do too much. I was very pleased with our relief pitching tonight for the most part. Cribb threw a great pitch to get out a jam and Long was solid in closing out the game for us. It was nice to see some guys who have struggled this season at the plate get hits and start coming through for us."
The Citadel gets back on the road on Wednesday when they face No. 3 South Carolina at 7 p.m. at Carolina Stadium in Columbia. The Gamecocks will send Adam Westmoreland to the mound while the Bulldogs counter with Bryce Hines.
Wofford 15, USC Upstate 11
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Wofford baseball team made the short trip to face USC Upstate on Tuesday at Harley Park and came away with a 15-11 win. The Spartans took an early 5-1 lead. The Terriers then were up 8-6 before the Spartans regained a 9-8 advantage in the sixth. Wofford scored seven runs in the final three innings to secure the road victory.
Wofford is now 14-11 on the season and USC Upstate is 10-16 overall. The game saw the two teams combine to use thirteen pitchers. There were a combined 21 walks issued, 24 runners left on base, seven wild pitches, 17 strikeouts, and seven players hit by pitch. The Terriers were led by Mac Doyle and James Foster with three runs each, while Doyle had three RBIs. Anthony Vacca had four RBIs for the Spartans on two hits.
The Spartans opened the scoring in the bottom of the second when Austin Liput singled and stole second. He was driven in on a double to left center by Luke Weber. A single by Tyler Miller coupled with a fielding error added another run for a 2-0 lead. The Spartans loaded the bases, but all three were stranded at the end of two.
With two out in the top of the third, Alex Lee had a double down the right line. A single by James Foster scored Lee for a 2-1 score. In the bottom of the third the Spartans loaded the bases with nobody out. A sacrifice fly by Luke Weber brought in one runner and an RBI single by Anthony Vacca made it a 4-1 game. With the bases loaded, a hit by pitch scored another run before a fielder's choice ended the inning with the bases still loaded and a 5-1 lead for the Spartans.
Wofford had hits by Taylor Rozier and Landon Bennett in the top of the fourth and Rozier scored from third on a wild pitch. A single by Eric Brenk drove in Bennett to make it a 5-3 game. The Spartans added a run on a balk in the bottom of the fourth for a 6-3 lead.
In the top of the fifth, Alex Lee reached on a hit by pitch and a home run to left center by Mac Doyle made it a 6-5 game. To lead off the sixth, Landon Bennett hit a home run to left center to tie the game at six. Luke Feisal and Stephen Cantrell added base hits and Feisal came home on an error on an attempted stolen base to take a 7-6 lead. A passed ball allowed Cantrell to score from third to give Wofford an 8-6 advantage in the middle of the sixth.
The Spartans loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth with two outs, but three straight walks issued made it a 9-8 game in favor of USC Upstate. Wofford loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh. A walk issued to pinch hitter Josh Hyman brought in a run to tie the game at nine. A sacrifice fly by David Roney scored a run for a 10-9 lead, but two base runners passed each other, resulting in the third out of the inning.
In the top of the eighth, Wofford had Alex Lee reach on a walk and James Foster singled. They advanced on a wild pitch and another wild pitch to intentionally walk Mac Doyle scored Lee for an 11-9 lead. The Spartans left two runners on base in the bottom of the eighth.
The Terriers loaded the bases in the top of the ninth on two hit by pitch and a walk. Two wild pitches to James Foster allowed two more runs for a 13-9 lead. A double by Mac Doyle added a run and a walk to Konstantine Diamaduros loaded the bases with two outs. Clark Wise walked and a run scored for a 15-9 advantage before a fly ball ended the Wofford half of the inning with three runners left on base. The Spartans added two runs on a double by Anthony Vacca in the bottom of the ninth for the 15-11 final score.
Wofford starter Gus White gave up two hits and two runs in one and a third inning before leaving the game with a shoulder injury. Jesse Morris entered the game and worked two thirds of an inning with one hit and three runs allowed, plus two strikeouts. Ryan Traylor allowed three hits and one run with two strikeouts in 2.0 innings. Alex Wilson went 1.2 innings with three runs allowed on two hits with a strikeout. Eric Eck (1-3) picked up the win in a third of an inning without allowing a hit. Bobby Streisel threw 1.2 innings with two hits allowed and three strikeouts. John Cornely recorded his fifth save of the season with 1.1 innings and two runs allowed on one hit with three strikeouts.
USC Upstate starter Jake Waller threw five innings and allowed five runs on seven hits with three strikeouts. Andrew Wyant went two-thirds of an inning and allowed three runs on three hits, while Jordan Rusk (1-2) also went two-thirds of an inning with one run allowed on one hit. Chris Knauff went an inning and allowed one run on one hit. Ryan Fern added 1.1 innings and allowed four runs without a hit. Bobby Rednour went the final third of an inning and allowed one hit.
Wofford is scheduled to host Presbyterian College at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday in non-conference action. On Friday the Terriers will begin a three-game series at Appalachian State.
Samford 7, Jacksonville State 4
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- The Samford baseball plated four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to come from behind for a 7-4 win over Jacksonville State Tuesday evening at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
"It was a great job by our guys coming in and swinging the bats," Samford head coach Casey Dunn said. "A lot of what we did was with two outs tonight, which was great. I think the story of the game, though, was the success of our bullpen. The bullpen went five-plus innings and only gave up one hit and no runs. It was just a great job by six different guys."
Tyler Vanderheiden (1-0) pitched 1.1 innings in relief, allowing no hits and striking out two batters to earn the win. Samford used six pitchers in relief of starter Joshua VanFleteren. In addition to Vanderheiden, Arthur Strauss, Joseph Burns, Gil Walker, C.K. Irby and Andrew Jones all saw time out of the bullpen. Jones tossed the final inning to earn his fifth save of the season.
At the plate, Samford was led by Michael Johnson, going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Brandon Miller went 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI. Tommy Corbin was also 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Bulldogs. Saxon Butler hit a solo home run in a 1-for-4 performance at the plate. Phillip Ervin extended his current hit streak to 19 games, going 1-for-4 with an RBI.
Jacksonville State's Hunter Rivers (5-1) pitched 1.1 innings, giving up four runs on four hits to take the loss for the Gamecocks. Kyle Bluestein led the Gamecocks at the plate, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Erik Underwood, Sam Eberle and Blake Seguin had two hits each for JSU. Jake Sharrock drove in two runs in a 1-for-5 performance.
Samford jumped on top early with a run in the bottom of the first inning. With two outs in the inning, Butler hit a solo home run to right field for a 1-0 Samford lead.
Jacksonville State tied the game with a run in the top of the second inning. Seguin scored from third base when Andrew Bishop hit a sacrifice fly to center field to tie the score at 1-1.
The Bulldogs plated two runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 3-1 lead. With two outs in the inning, Corbin singled to center field to start the rally. Irby then singled down the right field line and Corbin advanced to third base. Johnson then doubled to center field to drive in Irby and Corbin for a two-run Samford lead.
Jacksonville State came back to take the lead with three runs in the top of the fourth inning. Bluestein drove in one run and Sharrock drove in two to give the Gamecocks a 4-3 advantage.
Samford answered with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take the lead for good at 7-4. Miller led the inning off with a solo home run to center field to tie the score. Gary Cramer then walked and Stephen Ballard pinch ran for Cramer. With one out, Gardner Richey tripled to right-center field to give Samford the lead at 5-4.
Corbin then singled through the left side of the infield to drive in Richey to make the score 6-4. Irby reached base on a fielder's choice and Corbin was retired on the play. Johnson then singled to right field and Irby advanced to second base. Ervin then singled to right field to drive in Irby for the game's final run.
Samford improves to 17-10 with the win. Jacksonville State drops to 17-8 with the loss.
Samford will return to action on Friday when the Bulldogs play host to Davidson in the first game of a three-game Southern Conference series. The teams will play Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Wake Forest 6, Appalachian State 2
HICKORY, N.C. - Nine walks issued by Appalachian State University pitchers proved too much to overcome in the Mountaineers' 6-2 loss to Wake Forest on Tuesday night at L.P. Frans Stadium.
Appalachian (12-13) outhit Wake Forest, 8-6, but free passes led directly to four runs for the Demon Deacons (9-15), including two that came across on back-to-back bases-loaded walks in the second inning.
With seven of the nine walks issued by ASU pitchers coming in the first four innings, Wake jumped out to a 6-0 lead. The Mountaineers got on the board with a sacrifice fly by Hector Crespo (Miami, Fla./Florida Christian) in the seventh and brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth when it loaded the bases following an RBI double by Preston Troutman (Rockwell, N.C./East Roawan). However, for the second time on the evening, Appalachian struck out looking with the bases full to end the threat and the ballgame.
Miscues were abundant for ASU in the loss. In addition to walking nine batters from a club that came into game hitting just .222 as a team, the Mountaineers hit a batter, committed two errors and botched a rundown to allow Wake Forest to extend its three-run second inning. Appalachian also left eight men on base, including five in scoring position.
On a positive note, Appalachian received strong performances from three relatively untested relief pitchers to help it climb back into the ballgame. Tyler Moore (Banner Elk, N.C./Watauga), Ryne Frankoff (Apex, N.C./Apex) and Adam Camara (Rockmart, Ga./Rockmart) combined to limit the Deacs to no runs on one hit over the final 4.1 innings of the game. Making only his second appearance in over two years, Moore was particularly impressive, striking out three over 2.1 no-hit innings out of the bullpen.
Offensively, Troutman, Zack Briggs (Lexington, N.C./Central Davidson) and Daniel Kassouf (Lexington, N.C./North Davidson) each went 2-for-4 to pace the Mountaineers in front of a crowd of 966 at the home of the Hickory Crawdads, a single-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers.
Appalachian returns home for four-straight games, beginning on Wednesday night when it hosts Gardner-Webb at 6 p.m. at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
North Carolina State 9, UNCG 1
GREENSBORO, N.C. - NC State pitcher Ethan Ogburn nearly pitched five no-hit innings and the Wolfpack jumped out to an early lead as UNCG fell, 9-1, on Tuesday evening at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
In total, Ogburn pitched six innings and allowed just three hits and struck out two batters. His no-hitter attempt was broken up with two outs in the bottom of the fifth when Ray Crawford reached on an infield single.
UNCG starter Jonathan Jones was credited with the loss after allowing four runs, three earned, on four hits in three innings.
Drew Gehringer went 2-4 at the plate for the Spartans (14-9), including an RBI single in the ninth inning to break up the shutout. Ray Crawford also went 1-3 with a walk and run scored.
The Wolfpack (15-11) were led by Andrew Ciencin who went 2-4 with four RBI and two runs scored. Matt Bergquist also went 1-2 with an RBI and run scored, while John Gianis added a pair of RBI.
Ciencin and the Wolfpack got things started early when Chris Diaz and Pratt Maynard hit back-to-back one-out singles in the top of the first. Ciencin then came up and took a 3-2 pitch over the left field wall to put NC State ahead 3-0.
The Wolfpack tacked on another run in the top of the third as Maynard led off with a single and advanced to second on an error. Maynard would come around to score later in the inning after a pair of groundouts.
Brett Williams led off the fourth inning for NC State with a double to left center and scored two batters later on a single by Bergquist to make it 5-0 in favor of the visitors.
The Wolfpack were able to blow the game open in the fifth inning as they put up four runs in the inning, thanks in part to a two-run single by Gianis to take a 9-0 lead.
The score would stay that way until the bottom of the ninth as UNCG put together a two-out rally. Crawford got things started by reaching on an error before Cody Walker singled to center field. Gehringer then came up and doubled to center to make the final score 9-1.
The Spartans will play cross-town rival North Carolina A&T on Wednesday at NewBridge Bank Park at 6 p.m.
Jacksonville 4, Georgia Southern 2
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Georgia Southern Baseball team (15-11) scored a run in the ninth inning, but left the bases loaded in a 4-2 loss to Jacksonville Tuesday, March 29th at Sessions Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. A single bad inning cost the Eagles and dropped Justin Hess (Panama City, Fla.) to 0-2 on the season. The Dolphins scored three runs in the fourth inning on four consecutive hits to take an early 3-0 lead.
Hess made his first start of the season and pitched well except for the one bad inning. He was tagged with his second loss of the year and his scoreless inning streak ended at 14.1 innings after a near perfect three innings to start the contest. The sophomore pitcher allowed three runs on six hits and struck out five while allowing just one walk.
Georgia Southern loaded the bases in the ninth inning with one out after Chris Anderson allowed three walks and recorded a fielder's choice to start the inning. Ben Morgan (Evans, Ga.), who went 2-4 on the day, drove in the run with an infield single. Anderson struck out a pinch hitter and coaxed a fly out to get out of the jam and grab his third save of the season.
Joe Ryan, who entered the game in the fifth inning, inherited the win after the Dolphins took the 3-0 lead. Ryan threw a scoreless inning and struck out a batter on just 11 pitches. He was one of five different Jacksonville pitchers who appeared on the mound and did not allow a run.
Jacksonville scored three runs on three-straight hits in the fourth inning. Jonathan Murphy led off the inning with a double and scored on a Daniel Gulbransen outfield single. Adam Brett Walker followed with a deep two-run bomb over the centerfield wall. Hess allowed a fourth-straight single to Jimmy Howick, but worked a fly out and a classic 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Georgia Southern got a run back in the seventh inning on a Victor Roache (Ypsilanti, Mich.) solo shot to lead off the inning. The Eagles had a solid opportunity to score a run in the sixth inning before a fielder's choice wiped out a run at the plate. Shawn Payne (Stone Mountain, Ga.) started the rally with a base hit to right field and moved to third base on a single by Michael Burruss (Marietta, Ga.). A nice defensive play by Taylor Ratliff robbed Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) of a hit, and the Eagles of a run.
The Dolphins extended their lead to the final score, 4-1, with a leadoff homer in the eighth inning by Gulbransen, his third of the season. Joe Lower (West Palm Beach, Fla.), who worked out of a tough spot in the seventh inning, recorded a pair of strikeouts and a fly out to retire the side. Lower struck out three batters and allowed one run on two hits in 1.2 innings of work.
The Georgia Southern Baseball team returns home to play host to the reigning Southern Conference champion, The Citadel, in a three-game weekend series. The busy weekend kicks off on Friday at 7 p.m. with a pre-game ceremony to honor Head Coach Rodney Hennon for his 500th career victory.
Head Football Coach Jeff Monken will throw out the first pitch before Saturday's 2:30 p.m. contest. The annual Clements Crazies Tailgate will take place before the game, and it will also be a GSU Spring Family Weekend. The series wraps up on Sunday with a 1:30 p.m. first pitch.
Winthrop 10, Furman 0
ROCK HILL, S.C. -- Matt Pierpont led of trio of Winthrop pitchers in combining to throw a five-hit shutout in a 10-0 blanking of Furman in baseball action Tuesday evening at Winthrop Ballpark.
Pierpont (1-2) limited Furman's near silent bats to only two hits over five innings, and Eagle relievers Wade Newman and Justin Hopper teamed up to allow only three hits over the final four frames en route to the easy victory.
The shutout was the first thrown at Furman (13-14) this year, but the loss extended the Paladins' mid-week struggles, evidenced by Furman's 3-11 record in its last 14 mid-week contests dating back to last year. Two of the three wins during that stretch were recorded against Georgia and South Carolina, with the only other victory, a 4-0 shutout of USC Upstate last Wednesday, featuring only four Furman hits.
Winthrop (11-13), meanwhile, banged out 14 hits - all singles - against seven Paladin pitchers, with TJ Olesczuk leading the way with a 2-for-4, 2 RBI performance. Tyler Cook, Eddie Rohan, and Adam Gliebe also added two hits for the Eagles, who hardly needed it but were aided in their effort by seven walks, six stolen bases, four hit batsmen, as well as three Furman errors.
Furman starting pitcher Stephen Gary (2-1), making only his second career start, was forced to leave the game in the third inning after being struck in the throwing arm by a two-out single by Cook that plated Cam Walters for the game's first run.
Matt Lobacz's RBI single in the fourth off Gary's replacement, Mat Plate, made it 2-0.
The Eagles added three more in the sixth, one in the seventh, and blew the game open with four more in the eighth on two hits and a pair of Paladin errors in cruising to their 18th win in 19 games against the Paladins.
Furman is scheduled to play Charleston Southern on Wednesday in a 6:00 p.m. game at Latham Stadium.