College of Charleston 6, UNC Wilmington 5
WILMINGTON, N.C. - Redshirt-freshman LF Daniel Aldrich (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) went 2-for-4 with four RBIs, including the deciding three-run triple in the fourth inning as the College of Charleston held on for a 6-5 non-conference victory over UNC Wilmington Wednesday evening at Brooks Field. The Cougars improve to 20-9 on the season and face local Southern Conference rival The Citadel this weekend for a three-game series.
UNC Wilmington opened the scoring with a single run in the bottom of the opening inning on a fielding error by Aldrich. Cameron Cockman was hit by a 2-0 pitch to lead off the frame and advanced to second on a wild pitch by senior RHP Robert Jeroszko (Greenville, S.C.). A single though the left side of the infield was mishandled by Aldrich and Cockman came around to score for a 1-0 UNCW lead.
The Cougars responded with a run in the top of the second to knot the score at 1-1 and plated another in the third to take a 2-1 lead. A RBI single by senior 2B Jesse Mesa (Miramar, Fla.) scored senior SS Jamie Holler (Rock Hill, S.C.) after Holler doubled to right center to knot the game at a run apiece. In the third, redshirt-junior DH Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J.) led off the inning with a single to right center and redshirt-junior 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla.) followed with another single to right center, moving Kral to third. Aldrich roped a RBI single to shallow center to score Kral and give the Cougars the lead.
UNC Wilmington rallied in the third to score twice and take a 3-2 lead. Back-to-back singles provided the base runners and a RBI single to right by Andrew Cain scored Michael Bass and Cockman also came home as the throw from junior RF Marty Gantt (N. Augusta, S.C.) was up the line and away from the plate.
Charleston exploded for four runs in the top of the fourth to take a 6-3 lead. Three straight walks issued to Gantt, senior CF Cole Rakar (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) and Kral loaded the bases and with two outs and Aldrich drilled a bases-clearing triple down the right-field line to give Charleston a three-run advantage.
The Seahawks fought back for a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to cut the Cougars' lead to 6-5. After a single up the middle by Hunter Ridge to lead off the inning, Ridge advanced to second on a passed ball by redshirt-freshman C Jimmy Holton (West Palm Beach, Fla.) and scored on a RBI single to left by Cain. A second passed ball by Holton moved Cain to second and an infield single by Drew Farber put runners at the corners. Bass drove a single up the middle to plate Cain and cut the Charleston lead to one.
Jeroszko turned in another solid outing for Charleston, scattering seven hits over five innings and allowing five runs, two earned. Junior Kyle Owings (Gilbert, S.C.) issued two walks in the ninth, but got Cain to ground into a game-ending double play to record his sixth save of the season.
Furman 9, Presbyterian 6
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Paul Nitto went 2-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs to lead Furman to a 9-6 victory over Presbyterian in baseball action Wednesday evening at Latham Stadium.
The win squares Furman's season record at 15-15 while Presbyterian falls to 18-12.
Nitto, a sophomore catcher from Greenville and J.L. Mann High School, delivered a two-out RBI single to cap a four-run fifth inning that gave Furman a 7-5 lead, and in the seventh doubled to right center field to drive home Will Muzika for the Paladins' final run of the game.
Will Owens also went 2-for-4 and scored two runs, and Alex Abrams had a pair of hits and an RBI in four plate appearances. Will Miller, coming off a career-high six-RBI performance in Tuesday's win over East Tennessee State, drove in a pair of runs for the Paladins, who had tallied 10 hits in the contest.
PC, which banged out nine hits, was paced at the plate by Brad Zebedis, who went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Tony Micklon also homered for the Blue Hose as part of a 2-for-4 offensive display.
Furman took a 3-1 lead in the first on run scoring singles by Miller and Abrams and a PC fielding error.
The Blue Hose, who managed just one hit, a Zebedis first inning solo home run, over the first four innings against Furman starting pitcher Tyler Wood, batted around against Wood's replacement, Nate Smith, in the fifth, scoring four runs to take a 5-3 lead. Micklon got the inning going by depositing Smith's first pitch over the left field fence, and the Blue Hose later cashed in on four, two-out singles and a hit batsmen to cap the rally.
The Paladins responded with four runs in their half of the fifth, loading the bases on singles by Owens and Aaron Thompkins, and a walk by Reese Wade before Blue Hose relief pitcher Rodney Scruggs hit Miller with his first pitch to force in the first run. Will Muzika's sacrifice fly tied the game at 5-5. After another walk jammed the bases, Wade sprinted home on a wild pitch to give the Paladins a 6-5 lead, and Nitto followed with a solid single up the middle to plate Miller and make it 7-5.
The Paladins and Blue Hose traded runs in the sixth. In the seventh Muzika worked a leadoff walk, stole second and third before coming home on Nitto's double off PC's Buck Mosteller.
Drake Browne worked a scoreless eighth, and Dylan Cole pitched around a single and walk in the ninth by striking out Aaron Preston to end the game and earn the save, his seventh of the season.
Smith (2-4) was the beneficiary of Furman's four-run fifth, earning the win despite allowing five runs on six hits in just two innings. The Paladin rally also made a loser of Stewart Curry (0-1), who was charged with three runs on two hits in just 1/3 of an inning.
Blue Hose pitching yielded seven walks and a hit batsman, four of which scored.
The Paladins open a three-game home Southern Conference series against Appalachian State this Friday, with first pitch set for 7:00 p.m. at Latham Stadium.
Davidson 6, UNC Asheville 3
DAVIDSON, N.C. - Junior first baseman Drew Gadaire batted 3-for-5 and drove in three runs to lead the Davidson Wildcats to a 6-3 win over the UNC Asheville Bulldogs Wednesday night in non-conference play at Wilson Field.
Davidson (14-14) scored a run on an RBI-groundout by senior right fielder Sam Payne to cut UNC Asheville's (10-18) lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the second. Gadaire's first hit of the game, a two-out, two-RBI double, came as part of the Wildcats' three-run fourth inning that put Davidson ahead for good, 4-2.
The Wildcats put runners on the corners with no outs and manufactured a score on a fielder's choice from junior second baseman James Cerbie in the seventh, and scored their final run in the eighth on another two-out, RBI-base hit by Gadaire.
Junior RHP Brian Russell (W, 2-2) earned the win, holding the Bulldogs to two runs on five hits and striking out a pair in four innings in a predetermined short start. The Wildcat bullpen ofDanny Mooney, Michael Goldberg, Mike Frongello and Andy Bass combined to allow just one run on four hits with four strikeouts over the final five innings.
The Wildcats finished with 11 hits, led by Gadaire and freshman center fielder Kelly Myers (3-for-4). Senior designated hitter Danny Weiss finished 2-for-5, and freshman left fielder Forrest Brandt (1-for-5, RBI), Cerbie and Payne (1-for-3, RBI) each drove in a run for the ‘Cats.
Asheville reliever Grier Harrington (L, 2-5) took the loss, allowing three runs on four hits in 2/3 of an inning in relief of starter David Ricker. Ricker went three innings and allowed just a run on three hits while striking out four and exited the game with a 2-1 lead, as the Bulldogs scored a pair in the second inning on three hits.
Russell faced just three in the first, but gave up a one-out walk to Nick Collazo, who scored as Danny Baatz followed with a triple into the corner in right field. Patrick Kootnz's sacrifice fly made it 2-0 in favor of Asheville, and Eli Miller kept the inning going with a two-out double to left field. But Brandt gunned Miller down trying to score on a base hit by Caitlin Carter to end the inning.
Russell then held the Bulldogs to just a two-out hit in both the third and fourth, and the Davidson offense put up a run in the second and three in the fourth to make him a winner. Davidson started its scoring in the second as Cerbie took a leadoff walk and moved to second when Myers slapped a base hit into center field. Junior shortstop Calvin Sigelbaum nearly beat out his sacrifice bunt down the first base line, and Cerbie scored the ‘Cats' first run on an excuse-me swing by Payne.
Russell also got strong play from the Davidson defense, as Gadaire chased a pop fly into foul territory for the third out in the third, and Sigelbaum fielded a pair of groundouts, the first a spinning stab, in the fourth. The Wildcat offense took over in the fourth inning, putting together four hits for three runs to take the lead. Myers doubled to right field to start the scoring and took third on a one-out base hit by Payne. The Wildcats tried to execute the squeeze play, but Freeman's bunt attempt was fielded by Harrington, who cut down Myers at the plate. Brandt knotted the game with a two-out, RBI-single to left field before Gadaire gave Davidson a 4-2 lead with his two-RBI double down the left field line. Dean Roland took over and sat Weiss on strikes to end the inning, but the Wildcats would not surrender the lead the rest of the way.
Mooney pitched a pair of shutout innings, and neither Goldberg nor Frongello allowed a base runner in an inning of relief for Russell. The Wildcats added a run on an RBI-groundout by Cerbie that scored Weiss, who doubled to the gap in left and took third as sophomore third baseman Andrew Barna beat out a bunt down the first base line. The ‘Cats added their final score in the eighth as Gadaire drove in Payne, who walked to start the inning, was sacrificed by Freeman and went to third on Brandt's fly out to right field. Asheville tacked on a lone run in the ninth off senior RHP Andy Bass, as Jordan Lurie doubled in Miller but it was not enough.
The Bulldogs finished with nine hits, led by Grant Gajdosz (2-for-4) and Baatz (2-for-4).
Davidson will host UNC Greensboro (16-11, 8-4 SoCon), who lost 8-6 to Duke tonight, this weekend at Wilson Field. First pitch for Friday is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the teams will play game two on Saturday at 2 p.m. The series finale is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday.
East Carolina 7, Elon 0
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Elon managed just three hits and stranded six runners in a 7-0 defeat at the hands of the East Carolina Pirates in non-conference baseball action on Wednesday night. The Phoenix fell to 19-12 on the season while ECU improved to 21-8.
After keeping Elon from scoring in a bases-loaded top of the third, ECU got three straight singles from Tim Younger, Ben Fultz and Corey Thompson to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the inning.
The bottom of the fourth began with John Wooten popping a ball up toward first, but a miscommunication between the Elon defenders allowed the ball to fall just on the outfield grass for a single. A bunt to third should have recorded the first out, but the throw to first went down the right field line and allowed the Pirates to have two in scoring position with no outs. Chris Gosik's ground ball to second gave Elon the first out, but allowed Wooten to score to make it 2-0. Elon escaped further damage on a ground ball to short with the infield in and then a strike out.
ECU upped its edge to 4-0 in the sixth. Zach Wright led things off with a double off the wall in right-center and then scored on Jack Reinhardt double to left-center. Gosik picked up his second RBI of the game by ripping a double just inside the third base bag to plate Reinhardt. After a walk, Younger lined out to short and Neal Pritchard stepped on second to complete the unassisted double play.
Fultz led off the last of the seventh by sending a 3-1 pitch over the wall in right-center for his second homer of the year as ECU extended its lead to 5-0. After an Elon error allowed Thompson to reach, Trent Whitehead hit his second home run of the year, this one clearing the wall in right-center, that made it a 7-0 game.
Kevin Brandt (3-0) was the winner after not allowing a hit in three innings out of the bullpen. Starter Austin Chrismon went four, walking three and allowing three hits.
Elon's Thomas Girdwood (2-3) took the loss after being charged with five runs (four earned) on nine hits in six frames.
The three Phoenix hits came off the bats of Jake Luce, Sebastian Gomez and Eric Serra.
Fultz and Reinheimer both had two-hit games for the Pirates.
Elon will return home to Latham Park to open up an eight-game homestand on Friday evening at 6:30 p.m. as the Wofford Terriers come to town for a SoCon series. Fans in attendance that evening will have the opportunity to appear in the new admissions video for the university as a film crew will be on hand.
Winthrop 9, The Citadel 0
Rock Hill, S.C. - Winthrop launched a three-run homer with no outs in the bottom of the first and never looked back on Wednesday evening at Winthrop Ballpark as they defeated The Citadel, 9-0.
It is the fifth consecutive loss for the Bulldogs (10-19) which ties the longest of the season and marks the first time The Citadel has been shutout since a 5-0 loss to Mercer at Riley Park on May 11, 2010. It is the first road shutout for the Bulldogs since a 9-0 defeat at Hawai'i in game two of a doubleheader on March 5, 2010.
The Citadel used a season-high eight pitchers against Winthrop (15-14) who has outscored the Bulldogs, 12-1 in two games this season.
In the bottom of the first, Tyler Cook reached on a base hit to left before Chas Crane walked to put two runners aboard for Eddie Rohan. The senior catcher then sent a ball to left field on a full count that sailed over the wall to give the Eagles a quick 3-0 lead off Bulldog starter Bryce Hines (Hanahan, S.C.).
That would spell the end for Hines (2-3) and give way to reliever Jeremy Long (Clover, S.C.) who went 2.0 scoreless innings allowing two hits, a walk and struck out two. In the third, Connor Hitchingham (Jacksonville, Fla.) became the third Bulldog pitcher to enter the game. Winthrop strung together three hits in the inning as Patrick Gamblin scored on a sac fly by Adam Gliebe to make it 4-0.
Meanwhile, Winthrop starter Matteo D'Angelo (4-4) handcuffed the Bulldog offense as he went 5.0 innings, scattering four hits, walking no one and struck out six.
In the bottom of the fifth, Logan Cribb (Rock Hill, S.C.) came on as the fourth Bulldog pitcher and surrendered hits to Gliebe and Matt Lobacz. After a sac bunt, Gliebe scored on an RBI groundout by Brett Thomas. Cam Walters then singled up the middle to score Lobacz to make it 6-0. The Eagles got an unearned run in the sixth off reliever TJ Clarkson (Coral Springs, Fla.) when Matt Simonelli (Orlando, Fla.) booted a groundball. A sac fly by Lobacz would plate Gamblin for the seventh run of the game.
Drew Mahaffey (Summerville, S.C.) hurled a scoreless eighth before giving way to Ryan Hines (Hanahan, S.C.) in the ninth, making his first career collegiate appearance. He allowed a pair of runs on two hits in 0.1 innings pitched. David Leeth (Hartsville, S.C.) finished out the game for the Bulldogs in relief.
Leading the way for the Eagles at the plate was Lobacz, who went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a pair of runs and Walters, who went 3-for-5 with two RBI. William Ladd (Winnsboro, S.C.) and Drew DeKerlegand (Pearland, Texas) each picked up a pair of hits while Simonelli went 2-for-4 with two doubles to lead The Citadel.
The Bulldogs return to conference action this weekend when they host cross-town rival College of Charleston at Riley Park on Friday at 6 p.m. Live audio, video and stats will be available. Stay current on Bulldog Baseball at all new CitadelSports.com.
East Tennessee State 9, Appalachian State 4
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - Appalachian State University baseball held one of the nation's top offensive clubs to just one hit through six innings but East Tennessee State rallied for nine runs over its final two at-bats to deal Appalachian a 9-4 defeat on Wednesday evening at Cardinal Park.
ASU left-handers Ryne Frankoff (Apex, N.C./Apex) and Chad Farmer (Evans, Ga./Greenbrier) limited ETSU, which was hitting .308 as a team coming in, to just one hit over the first six innings to help stake the Mountaineers to a 3-0 lead. However, the Bucs ruined the southpaws' fine work when Kerry Doane knotted the game at 3-3 with a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh.
Things completely unraveled for Appalachian (16-14) in the eighth, as three pitchers surrendered six runs on four hits to allow ETSU (17-9) to take a commanding 9-3 lead. Only two of the Bucs' four hits in the eighth - all singles - left the infield but ASU's three hurlers combined to issue four walks and throw two wild pitches in the fateful frame.
The Mountaineers put the tying run on deck in the top of the ninth when ETSU closer Bo Reeder walked in a run but Reeder struck out Jason Wallace (Greensboro, N.C./Ragsdale) to end the game and snap Appalachian's season-high-tying four-game winning streak.
Zack Briggs (Lexington, N.C./Central Davidson) ran his hitting streak to an ASU season-best 10 games with a solo homer in the fourth inning while Jeremy Dowdy (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield), Doug Jones (Charlotte, N.C./Mecklenburg) and Derek Brown (Siler City, N.C./Jordan-Matthews) also drove in runs for the Mountaineers.
Zach Joyce (Lexington, N.C./North Davidson) walked the only batter he faced in the seventh to suffer the loss and fall to 0-1.
Doane not only went 2-for-4 with four RBI at the plate but also got the win on the mound with a perfect inning of relief to move to 2-0.
Appalachian returns to action on Friday when it opens a three-game Southern Conference series at Furman. The series opener is set for 7 p.m. at FU's Latham Stadium.
Clemson 12, Western Carolina 3
Clemson, S.C. - Clemson plated 10 runs between the third and fifth innings on Wednesday night to rally past Western Carolina for a 12-3 victory in nonconference action at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
Western Carolina (11-15-1) took a lead in the third inning, breaking the scoreless deadlock. Cameron Dullnig singled through the left side to open the frame with Luke Gragg doubling down the right field line to put two aboard. Two batters later, Ross Heffley grounded out in the infield but drove in Dullnig for his first of two RBI in the loss.
Dullnig finished a perfect 3-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored, while freshman Aaron Attaway was 2-for-3 with a walk and a runs scored. Gragg was 2-for-4 in the leadoff spot, while Heffley was 1-for-4 with the two driven in.
With the Catamounts leading 1-0, Clemson seized control of the game in the home half of the third inning. Three consecutive one-out singles drove home the game-tying run, with Phil Pohl doubling down the right field line to put the Tigers ahead. Richie Shaffer also doubled to center field in the inning to drive home Pohl with Brad Miller capping the scoring with an RBI single to right field.
All told, Clemson scored five runs on six hits to lead 5-1 through three complete.
In the fourth, the Tigers extended their lead with a Jason Stolz two-run home run with Clemson capitalizing on a walk, a throwing error and a home run to plate three in the fifth to take a commanding, 10-1, lead.
Stolz finished 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, with Brad Miller finishing 2-for-4 with an RBI. Pohl's lone hit in a 1-for-4 performance was the double, driving in three runs for the Tigers.
WCU tacked on two runs in the top of the seventh inning, using a back-to-back walks to open the inning followed by a Gragg single to load the bases. Heffley then drew a third walk of the frame to plate one of the runs. Following a pitching change, senior Matt Johns was issued a free pass to drive in the second run of the inning. Johns finished 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and the run driven in.
However, Clemson (16-12) got the runs back in the home half of the eighth to provide the final tally.
Sophomore Adam Curtis (1-2) took the loss for the Catamounts after tossing three innings in the starting role, allowing five runs on six hits in three innings of work. The Arden, N.C., native also struck out two without a walk. Left-hander Vance Chavis was one of five relievers used on Wednesday night, allowing three runs on just one hit with two walks and a pair of strikeouts.
Taylor Sandefur tossed an inning, surrendering two runs on two hits while Darron Dotson worked a career-long two innings of one-hit, scoreless relief with a career-best three strikeouts. T.J. Page threw in the eighth with former Tiger, transfer Kyle Deese walking one and fanning one in an inning of work.
Clemson starter Scott Weismann (3-2) earned the win, allowing just one run on seven hits through six innings. Reliever Mike Kent was saddled with the other two Catamount runs in just a third of an inning, walking three.
Western Carolina opens a three-game Southern Conference series against the Samford Bulldogs on Friday evening at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. First pitch of the series opener is scheduled for 6:00 pm.
Duke 8, UNCG 6
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Duke tallied six runs in the top of the sixth inning, five of which were unearned, and UNCG wasn't able to complete its comeback as the Spartans fell, 8-6, on Wednesday evening at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Eric Pfister picked up the win for Duke (18-14) as he went 5 1/3 innings and gave up just two runs on two hits, while striking out seven Spartans. Marcus Stroman came in to pitch a scoreless ninth inning to record his third save.
Jonathan Jones was credited with the loss after he gave up three runs, one earned, on just one hit in an inning of work.
Drew Gehringer led the Spartans (16-11) at the plate as he went 1-3 with two RBI and a run scored, while Thomas Troelstrup and Chris Barker each had a pair of hits and a run scored.
Marcus Stroman went 1-3 with a pair of RBI and run scored for Duke and Joe Pedevillano added two hits and two runs scored.
The Spartans were the first to get on the board as Kris Richards delivered a one-out single in the bottom of the third. Gehringer then belted a doubled to left center to score Richards from first. After a walk and hit by pitch loaded the bases, Zach Leach hit a sacrifice fly to deep left field to score Gehringer and put UNCG ahead, 2-0.
Duke came right back in the top of the fourth to cut the Spartan lead in half. Pedevillano led off with a single down the right field line before advancing to third on a single and fielder's choice. With runners on the corners, UNCG picked the runner off first, but Pedevillano broke for home at the same time and stole home successfully to make it 2-1.
The Blue Devils broke the game open with six runs in the top of the sixth to take a 7-2 lead. Duke took advantage of two UNCG errors, three walks and a wild pitch to score the six runs, five of them unearned, to take the lead.
UNCG tried to mount a rally late in the game as it cut the Duke lead down to 7-4 in the seventh inning. Barker led off with a double to right center and Eric Brindle followed with a walk. After Barker moved to third on a fly out, he was able to score on a wild pitch, while Brindle moved up to second. Brindle advanced to third on a single before later scoring on a balk.
The Spartans added another pair of runs in the eighth inning to make it a one-run game. Troelstrup hit a leadoff double and moved up to third on a fly out to right field. John Hein then hit a pinch-hit single to left field that scored Troelstrup. A single by Barker and a walk by Brindle loaded the bases for Gehringer who was hit by a pitch to score Hein. The Blue Devils were able to get out of the bases-loaded jam, though, as they got a pair of strikeouts to preserve their 7-6 lead.
Duke added another run in the ninth inning on a wild pitch to go ahead 8-6 and UNCG wasn't able to complete its comeback in the home half of the inning.
UNCG will return to Southern Conference competition this weekend as it hits the road to Davidson for a three-game series beginning on Friday at 7 p.m.
Mercer 14, Georgia Southern 1
STATESBORO, Ga. - Garren Palmer (Dalton, Ga.) hit his first career home run in a midweek loss to Mercer (22-10), but Georgia Southern (18-12) fell 14-1 on Wednesday night. The Eagles got behind early and were being no hit by Brandon Barker before a base hit in the fifth inning by Palmer. The redshirt-freshman drove in the only GSU run in his next at-bat with a solo shot to left field.
Georgia Southern finished the game with eight hits and had three players record multi-hit games. Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) singled in the sixth and ninth innings. Michael Burruss (Marietta, Ga.), who caught the final three innings of the game, reached base in all four plate appearances. He singled in the sixth inning and doubled in the eighth.
Both starters faced the minimum in the first inning after Shawn Payne (Stone Mountain, Ga.) made a pair of fine head-first diving plays in the outfield to rob the Bears of a couple of base hits. Mercer started its scoring in the second inning, tacking six runs on the board before adding a single run in the third inning. The Bears went in order in the fourth inning but scored six runs over fifth and sixth innings. They rounded out their scoring with a solo homer by Thomas Carroll in the eighth inning.
Drew Johnson (Peachtree City, Ga.) made his first start on the mound for Georgia Southern, but lasted only an inning and a third. He allowed four earned runs on four hits and was tagged with the loss (0-1). Joe Lower (West Palm Beach, Fla.) came on in relief and allowed only two unearned runs in 2.1 innings. Lower struck out two batters and allowed only three hits. Chris Myers (Gainesville, Fla.) rounded out the pitching with a scoreless ninth inning.
Barker (3-0) earned his third win of the season after allowing one hit in five innings. He struck out four batters on 79 pitches. Jacob Matthews threw a scoreless inning in the sixth before Colby Collins allowed the home run to Palmer in the seventh. D.J. Johnson and J.T. Odom rounded out the game for Mercer, allowing three hits combined over two innings.
The Eagles will make their longest road trip of the season this weekend when they venture out to Beckley, W.Va. to face Marshall at Epling Stadium. The three-game series opens Friday night at 6:05 p.m. and continues Saturday at 6:05 p.m. and Sunday at noon.