Samford 5, Wofford 1
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- The Samford baseball team earned a 5-1 win over Wofford in the final game of a three-game Southern Conference series Sunday afternoon at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
Samford's C.K. Irby (5-1) pitched 4.0 innings in relief, giving up just one unearned run on two hits to earn the win on the mound for the Bulldogs. Kyle Putkonen started the game on the mound for Samford, pitching 3.0 innings, scattering five hits and allowing no runs. Grant Sides and Andrew Jones pitched the final 2.0 innings for the Bulldogs.
For Samford at the plate, Saxon Butler went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI. Butler now has 22 doubles and 57 RBI this season. Both totals are just one away from tying Samford single-season records. Kevin Putkonen went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Brandon Miller went 2-for-4 with a double.
"We pitched the ball really well today," Samford head coach Casey Dunn said. "I was really pleased with the way we pitched and the way we competed. We had some big hits today too. Saxon (Butler) had a big double and Kevin Putkonen had a couple of big hits."
Wofford's Brandon Yarusi (1-5) pitched 5.1 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits to take the loss for the Terriers. James Foster and Landon Bennett each went 2-for-4 to lead Wofford at the plate. Konstantine Diamaduros drove in the Terriers' lone run in a 1-for-4 performance.
After the game stayed scoreless for two and a half innings, Samford took control of the game with three runs in the bottom of the third inning. With one out in the inning, Tommy Corbin and Tyler Filliben delivered back-to-back singles. Michael Johnson then walked to load the bases. With two outs, Butler doubled to center field to clear the bases and give Samford a 3-0 lead.
Wofford cut the Samford lead to 3-1 with a run in the top of the fifth inning. With two outs in the inning, Mac Doyle walked. Diamaduros then tripled to drive in Doyle for Wofford's lone run of the game.
Samford added a run in the sixth inning to make the score 4-1. Butler singled up middle and Miller doubled to give Samford runners on second and third base with no outs. Phillip Ervin then hit a sacrifice fly to center field to drive in Butler for a three-run Samford lead.
The Bulldogs plated one final run in the eighth inning to make the final score 5-1. With two outs in the inning, Miller reached base on an infield single and Ervin walked. Putkonen then singled to right field to drive in pinch-runner Joshua VanFleteren for the game's final run.
With the win, Samford improves to 32-20 overall and 16-11 in Southern Conference play. Wofford drops to 22-30 overall and 9-18 in league play.
Samford will return to action on Tuesday, May 17, when the Bulldogs play at in-state rival Troy. The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start from Troy's Riddle-Pace Field.
Wofford closes the regular season with a three-game series in Spartanburg against UNCG, beginning Friday at 7 p.m.
UNCG 12, The Citadel 11
GREENSBORO, N.C. - UNCG blew a six-run lead in the top of the ninth, but came back to score two runs in the home half of the inning to complete the sweep of The Citadel with a walk-off 12-11 victory on Sunday afternoon at the UNCG Baseball Stadium. The win was the 12th for UNCG in its last 13 games.
After the Bulldogs (20-32, 8-19 Southern Conference) put up seven runs in the top of the ninth to take an 11-10 lead, Drew Gehringer slapped a single through the right side of the infield to lead off the bottom half of the inning. Eric Brindle then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Gehringer to second and Cody Walker followed with a single to right field to score Gehringer and tie the game at 11.
Ray Crawford then singled through the left side before Andrew Spleth drew a walk to load the bases. John Hein then came in to pinch hit and was hit by a pitch on a 2-1 count to score Walker and give the Spartans the 12-11 victory.
Prior to the game, Chris Barker, Gehringer, Colby Hyatt, Ray Quinones, Warren Slack, Greg Smith and Walker were honored for Senior Day.
Going into the ninth inning, it appeared as if the Spartans would cruise to any easy win as they led 10-4. The Citadel had different thoughts, though, as William Ladd was hit by a pitch and moved to second when Justin Mackert reached on a fielding error. Alex Simonelli then walked to load the bases before a wild pitch allowed Ladd to score from third.
Brad Felder kept things going with a two-run single up the middle to cut UNCG's lead down to 10-7. After a groundout, Grant Richards drew a walk and Joe Jackson followed with a single through the right side to score Felder and make it a two-run game.
A single by DeKerlegand loaded the bases and then Nick Orvin hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field to make UNCG's lead just 10-9. Ladd then came back up and singled up the middle on a 2-1 pitch to give the Bulldogs an 11-10 lead.
Smith (3-3) recorded the win for UNCG (31-18, 19-8 SoCon) after striking out the only batter he faced in the top of the ninth. TJ Clarkson (1-3) was credited with the loss after allowing two runs on three hits in just a third of an inning of work.
Walker led UNCG on Senior Day as he went 3-5 with three RBI and two runs scored and Quinones also went 3-4 with two RBI and three runs scored. Crawford added three hits and Gehringer and Brindle each added two hits and scored two runs.
Felder went 2-4 with three RBI and a run scored for The Citadel and Ladd added two hits and had two RBI and two runs scored.
The Spartans started off the game with four runs in the bottom of the first to take the early lead. Gehringer, Brindle and Crawford each had RBI singles in the inning and Walker added an RBI double of his own.
The score would stay that way until the top of the fourth when The Citadel answered with three runs to make it a one-run game. Mackert had an RBI single and Simonelli added a sacrifice fly before an RBI triple from Felder cut UNCG's lead down to 4-3.
The Spartans would answer with a sacrifice fly by Spleth in the home half of the fourth to make it 5-3 and added three more runs in the fifth inning to make it 8-3.
UNCG would stretch its lead to 10-3 in the sixth when Quinones hit a two-run home run to left field.
The Spartans will wrap up the regular season next weekend as they travel to Wofford for a three-game series beginning on Friday at 7 p.m.
The Citadel hosts Duke on Tuesday in its final home game of the regular season.
Furman 14, Western Carolina 7
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Reese Wade and Will Owens both went 3-for-6 and drove in four runs and Will Muzika homered twice to power Furman to a 14-7 victory over Western Carolina in the Southern Conference series finale Sunday afternoon at Latham Stadium.
With the victory Furman (22-29, 12-14 SoCon) claimed the series against Western Carolina (19-29-1, 9-18 SoCon) two games to one and clinched at least the No. 7 seed in this year's Southern Conference Tournament, scheduled for May 25-29 at Charleston's Joseph P. Riley Park.
The Paladins, who conclude the regular season with a three-game series at league frontrunner Elon beginning on Wednesday, are a half game behind sixth place Appalachian State, which is 13-14 in league play heading into the final week of the regular season.
Aided by three home runs, Furman pounded out 17 hits, took advantage of six walks issued by Catamount pitching, and swiped a season high nine bases in the contest that saw every starter register at least one hit and the Paladins tally runs in each of their first six at bats.
Furman, which entered the weekend with a .265 team batting average, banged out 53 hits, batted .363, and scored 36 runs in the three-game set against the Catamounts.
Wade got Furman off to a fast start with an RBI double in the first inning and two-run single in the second that helped stake the Paladins to a 5-0 lead.
Ross Heffley tied the game when he belted a grand slam as part of a five-run Catamount third, but Will Muzika answered with a solo home run just inside the left field foul pole in the Furman half of the frame for a 6-5 advantage.
The Paladins made it 8-5 an inning later on a wild pitch that allowed Rob Fondu to score from third and Aaron Thompkins to scamper home from second base.
After the Catamounts cut it to 8-7 with two runs in the fifth, the Paladins blew the game open with two in the bottom of the inning and four more in the sixth. Will Owens' two-run round tripper in the fifth, his first of the season, made it 10-7, and in the sixth Muzika recorded his second clout of the contest with a leadoff blast over the left field fence. J.B. Jenkins' RBI double upped the lead to 12-7, and Owens followed with a double to right center field to plate Jenkins. Wade completed the four-run outburst by stroking a sharp line drive single to left field that scored Owens.
In addition to his three-hit performance, Owens scored three runs and stole two bases. Will Miller also contributed in Furman's hit parade by going 3-for-5 and scoring two runs. Thompkins finished two hits, including a double, to complete a solid weekend that saw him go 9-for-19 (.474) at the plate in the three-game series.
Heffley's grand slam highlighted his 3-for-5, four-RBI performance for Western Carolina, which also got three hits from Austin Schultz in the 11-hit Catamount attack.
Furman's steady run support made a winner of starting pitcher Tyler Wood (3-3), who allowed seven runs on 10 hits over 6 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out two.
The loss went to Preston Hatcher (2-2), who surrendered two runs on four hits in 1 1/3 innings of relief of starting pitcher Taylor Sandefur, who failed to make it out of the second inning.
First pitch for Wednesday's contest at Elon is set for 6:30 p.m.
Western Carolina will entertain The Citadel starting Thursday at 6 p.m.
College of Charleston 10, Appalachian State 7
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Redshirt-freshman RF Daniel Aldrich (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) had three hits and four RBIs, including a two-run homer in the eighth inning, as the College of Charleston defeated Appalachian State 10-7 Sunday afternoon at Patriots Point to take the weekend series against the Mountaineers. The Cougars improve to 34-18 overall and 17-10 in the Southern Conference.
Charleston opened the game with a single run in the first inning as junior 1B Marty Gantt (N. Augusta, S.C.) led off the frame with a triple to left center and with one out, Aldrich knocked a sacrifice fly to left scoring Gantt for a 1-0 lead. The Cougars added a pair of runs in second to take a 3-0 lead. With senior CF Cole Rakar (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) at third and senior SS Jamie Holler (Rock Hill, S.C.) at second, junior 2B Rob Harding (Columbia, S.C.) singled to third base and a throwing error by Zack Briggs allowed Rakar to score. Gantt followed with a fielder's choice to second and after forcing Harding at second, Will Callaway's throwing error allowed Holler to cross the plate for a 3-0 lead.
App State (29-23, 13-14 SoCon) cut into the Cougars' lead with a run in the third on a RBI groundout by Jack Myers that plated Hector Crespo, who led off the inning with a double to left. Charleston restored the three-run cushion in the bottom of the frame with three straight singles by redshirt-junior LF Jose Rodriguez (Hialeah, Fla.), freshman DH Brandon Murray (Nassau, Bahamas) and Rakar, with Rakar's single to right, scoring Rodriguez from second.
The two teams traded runs in the fifth to make the score 5-2. App State scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Trey Holmes and the Cougars got the run back on a RBI single to right by Aldrich that brought home Kral, who doubled to lead off the frame.
Charleston scored single runs in the sixth and seventh to take a 7-2 lead into the eighth. A RBI single to left by Harding accounted for the run in the sixth, while senior PH Kolby Epley (Yadkinville, N.C.) lifted a sacrifice fly to right in the seventh to score Aldrich from third.
App State scored three runs in the top of the eighth to cut the Cougars' lead to 7-5. After Daniel Kassouf was hit by a pitch and Will Callaway doubled to center, Preston Troutman's RBI single up the middle plated Kassouf and Callaway scored on a bases-loaded single to center by Jeremy Dowdy. Crespo's RBI groundout to first with one out brought home Troutman and pulled the Mountaineers within two.
The Cougars responded in their half of the inning with three runs of their own to restore the five-run advantage. With Tyler Miller on the mound for App State, Harding led off the frame with a single to right center and Gantt sacrificed him over to second. Redshirt-junior C Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J.) singled through the right side to put runners at the corners for redshirt-junior 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla.), who delivered an RBI single to first. After Leeds moved to second on a wild pitch by Miller, Aldrich drilled a 2-1 pitch over the wall in right center for his 21st home run of the season and a 10-5 Charleston lead.
App State cut the final margin to 10-7 in the ninth with a RBI groundout by Troutman and a RBI single to center by Jason Wallace, but senior RHP Casey Lucchese (Lexington, Ky.) held off the Mountaineer attack for his five save of the season.
Sophomore RHP Christian Powell (Greenwood, S.C.) improved to 7-1 on the season with the victory, scattering five hits and two runs over six innings with four strikeouts. Aldrich and Harding collected three hits apiece for the Cougars, who out-hit App State 16-12 in the game. Aldrich also posted four RBIs in the contest.
Seth Grant (4-8) took the loss for App State, allowing five runs on eight hits in 4-1/3 innings. Callaway had three hits for the Mountaineers.
Charleston closes out the home portion of the 2011 schedule with a non-conference showdown against Presbyterian College Tuesday evening. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m.
ASU hosts Georgia Southern Thursday at 6 p.m.