College of Charleston 9, Presbyterian 5
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Sophomore LHP Jake Zokan (Columbia, S.C.) collected a career-high seven strikeouts and three Cougars knocked home runs as the College of Charleston closed out the home portion of the 2011 season with a 9-5 victory over Presbyterian College Tuesday evening. The Cougars improve to 35-18 on the season, the eighth straight season with at least 35 wins.
Charleston led jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second on freshman DH Brandon Murray's (Nassau, Bahamas) first career home run, a solo shot to right off Presbyterian starter Bud Jeter. The Cougars increased their lead to 2-0 in the fifth as redshirt-junior 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla.) led off the frame with a triple to right center and scored on a RBI groundout to first by redshirt-freshman RF Daniel Aldrich (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.).
The Cougars extended their lead to 6-0 in the seventh, highlighted by a three-run round-tripper by senior CF Cole Rakar (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.). Redshirt-junior C Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J.) led off the inning with a four-pitch walk and Leeds reached on a fielder's choice. Aldrich followed with a single to right and redshirt-junior LF Jose Rodrigiuez (Hialeah, Fla.) hit a RBI fielder's choice, scoring Leeds and giving the Cougars two outs in the frame. After Murray reached on a fielding error by Andrew Williams, Rakar stepped in and crushed a 1-0 pitch down the left-field line for his third home run of the season and a 6-0 CofC lead.
Presbyterian closed in on the Cougars, plating four runs in the top of the eight to cut the lead to 6-4. With junior Marty Gantt (N. Augusta, S.C.) on the mound, Aaron Preston led off the frame with a triple down the right-field line and Presbyterian loaded the bases with an infield single and a walk. Gabe Grammer knocked a one-out RBI single to right and another run scored on a throwing error by Aldrich. Williams lined a RBI single through the right side to make the score 6-3 and the Blue Hose plated another run when Brad Zebedis was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Charleston picked up three runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 9-4 advantage. Gantt led off the frame with a solo shot to left center, his fifth of the season. Kral followed with a double down the left-field line and scored on a triple to right center by Aldrich, who came home on a RBI groundout by Rodriguez. Presbyterian scored the game's final run on RBI single by Nate Horton in the ninth.
Zokan picked up his third win of the season, scattering three hits over five shutout innings with a career-high seven strikeouts. Senior RHP Casey Lucchese (Lexington, Ky.) earned his fifth save of the season, allowing one unearned run on one hits in 1-1/3 innings with three strikeouts.
Leeds led the Cougars with three hits on the evening, while Rakar's three RBIs paced the offense. Charleston out-hit the Blue Hose 13-9, who were led by Williams' two hits.
Charleston returns to SoCon action this weekend as it travels to Samford for a three-game series. Thursday's first pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. EST.
Georgia Southern 14, Charleston Southern 9
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Down 9-1 after a six-run fifth inning, the Georgia Southern Baseball team (31-21) rallied with 13 runs in the final three frames for a 14-9 win over Charleston Southern (27-26) on Tuesday, May 17th.
The Eagles won their final non-conference game as they nearly eclipsed a school record with 17 walks, and after Victor Roache (Ypsilanti, Mich.) tied a school and Southern Conference single-season record with his 27th home run of the year. He also drove in seven runs, two shy of tying the single-game mark, and scored two runs in six at-bats.
GSU finished just one walk shy of the school record set against Coppin State in 2009 and against Virginia Tech in 1975. Roache homored twice, one a grand slam in the seventh and the other a three-run shot in the ninth inning, to tie not only the school record but the Southern Conference single-season home run record. The sophomore outfielder tied with Ben Abner, who hit 27 in 1984, for the GSU record and Wofford's Brandon Waring for the SoCon mark (2007). Former Eagle Tommy Peterman had previously held the mark after hitting 26 long balls in 1996.
The Eagles used eight walks and a hit by pitch along with two hits to score nine runs in the seventh inning and took their first lead of the day at 10-9. Two walks opened the inning and two outs were recorded before all nine runs scored.
Shawn Payne (Stone Mountain, Ga.) walked after the second out and loaded the bases for Roache's grand slam over the scoreboard in left field. Two more walks and a hit by pitch reloaded the bases and four more runs scored on a walk and a three-run double off the bat of Ben Morgan (Evans, Ga.).
Relief pitcher Josh Adams (Bath, S.C.) retired the side in order over the final four innings to lock down his second win of the season against the Buccaneers. Adams (W, 7-6) went five innings, allowing three runs on four hits all in the fifth inning. Justin Hess (Panama City, Fla.) made his fifth start of the season, allowing five earned runs on six hits over four innings of work.
Tyler Vick pitched well in the start for Charleston Southern, allowing one hit and three walks over the first three frames. The next four men out of the bullpen all allowed a run or more with Cory Deighan being tagged with the loss. Deighan (L, 1-2) allowed three runs on a single hit while walking two batters without recording an out.
Charleston Southern jumped ahead 3-0 after the third inning scoring two runs on a wild pitch. Georgia Southern got a run back in the fifth inning but six more Buccaneers came across in the bottom half of the inning to extend their lead to 9-1. It would be all Georgia Southern from there on out.
Georgia Southern sets its sights Appalachian State next. The Eagles take on the Mountaineers in the final Southern Conference series of the year starting on Thursday at 6 p.m.
#17 North Carolina 7, Appalachian State 2
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - No. 17 North Carolina broke open a tight ballgame with four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and downed Appalachian State University baseball, 7-2, on Tuesday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium.
Appalachian (29-24) trailed just 3-2 after seven-and-a-half innings but UNC's four-run explosion in the eighth ended ASU's hopes of getting its first win in the last 12 meetings with the Tar Heels.
The Mountaineers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Preston Troutman (Rockwell, N.C./East Rowan) drew a bases-loaded walk and after North Carolina (41-12) took a 2-1 lead in the third on Levi Michael's two-run single, Jeremy Dowdy (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield) knotted the score at 2-2 with an RBI single to left field.
UNC regained a one-run lead on a Dowdy error in the fifth but didn't put the game out of reach until the eighth. Seth Baldwin capped the four-run frame with a two-run homer to right field.
Despite the loss, Appalachian's pitching staff turned in one of its finest performances of the season, limiting Carolina's powerful offense to just six hits. Five of the Tar Heels' six hits were singles, with all five coming on ground balls that found holes in the ASU infield.
Pitching near his hometown of Apex, N.C., Mountaineer starter Ryne Frankoff (Apex, N.C./Apex) was particularly effective. The left-handed sophomore allowed just two earned runs on three hits in five innings of work but suffered the tough-luck loss to fall to 1-1 on the season.
ASU managed just three hits against six UNC pitchers, with none coming after Daniel Kassouf's (Lexington, N.C./North Davidson) leadoff single in the sixth inning. The Mountaineers squandered scoring opportunities in the first inning, when they left the bases loaded after UNC starter Cody Styles walked in the first run of the game, and in the sixth, when they didn't score after their first two hitters of the stanza reached base.
North Carolina's Greg Holt (7-1) earned the win with 4.1 strong innings in relief of Styles, who didn't make it out of the first after issuing three walks and hitting a batter in just two-thirds of an inning. Holt surrendered just one run on two hits while striking out seven.
Appalachian closes the regular season this weekend when it hosts a three-game Southern Conference series versus Georgia Southern. The three-game set begins on Thursday at 6 p.m. at ASU's Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
Duke 7, The Citadel 5
Charleston, S.C. - The Citadel Baseball team rallied from a three-run deficit to take a 5-3 lead in the fourth inning on Tuesday evening at Riley Park, but could not hold the lead as Duke handed the Bulldogs their ninth consecutive defeat, 7-5, in the final home game of the 2011 season.
Duke (25-28) took an early 3-0 lead in the second inning off David Leeth (Hartsville, S.C.), who was making his first career start on a night where several Bulldogs pitchers got work in. Matt Berzero led off with a single. After a strikeout, Angelo LaBruna walked and leadoff man Jeff Kremer doubled home Bezero. An RBI single by Dennis O'Grady and a sac fly by Chris Marconcini would make it 3-0.
Jeremy Long (Clover, S.C.) then worked the next 1.1 innings of scoreless ball while striking out a pair. The Bulldogs would plate five in the fourth inning off Duke starter Dillon Haviland. William Ladd (Winnsboro, S.C.) led off with an infield hit and moved to second when Justin Mackert (Cleveland, Ohio) singled deep in the hole at shortstop. After Joe Jackson (Mauldin, S.C.) laid down a sac bunt to move the runners in scoring position, Brad Felder (Bowman, S.C.) roped a two-run double into right field to plate both runners. Legare Jones (Columbia, S.C.) then reached when LaBruna booted the ball at shortstop, allowing Felder to score on the play to tie the game at 3-3.
After a walk to Josh Pless (Boiling Springs, S.C.) and Drew DeKerlegand (Pearland, Texas), Duke brought in Chase Bebout to relieve Haviland. Matt Simonelli (Orlando, Fla.) lined a two-run double down the left field line, scoring Jones and Pless to make it 5-3 for The Citadel.
That would be all the offense the Bulldogs would muster in the game though as Bebout settled down and combined with Joe Pedevillano and Drew Van Orden to shutout The Citadel for the remainder of the contest. Van Orden (3-5) hurled the final 3.1 innings, allowing just one hit and a strikeout to pick the win.
The Blue Devils would tie the game in the fifth off Bulldog reliever Logan Cribb (Rock Hill, S.C.) when Marconcini was hit by a pitch and David Perkins singled to put two aboard. The two would move up a base on a wild pitch by Cribb and another wild pitch would score Marconcini. An RBI single by Marcus Stroman would plate Perkins to knot the game at 5-5.
Duke would take advantage of a Bulldog error in the seventh when Perkins walked and moved to third when Stroman reached on a two-base error by Jones at shortstop. An RBI ground out by Jordan Betts off Bulldog reliever Justin Russell (Jacksonville, Fla.) would make it 6-5. Russell (1-6) was tabbed with the loss after going 2.0 innings and allowing one hit, one unearned run and a walk.
In the ninth, the Blue Devils would get an insurance run when Marconcini led off with a double off reliever TJ Clarkson (Coral Springs, Fla.). After a walk to Stroman put two aboard, a wild pitch by Clarkson put the two in scoring position. With two outs, Berezo singled to left to score Marconcini and Stroman was gunned down at the plate trying to score from a strike by Ladd in left.
Simonelli and Felder both picked up a pair of RBI, while Jones went 2-for-4 with a run to lead the Bulldog offense. Bezero went 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI while Marconcini and Perkins each scored a pair of runs to lead the Blue Devils.
The Bulldogs (20-33) now turn their attention to the final three-games of the season in a critical battle at Western Carolina beginning Thursday at 6 p.m. Three teams (The Citadel, Western Carolina and Wofford) remain in contention for the eighth and final spot in the 2011 Southern Conference Tournament. The two scenarios that allow The Citadel to make the tournament include a series sweep of the Catamounts and two losses by Wofford, which hosts UNC Greensboro this weekend. The other possibility includes winning two at Western Carolina and UNCG sweeping the Terriers in Spartanburg.
"Leeth struggled to find the strike zone early, but we managed to overcome that and battle back," said head coach Fred Jordan. "They took advantage of some mistakes and got a big hit late to put it away. We worked to get back in it and hopefully this weekend things will go our way. This team is certainly working hard."
The Citadel begins their final regular season series in Cullowhee, N.C. on Thursday at 6 p.m. against Western Carolina. Live stats will be available along with a recap and box score following the game on all new CitadelSports.com.
Troy 14, Samford 1
TROY, Ala.- Troy's Adam Bryant hit two home runs and drove in six runs to lead the Trojan baseball team to a 14-1 win over Samford in a non-conference game Tuesday evening at Riddle-Pace Field.
With the loss, Samford drops to 32-21. Troy improves to 38-15 and the teams split the season series as the Bulldogs defeated the Trojans, 6-1, in Birmingham on March 1. Samford is now 9-3 on the season against in-state opponents.
Samford pitcher Lex Rutledge (5-5) pitched 1.2 innings, giving up five runs, just one earned, on three hits to take the loss for the Bulldogs. Michael Gunter, Joshua VanFleteren, Gil Walker and Rumiko Forrester also saw time on the mound for Samford.
For Samford at the plate, Brandon Miller was 1-for-3 with a solo home run to account for Samford's lone run of the game. Miller's home run was his 16th of the season, just one shy of the school single-season record of 17 set by Jim Morgan in 1997.
As a team, Samford committed four errors in the loss. The 14 runs allowed are the most the Bulldogs have allowed this season.
Troy's William Teal (4-0) pitched 4.0 innings, giving up one run on four hits to earn the win.
In addition to Bryant's performance at the plate for Troy, Tyler Hannah went 3-for-4 with a home run, two doubles and two RBI. T.J. Rivera went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI. As a team, Troy had 10 extra-base hits in the game.
Troy jumped on top first with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. With one out in the inning, Hannah reached base on a Samford error. Bryant then tripled to drive in Hannah for the game's first run. Blake Martz later doubled to drive in Bryant for a 2-0 Troy lead. Todd McRae then grounded out to drive in Rivera, who had been hit by a pitch earlier in the inning, to make the score 3-0.
The Trojans added two more runs in the bottom of the second inning to push their lead to 5-0. Two Samford errors in the inning aided the Trojans' cause. The two runs came on a two-out, two-run homer by Hannah.
Samford put its lone run on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth inning. With one out in the inning, Miller hit a solo home run to left field to cut the Troy lead to 5-1.
Troy plated three more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to make the score 8-1. Rivera singled to drive in Tyson Workman and Hannah, and Bryant scored on another Samford error to give Troy a seven-run lead.
The Trojans put three more runs up in the sixth inning. Bryant hit a three-run homer to left field to give Troy an 11-1 lead.
Troy then added three more runs in the eighth inning two make the score 14-1. The first two runs were scored on a two-run homer by Bryant. Hayden Hillyer later singled to drive in the game's final run.
Samford will return to action on Thursday, April 19, when the Bulldogs play host to the College of Charleston in the first game of a three-game Southern Conference series. The teams will play Thursday at 6 p.m., Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
#15 Clemson 19, Davidson 0
CLEMSON, S.C. - Senior right-handed reliever Mike Frongelloset a new Southern Conference record with his 136th career appearance, but the No. 15 Clemson Tigers overpowered the Davidson Wildcats, who concluded their season with a 19-0 loss early Wednesday morning after a pair of extended rain delays at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
Frongello, who appeared in the final 21 straight games for Davidson (18-30), entered the game in the seventh to break the SoCon record previously held by The Citadel's Raymond Copenhaver (2007-10). With 39 appearances this season, Frongello also broke his own single-season record of 34 (2009) and tied Randy Corn (The Citadel, 2002) for the fifth most in single-season league history.
Otherwise, the game - which featured a pair of rain delays, belonged to Clemson (37-16), who used 23 hits, led by center fielder Will Lamb (5-for-5, 3 RBI) and right fielder Chris Epps (4-for-6, 3 RBI) for 19 runs. Kevin Pohle (W, 5-1) struck out four and scattered six hits through five shutout innings to earn the win.
In the game scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start, junior center fielder Drew Gadaire (2-for-4) hit a two-out single in the top of the first, finally underway at 7:53 p.m. The Tigers put up three runs on four hits and three walks in the bottom of the inning, as shortstop Brad Miller, Lamb and left fielder Jeff Schaus all drove in runs to give Clemson a 3-0 lead.
After a second rain delay, this one 127 minutes, junior LHPChris Lamb took the mound in relief of junior RHP Brian Russell (L, 2-4), with the bases loaded and two outs, for the final out of the first. Freshman left fielder Forrest Brandt (1-for-3) led off the second with a base hit to center field, but Pohle, back despite the lengthy delay, got a double-play ball to end the inning.
Lamb induced a double-play ball of his own in the bottom of the second, erasing a leadoff single by third baseman John Hinson. After Miller (HBP) and Lamb (single) reached safely, the Tigers took a 6-0 lead on a three-run home run by first baseman Richie Shaffer.
Pohle faced the minimum in the third, and the Tigers tacked on another run on a leadoff home run from Epps in the home half. Catcher Spencer Kieboom followed with a double, but Lamb came back to retire the next three Tigers. The Wildcats put together a pair of one-out singles from Gadaire and senior designated hitter Danny Weiss (1-for-2) in the top of the fourth, but Pohle kept the ‘Cats off the scoreboard again with a foul out and a strikeout.
Clemson extended its lead to 11-0 with a four-spot on five straight one-out hits in the bottom half. Lamb (single), Shaffer (single), Schaus (single) and Epps (triple) all recorded a hit and scored in the inning. Senior LHP Mac Hunter came on in relief of classmate Ian Horkley with the bases loaded and picked off Pohl (HBP) to get out of the inning.
Davidson had a pair of one-out base runners in the fifth in sophomore shortstop Michael Zeblo (single, 1-for-3) and freshman catcher Daniel Gerow (walk, 1-for-1) but could not convert. The Tigers, though, put together a pair of singles by pinch hitter Steve Wilkerson and Lamb for a run on pinch hitter Jon McGibbon's sac fly, before Hunter got out of the jam with two straight strikeouts.
Reliever Kevin Brady tossed a hitless sixth, and Clemson took advantage of three walks in the bottom of the inning to go ahead 16-0 on back-to-back, two-RBI doubles by Lamb and McGibbon. Working against Frongello, in for senior RHP Andy Bass and in his record-setting 136th career appearance, the Tigers added a pair of unearned runs in the seventh as Mike Dunster (single) and Dominic Attanasio (single) scored when Addison Johnson reached safely on an error that extended the inning.
Senior pinch hitter Will General drew a leadoff walk in the eighth, and classmate J.P Craven led off the ninth with a base hit, but relievers Scott Firth and Matt Campbell finished off the shutout. Senior RHP Matt Sliwiak took over after a one-out base hit by McGibbon in the bottom of the eighth and struck out Jay Cox in the next at-bat. Epps' single and a fielding error in right field allowed McGibbon to score a final unearned run for the Tigers.
Davidson finishes its season with an 18-30 overall record and a 8-21 SoCon mark. Clemson has a series remaining at Florida State before beginning play in the ACC Tournament, May 25.
Western Carolina's Road Game at Gardner-Webb Cancelled
Catamounts host The Citadel this weekend in search of SoCon Tournament berth
Cullowhee, N.C. - Inclement weather on the Boiling Springs, N.C., campus of Gardner-Webb University has prompted officials to cancel tonight's scheduled nonconference baseball game between Western Carolina and the Runnin' Bulldogs. Due to schedule restrictions, the game will not be made up.
WCU and Gardner-Webb tied the first meeting in a weather-shortened game in Cullowhee back on March 23. The game was halted in the bottom of the 10th inning, reverting back to the last completed frame which was tied, 8-8, after the ninth.
Western Carolina (19-29-1, 9-18 SoCon) returns home for a regular season-ending Southern Conference series against The Citadel Bulldogs with post-season implications at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. The series gets underway on Thursday night with a 6 pm start with first pitch on Friday also scheduled for 6 pm. Saturday's series finale is set for 2 pm with WCU to honor its six seniors in a special pre-game ceremony.
WCU stands tied with Wofford in eighth-place, the final cut-off spot for the conference tournament. The Catamounts also hold the tie-breaker over the Terriers after taking 2-of-3 regular season meetings. The Citadel is in 10th in the SoCon, still in contention for a post-season berth but needs three wins and help to make the tournament.
With no live radio coverage of this week's games, WCU will conduct a live blog chat in conjunction with GameTracker through its website, CatamountSports.com.