Wofford 9, UNC Asheville 6
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - On Wednesday night at McCormick Field, the Wofford baseball team defeated UNC Asheville 9-6. The Terriers scored five runs in the third inning, but the Bulldogs took a 6-5 lead with four runs in the seventh inning. Mac Doyle hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to secure the win for the Terriers.
Wofford is now 18-20 on the season and UNC Asheville is 15-22 overall. The Terriers were led by Mac Doyle with three hits and four RBIs and James Foster with three hits. The Bulldogs were led by Grant Gajdosz with three hits and Mike Vaughn with three hits.
The Bulldogs took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a solo home run by Grant Gajdosz. In the top of the third, Matt Moore led off with a single and he moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Alex Lee. Lee was on third after a throwing error and Clark Wise reached first on a walk. A double steal scored Lee to tie the game at one. The runners moved to second and third on another throwing error and a walk to Konstantine Diamaduros loaded the bases with one out. A single up the middle by Mac Doyle scored two runs for a 3-1 lead. Landon Bennett added a two-out single that drove in two runs for a 5-1 advantage.
UNC Asheville had two hits to open the bottom of the third. A ground out by Beau Zinman scored one run made it a 5-2 game after three complete innings. After Wofford went in order in the top of the fourth, the Bulldogs added two singles in the bottom of the fourth before a double play ended the inning.
Three singles by the Bulldogs to open the bottom of the fifth inning loaded the bases, but two strikeouts and a ground out left all three runners stranded. With two out in the top of the seventh, Clark Wise hit a double off the right field wall and Josh McKinney walked. However both runners were left on base at the seventh inning stretch.
The Bulldogs had runners on the corners with two out in the bottom of the seventh when a single by Ian Graham drove in one run to make it a 5-3 game. A double down the left field line by Danny Baatz scored two more runs to tie the game at five. A single to shallow right by Cody Buch drove in a fourth run in the bottom of the seventh to take a 6-5 lead.
Mac Doyle led off the eighth with a triple off the center field wall. A single by James Foster scored Doyle to tie the game at six, but the Terriers left Foster at third to end the Wofford half of the eighth.
The Terriers led off the top of the ninth with a pinch hit single by Josh Hyman and Josh McKinney walked with one out. A double steal put the runners in scoring position and a ground out RBI by Konstantine Diamaduros gave the Terriers a 7-6 lead. A home run over the wall in deep center by Mac Doyle pushed the Wofford lead to 9-6. It was the ninth home run of the season for Doyle. In the bottom of the ninth, a double and a walk gave the Bulldogs two runners on base with nobody out, but three straight strikeouts ended the contest.
Wofford starter Alex Wilson threw 3.1 innings and allowed seven hits and two runs. Pete Noordsy picked up two outs in the fourth inning. Jesse Morris went 2.2 innings and allowed five hits and three runs with three strikeouts. Ryan Traylor allowed two hits and a run in a third of an inning. Bobby Streisel (1-1) threw the eighth with one strikeout. John Cornely entered the game in the ninth and gave up one hit and struck out three for his seventh save of the season.
UNC Asheville starter Dean Roland went 2.1 innings and allowed five runs on three hits with one strikeout. Carson McLean threw two-thirds of an inning with one hit allowed. Drew Spear went two innings and retired six batters in a row. Rene Martinez threw an inning with one hit given up. Ethan Steible allowed one hit along with a strikeout in one inning on the mound. Brian Connolly gave up one run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning. Dillon Tabar (3-3) allowed one hit in two-thirds of an inning. David Ricker gave up three runs on two hits in the final two-thirds of an inning.
Wofford and UNC Asheville split the season series. The Terriers will head to Western Carolina on Friday for the start of a three-game series. The teams will play at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. The Catamounts game on Wednesday night at Tennessee was rained out.
Elon 13, Old Dominion 0
ELON, N.C. -- Grant McCoury tossed six shutout innings in his first career start and the Elon Phoenix bats pounded out 12 hits en route to a 13-0 victory over the visiting Old Dominion Monarchs from Latham Park on Wednesday night.
Elon concluded its eight-game homestand with a 6-2 record and now sits at 25-14 on the season. Old Dominion fell to 19-19 in 2011.
The victory also moved Elon skipper Mike Kennedy within one win of a milestone 500th victory.
The Phoenix jumped out quickly in the first inning, turning walks to both Jake Luce and Eric Serra into two runs. After a wild pitch put Luce and Serra at second and third, Neal Pritchard lined a single to left to plate Luce. Alex Swim followed with a sacrifice fly to center to drive home Serra. With two down, Ryan Kinsella hit one off the wall in right for his third triple of the season which scored Pritchard to make it 3-0. ODU starter Joe Haumacher then hit the next three batters, forcing home Kinsella with the fourth run. Batting for the second time in the inning, Luce drew another walk, this one with the bases loaded to force in Garrett Koster. Serra drove home two more with a single to right before the inning came to a close with Elon holding a 7-0 advantage.
Swim got Elon going again in the fourth with a one-out double to left-center. With two outs, both Kinsella and Koster drew walks to load the bases for Ben Scott who grounded a single up the middle that scored two. Harry Austin's line drive single to left followed, scoring Koster to stretch the Elon lead to 10-0.
The Phoenix pushed across another three runs in the last of the seventh, building its lead to 13-0. With one out and Austin on first after a fielder's choice, a Monarch error on a Matt Kirchner ground ball put runners on the corners. Serra drove in his third run of the night with a single to left. Pinch-hitter Chris Bresnahan followed with a walk to load the bases before Anthony Hezar delivered a pinch-hit single down the left field line to score two more.
McCoury (1-0) was the winner and scattered three hits and three walks during his six frames on the mound. He also struck out two. McCoury had tossed just 8.1 innings this season prior to Wednesday's tilt. Behind McCoury, Grant Fisher threw two scoreless innings and Mitch Conner tossed a perfect ninth.
Haumacher (1-3) was roughed up for seven runs on two hits and three walks in just two-thirds of an inning. He also hit three batters.
Eight of Elon's nine starters had at least one hit and scored at least once. Serra finished the night 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI while Scott, Austin and Hezar all tallied two-RBI games. Kinsella posted the only other two-hit performance for the Phoenix, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
The Southern Conference-leading Phoenix will hit the road for a pivotal SoCon series this weekend at second-place Georgia Southern. Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Statesboro, Ga. Elon fans can follow along with all the action this weekend via live stats and the live, interactive chat which are both accessed through the elonphoenix.com web site.
College of Charleston 10, USC Upstate 6
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Redshirt-junior LF Jose Rodriguez (Hialeah, Fla.) knocked a three-run home run in the seventh and three other Cougars added round-trippers as the College of Charleston powered past host USC Upstate for a 10-6 victory Wednesday evening at Harley Park. The Cougars improve to 24-15, while Upstate falls to 13-28.
Charleston plated a pair of runs in the top of the second to take an early lead. Redshirt-junior 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla.) opened the frame with a double down the right-field line and advanced to third on a groundout to second by Rodriguez. Redshirt-freshman RF Daniel Aldrich (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) deposited a 2-0 pitch over the batter's eye in straightaway center field for his 13th homer of the season and a 2-0 Cougars lead.
Upstate rallied in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs to take a one-run advantage. Tyler Cook singled up the middle and Branden Millhouse was hit by a pitch to set up a two-run triple down the right-field line by Blake Green. Gaither Bumgardner followed with a RBI single through the left side to score Green with the go-ahead run.
The Cougars responded with three runs in the third for a 5-3 lead. Junior 1B Marty Gantt (N. Augusta, S.C.) led off with a single to right and stole second. Senior CF Cole Rakar (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) lined a RBI single up the middle to knot the score at 3-3 and Leeds blasted the first pitch he saw off the batter's eye in center for a two-run round-tripper, his 12th of the season.
The Spartans cut the Cougars' lead to 5-4 in the fourth on a RBI groundout to short by Bumgardner, which plated Anthony Vacca. Charleston got the run back in the sixth on a RBI double down the left-field line by senior SS Jamie Holler (Rock Hill, S.C.) and extended the lead to 9-4 with three runs in the seventh. Redshirt-junior C Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J.) singled to right and Leeds singled to left, setting the stage for a three-run homer to left center by Rodriguez and a 9-4 lead.
Upstate put a pair of runs on the board in the seventh, making the score 9-6 on a two-run double by Austin Lilput, but Gantt gave the Cougars some breathing room in the top of the eighth, hitting a solo shot to center for a 10-6 Charleston lead.
Senior RHP Robert Jeroszko (Greenville, S.C.) picked up his fourth win of the season, allowing six runs on 12 hits with five strikeouts in 6-2/3 innings. Sophomore RHP Matt Pegler (Greenville, S.C.) earned his first save of the season, holding Upstate to one hit over 2-1/3 innings and recording two strikeouts. Leeds had three hits on the night for the Cougars, while Gantt, Rakar and Aldrich all collected two hits apiece.
Green led the Spartans with three hits, as Upstate and Charleston each pounded out 13 hits in the game. Andrew Wyant took the loss for Upstate, allowing five runs on five hits in three innings.
Charleston returns to Southern Conference action this weekend as it hosts Furman at Patriots Point for a three-game series. Friday's first pitch is set for 6:00 p.m.
#27 Coastal Carolina 7, The Citadel 4
Conway, S.C. - The Citadel recorded double-digit hits for the seventh time in eight games, but a four-run fourth inning proved too much to overcome on Wednesday evening at Watson Stadium in front of 1,016 fans as they fell to No. 27 Coastal Carolina, 7-4.
Leadoff man Scott Woodward worked a full count from Bulldog starter Logan Cribb (Rock Hill, S.C.) and doubled off the wall in left center. A sacrifice bunt from Hayes Orton and an RBI groundout by Tommy LaStella would plate Woodward to give Coastal Carolina the 1-0 lead in the first.
The Bulldogs would threaten in the second when William Ladd (Winnsboro, S.C.) singled, moved to second on a groundout and came around third attempting to score when Drew DeKerlegand (Pearland, Texas) singled to left field. Ladd slipped on the artificial turf coming around third however and was forced to retreat back to third, avoiding the tag. A stellar defensive play by shortstop Taylor Motter up the middle robbed Calvin Orth (Jacksonville, Fla.) of a hit to end the threat.
In the fourth, The Citadel would find itself in a similar situation as Ladd singled and moved to second on a groundout. This time, a single through the right side by DeKerlegand would score Ladd to tie the game at 1-1 off Chanticleer starter Jordan Coons.
Cribb was able to dance around trouble in the second, but not in the fourth as Daniel Bowman and Rich Witten led off with base hits. After a pop up, Motter hit a ball deep in the hole at short to load the bases and Tucker Frawley hit a two-run single up the middle. An RBI single by Woodward and by Orton would plate Motter and Frawley to make it 5-1.
Cribb (1-2) went 4.0 innings, allowing eight hits, a career-high five runs with a walk and tied his career-high with three strikeouts. Jeremy Long (Clover, S.C.) came on in relief and pitched 2.0 scoreless innings with a walk and a strikeout.
Nick Orvin (Moncks Corner, S.C.) was hit by a pitch from Coons in the fifth. Matt Simonelli's (Orlando, Fla.) 45th career double off the right field wall would score Orvin to cut the lead to 5-2.
Coons (3-3) went 6.0 innings in his first career start, allowing six hits, two runs, no walks and struck out two. Ryan Connolly came on to pitch in relief and allowed two hits and one unearned run in 2.0 innings.
The Bulldogs would close the gap to 5-3 in the seventh when Orvin doubled off the left field wall. Brad Felder (Bowman, S.C.) then singled deep in the hole to the right side as Witten's errant throw allowed Felder to move to second and scored Orvin.
In the eighth, Witten hit his first homer of the season to left to score Bowman to make it 7-3 off Bulldog reliever David Leeth (Hartsville, S.C.) to get some insurance for CCU.
Coastal Carolina reliever Jim Birmingham then gave up the third base hit of the day to DeKerlegand in the top of the ninth and he was quickly replaced by closer Josh Conway. After a pair of strikeouts, a wild pitch and a passed ball, Orvin lined a base hit up the middle to score DeKerlegand to make it 7-4, but that would be it for the Bulldogs as Felder flew out to left in foul ground to end the game.
DeKerlegand lead the Bulldogs, tying his career-high in hits by going 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Ladd, Felder and Orvin had two hits each. Frawley had two RBI to lead the Chanticleers, while Woodward, Orton, Bowman and Witten all had two hits apiece.
The Citadel begins a nine-game homestand on Friday at Riley Park with a 4 p.m. start against USC Upstate in non-conference action. Live stats, video and audio will be available along with recap and box score following the action on all new CitadelSports.com.
Heavy Rain and Lightning Forces Cancellation at Tennessee
Catamounts back in action Friday against Wofford
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Western Carolina baseball's game at Tennessee, which was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. this evening, has been cancelled due to have rain, hail and lightning in the Knoxville area. A make-up date has yet to be determined.
Starting at 6:30 p.m. heavy rain began to pound Lindsey Nelson Stadium and the tarp was pulled out to cover the field. Dangerous lightning strikes followed along with hail. Both clubs huddled in the dugout to wait out the storm. As the 7 p.m. first pitch time drew closer, Vol Head Coach Todd Raleigh and Catamount skipper Bobby Moranda trotted out to home plate to discuss the playing surface with the grounds crew. With the field heavily soaked with water, it was decided the game was a wash and it was called off.
Western Carolina returns to action this weekend hosting Wofford in a three-game series. Friday's game begins at 6 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Easter Sunday.