Wofford 7, Georgia Southern 2
STATESBORO, Ga. - Georgia Southern Baseball (26-20, 13-9 SoCon) fell to Wofford (20-26, 7-15 SoCon) 7-2 in the series opener at J.I. Clements Stadium Friday night. The Eagles were unable to solve Terrier starter Cash Collins (W, 8-2), who held GSU to three hits and one unearned run over seven innings.
Catcher David Roney was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate to lead the Terriers while leadoff hitter James Foster scored twice and drove in a pair of runs as well.
For the second start in a row, Chris Beck (Jefferson, Ga.) ran into trouble in the first inning. The sophomore pitcher (L, 6-3) allowed two runs on five hits and left after the fourth inning. Taylor Burke (Statesboro, Ga.) gave Georgia Southern a lift out of the bullpen with a season-high three innings pitched. Burke did not allow a run and gave up only two hits and two walks.
Beck retired Wofford in order in the second and third innings before getting in an one-out jam in the fourth inning. He left both runners stranded after recording a strike out and getting Alex Lee to pop up to first base.
After the two-run first inning, neither team scored again until the sixth inning. Wofford scored five runs to put the contest out of reach with a 7-0 lead. The Eagles got two runs back with single tallies in the seventh and eighth inning, but were unable to rally.
All five Wofford runs in the sixth inning were unearned and only one was tagged to a pitcher after two errant throws. The Eagles committed four errors in the contest with two coming in the sixth inning. However, GSU took advantage of the lone Wofford error in the seventh inning, scoring an unearned run on a sacrifice fly by Stryker Brown (Dalton, Ga.). Brown got the start at third base, his first of the season, and had a hit in the fifth inning.
Victor Roache (Ypsilanti, Mich.) never recorded an official at-bat after being walked three times and hit by a pitch. The Eagles were only able to cash in on it in the eighth, scoring a run on a RBI-single by Shawn Payne (Stone Mountain, Ga.).
Georgia Southern got a runner on base in the ninth inning after Arthur Owens (Fayetteville, Ga.) recorded his third-straight hit, a pinch-hit single, with one out. However, a ground out and a strikeout ended any chance of an Eagle rally.
Georgia Southern and Wofford play game two tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. with the Wall of Fame Ceremony, honoring the careers of former Eagle greats Julio Ayala and Brett Lewis, set for Saturday morning at 10 a.m. at J.I. Clements Stadium. The series finale is set for 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Elon 11, The Citadel 6
Charleston, S.C. - The Citadel Baseball team could not overcome an early hole on Friday night as they watched their five-game winning streak come to an end with an 11-6 loss to Elon in front of 3,122 fans in a game that was delayed two hours.
Despite out hitting Elon (31-18, 19-6) and recording double-digit hits for the 12th time in their last 15 games, a 9-1 deficit in the third inning proved to be too much to overcome for The Citadel (20-25, 8-14).
After allowing just one home run all season, Bulldog starter Matt Talley (Sumter, S.C.) surrendered a pair of long balls to Elon in the first three innings in a game that started two hours late due to heavy rain in the Charleston area. Talley (3-6) was touched up for nine hits, 10 runs (seven earned), three walks and struck out seven in 5.2 innings of work.
In the first, an RBI single by Sebastian Gomez scored leadoff man Niko Frazier and a double down the right field line by Alex Swim would then plate Gomez as Elon quickly took a 2-0 lead. Garrett Coster then launched a two-run shot to left to increase the lead to 4-0.
A double by Joe Jackson (Mauldin, S.C.) would lead to the first Bulldog run of the evening in the second off Phoenix starter Ken Ferrer. After a groundout moved him to third, Josh Pless (Boiling Springs, S.C.) hit a sac fly to right to score Jackson to cut the lead to 4-1.
Elon would respond with five runs when Talley walked Harry Austin and Gomez to start the third inning. After a fielding error by Talley on a sac bunt attempt by Neal Pritchard put a runner on every base with no outs, Swim lined a base hit up the middle to plate Austin and Gomez. Talley struck out the next two batters, but a three-run shot by Grant McCoury to left would make the score 9-1.
The Bulldogs would chip away in the third and the fourth as William Ladd (Winnsboro, S.C.) and Justin Mackert (Cleveland, Ohio) singled and Jackson walked to load the bases, all with two outs off Ferrer in the third. Brad Felder (Bowman, S.C.) then extended his hit streak to 15 games when pinch hit and smashed a bases-clearing double off the right field wall to cut the lead to 9-4. An RBI groundout by Matt Simonelli (Orlando, Fla.) would score Grant Richards (Morrisville, N.C.) who singled in the fourth.
Ferrer went just 4.0 innings, allowing eight hits, five runs and three walks with a strikeout in a no-decision. Elon reliever Jared Kernodle (6-1) picked up the win in relief after he went 2.1 innings, allowing three hits, one run and a strikeout.
The two teams would exchange a run apiece in the sixth when Eric Serra was hit by Talley and stole second and third before scoring on an RBI single by Gomez that chased Talley from the game. Nick Orvin (Moncks Corner, S.C.) launched his team-leading eighth homer of the season in the bottom of the frame off Kernodle on a solo shot to left to make it 10-6.
Jeremy Long (Clover, S.C.) closed out the game for The Citadel, pitching a career-high 3.1 innings, allowing three hits, one run, one walk and struck out a career-best seven batters. McCoury doubled to right center to score Cyle Rasmus in the seventh for the final run of the game.
"They hit two balls out of the park and jumped us with nine runs before we could even catch our breath tonight," said head coach Fred Jordan. "I commend our ballclub for fighting back and we had our opportunities, but they made some stellar defensive plays and John Brebbia pitched out of a big jam for them late."
Swim went 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs while McCoury went 2-for-4 with a run, a double, a homer and four RBI to lead the Phoenix. Felder went 3-for-4 with three RBI to pace the Bulldog offense while Grant Richards tied his career-high with three hits in a 3-for-4 outing with a run scored.
The Citadel and Elon will meet for game two on Saturday at Riley Park. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. and will be be broadcast live by play-by-play announcer Darren Goldwater on Sports Radio 1450 AM in Charleston and on all new CitadelSports.com. Live stats and video will also be available along with recap and box score following the game.
UNCG 5, College of Charleston 4 (11 inn.)
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - A RBI single by UNC Greensboro's Thomas Troelstrup in the 11th inning spoiled a ninth-inning comeback by the College of Charleston as UNCG defeated the Cougars 5-4 in extra innings Friday evening at Patriots Point. The Cougars fall to 30-16 on the season and 14-8 in the Southern Conference, while UNCG improves to 26-17, and moves into sole possession of second place at 15-7 in the SoCon.
With the score knotted at 4-4, Trevor Edwards led off the 11th with a single up the middle for UNCG. A sacrifice bunt by Eric Brindle moved Edwards to second and a wild pitch by senior RHP Casey Lucchese (Lexington, Ky.) put the runner at third. Troelstrup drove a 2-1 pitch from Lucchese through the right side and plated Edwards for the go-ahead run. Charleston mounted a rally in the bottom of the frame but left a pair of runners on when redshirt-junior 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla.) flew out to center to end the game.
UNCG opened the game with a run in the top of the first for a 1-0 lead on a RBI single by Edwards that brought home Drew Gehringer. The Cougars took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth in style as Leeds and redshirt-freshman RF Daniel Aldrich (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) opened the frame with back-to-back homers. The round-trippers were Leeds' 16th and Aldrich's 19th of the season.
The Spartans chipped away with single runs in the fifth, seventh and eighth innings to knot the game and take a 4-2 lead into the ninth. Charleston mounted a two-run comeback in its last at-bats to force extra innings. Senior CF Cole Rakar (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) walked to open the ninth and junior 2B Rob Harding (Columbia, S.C.) drove him home with a RBI double down the left-field line to cut the deficit to one. A sacrifice bunt by senior C Robert Pritcher (Charleston, S.C.) moved Harding to third and redshirt-senior PH Ryan Daniels (Victoria, Texas) lifted a sacrifice fly deep enough to left to score Harding and tie the game.
Lucchese suffered the loss for Charleston, his first of the season, to fall to 3-1. Lucchese allowed one run on two hits in two innings of work. Junior starter Josh Renfro (Bradenton, Fla.) went six innings and gave up two runs - one earned - on six hits with five strikeouts.
Jonathan Jones (1-4) earned the win for UNCG, tossing 2-1/3 shutout innings, scattering two hits and striking out three. Edwards finished with three hits and two RBIs for the Spartans.
The two teams meet in game two of the three-game series Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m. and close out the series Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
SIU Edwardsville 8, Samford 5 (11 inn.)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- The Samford baseball team dropped an 8-5 decision in 11 innings to the SIU Edwardsville Cougars in the first game of a three-game non-conference series Friday night at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
"This was a disappointing night for our guys, really from the beginning on," Samford head coach Casey Dunn said. "There was not a lot of focus or intensity from our kids and I think our performance followed that attitude."
With the loss, Samford drops to 27-19 on the season. SIU Edwardsville improves to 20-22 with the win.
Samford was led at the plate by junior catcher Brad Moss, going 4-for-5 with a home run, a double and three RBI. Phillip Ervin, Kevin Putkonen and C.K. Irby had two hits each for the Bulldogs.
Lex Rutledge (5-4), the last of five pitchers used by Samford, tossed the final 2.0 innings, giving up three runs on six hits to take the loss. Kyle Putkonen started the game on the mound, pitching 6.0 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and striking out seven batters. Tyler Vanderheiden, Arthur Strauss and Andrew Jones also saw time on the mound for the Bulldogs.
For SIU Edwardsville, James Vazquez went 4-for-6 with a double to lead the Cougars at the plate. Travis Becherer went 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Zach Hawkins went 2-for-6 with two RBI. Chase Green went 3-for-6 at the plate for SIUE. Thad Hawkins (3-2) pitched 3.0 innings, giving up no runs on three hits to earn the win.
The teams entered the top of the 11th inning tied at 5-5, but the Cougars plated three runs to take an 8-5 lead. Devin Caldwell doubled to drive in Vazquez for the eventual game-winning run. Hawkins then singled to drive in Caldwell for a two-run SIUE lead. Brett Keeler later singled to drive in Hawkins for the game's final run.
In the bottom of the 11th inning, following a lead-off single by Moss, three-straight outs were recorded to end the game and give the Cougars the 8-5 win.
SIU Edwardsville jumped out to an early 3-0 lead with a run in the first inning and two runs in the third. Samford, however, came back with a run in the third inning and another in the fifth to cut the lead to 3-2.
Samford took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Moss doubled to right field to drive in Tyler Filliben and Irby for a 4-3 Samford lead. Putkonen later singled to right field to drive in Moss to make the score 5-3.
SIU Edwardsville came back with two runs in the top of the ninth inning to tie the score at 5-5. Becherer singled up the middle to drive in Vazquez and Green to tie the score.
Samford had a chance to take the win in the bottom of the ninth inning. With one out in the inning, Putkonen singled through the right side of the infield to start the rally. Pinch-hitter Tripp Swann then doubled down the right field line, but Putkonen was caught and tagged out between third base and home and then Swann was thrown out trying to go to third to end the inning and send the game into extra innings.
In the game, each team left 12 runners on base. Samford and SIU Edwardsville each pounded out 16 hits in the contest. Samford did not commit an error in the field, compared to one for SIU Edwardsville.
The two teams will continue their series with a game Saturday at 2 p.m. Prior to the game Samford will induct Robert Evans into the Samford Baseball Hall of Fame.
The game can be heard locally on WVSU-FM 91.1, or worldwide on the internet at www.samford.edu/wvsu. The game can be viewed online via the Bulldog Big Screen at www.samfordsports.com.