Western Carolina 5, No. 8 Georgia 3
Athens, Ga. - Western Carolina pushed across three runs in the top of the fifth inning to erase a one-run deficit, holding on for a 5-3 victory Wednesday night over eighth-ranked Georgia in nonconference action at Foley Field. The Catamounts capitalized on UGA's lone error and three walks in the top of the frame to halt a three-game slide and hand the Bulldogs its first loss of the season.
Junior left-handed pitcher Adam Curtis pitched a solid 6.2 inning effort for the Catamounts, giving up three runs on six hits. The Arden, N.C., native worked around three walks with a pair of strikeouts in earning his second victory of the season. Georgia pitcher Pete Nagel was saddled up the loss for the Bulldogs.
Western Carolina's win over the nationally-ranked Bulldogs was its first over a ranked opponent since 2009 when the Catamounts defeated the fourth-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 10-9, in Cullowhee on April 22.
The Catamounts (5-3) wasted no time offensively as WCU got on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning. Leadoff batter Aaron Attaway reached on a single on the first pitch of the game. Dakota Spiess followed Attaway with an RBI double to left-centerfield before the Bulldogs would get out of the first.
Georgia would answer in the bottom of the first with an RBI single from left fielder Hunter Cole that would load the bases for the Bulldogs. Curtis and WCU would get out of the inning thanks to a 6-4-3 double play.
Following a scoreless second inning, both teams got back to the scoring column in the third when Catamount senior Ross Heffley belted his first home run of the season, blasting a line drive shot into the hedges over the left field fence.
Georgia (8-1) would again answer, though, as Kyle Farmer lined an RBI double down the right field line to even the game at two after three innings. The Bulldogs added another in the bottom of the fourth thanks to another RBI double, this time by right fielder Peter Verdin, giving the Bulldogs their first and only lead of the game, 3-2.
The Catamounts had their biggest offensive inning of the night in the top of the fifth getting started with right fielder Cody Jones reaching on a fielding error by the Georgia short stop. Georgia loaded the bases by adding two walks to Aaron Attaway and Dykota Spiess with second baseman Ross Heffley coming to the plate. Heffley picked up his second RBI of the night with a single to left field. UGA walked DH Jacob Hoyle to bring in Aaron Attaway. The final run of the game was brought in off a sacrifice fly by Tyler White that scored Dykota Spiess.
The Catamounts had to hold on to a 5-3 lead for the remainder of the game.
Three relievers - Jeremy Null, Vance Chavis and Preston Hatcher - pieced together the remainder as Hatcher picked up his second save of the season. Hatcher went 1.2 innings, fanning two while facing five.
WCU returns to the diamond this weekend as the Catamounts welcome Iona for a weekend series set to begin Friday at 4 p.m.
Elon 6, High Point 3 (11 inn.)
HIGH POINT, N.C. -- The 200th all-time meeting between the Elon and High Point baseball game was one that extended past regulation. The Phoenix, which now leads the all-time series 120-80, broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the 11th and went on to claim a 6-3 victory over the home-standing Panthers on Wednesday night.
After High Point (6-4) evened the score with a two-out rally in the bottom of the ninth, Elon (5-3) got its offense going with one away in the 11th. Quinn Bower was hit by a pitch and went to third on a hit-and-run single off the bat of Sebastian Gomez. Niko Fraser's excellent bunt toward third was fielded, but the throw to first sailed into right field and both Bower and Gomez scored to put the Phoenix back on top. Fraser ended up at third on the play and then scored on an #Alex Swim# sacrifice fly.
Dylan Clark (2-1) earned the win in relief. He tossed two scoreless innings. Elon starter Jim Stokes had a good outing as well. Stokes surrendered one unearned run on one hit while striking out three in five innings. He needed just 51 pitches to get through his five frames.
Elon got the scoring started in the first inning as Gomez singled, went to third on a Fraser single and scored on a single from Swim.
The Panthers got their only run off of Stokes in the bottom of the first and the score remained tied until the fourth when Ryan Kinsella scored from first on a Jake Luce double. The Phoenix stretched the lead to 3-1 in the sixth as Garrett Koster led off the inning with his second homer of the season.
High Point got one back in the seventh on a Ryne Rush single. Trailing 3-2 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the Panthers got a single before a hit batter put two aboard. After a double steal, a ground ball was misplayed allowing the tying run to score. The next hitter grounded out to send the game into extra innings.
Jaime Schultz (0-1) was tagged with the loss after he gave up three runs on one hit in 1.2 innings.
The top four hitters in the Elon lineup combined for eight hits, four runs and three RBI in the victory.
Elon will complete its seven-game road trip with a three-game series at Southern Conference favorite College of Charleston this weekend. Friday's first pitch is set for 6 p.m. in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
Furman 6, Gardner-Webb 4
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. -- Taylor Johnson went 2-for-4, homered, and scored three runs to help Furman past Garner-Webb, 6-4, in baseball action Wednesday afternoon at John Henry Moss Stadium.
The win improves Furman to 4-5 on the season while Gardner-Webb falls to 5-3.
Johnson led off the third with a single and later scored to tie the game at 1-1. In the sixth the Greer, S.C., product belted his second home run of the season, a solo shot to right field off Bulldog reliever Mitch Warner, to give Furman a 4-1 lead, and in the eighth he reached on an error and crossed the plate on a Zack Greenwell RBI single.
Will Owens led Furman at the dish with a 3-for-5 performance and scored two runs, and Greenwell went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Furman finished the contest with 10 hits while Gardner-Webb had seven. The Bulldogs committed five errors, which led to three unearned runs.
The Paladins received solid pitching from starter and winner Tyler Wood (1-1), who allowed four hits and a run over four innings. The sophomore right-hander surrendered a solo home run to John Harris in the second, which gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead before Furman answered with two in the third on an Owens RBI single and groundout by Will Miller.
Furman upped its lead to 3-1 with an unearned run in the fourth and to 4-1 on Johnson's sixth inning round tripper. The Paladins tacked on two more runs in the eighth for a 6-1 lead, combining three hits with two more Bulldog defensive miscues.
Furman's bullpen trio of Jacque de Gruy, Mike Waller, and Stephen Gary combined to keep Gardner-Webb hitless in the fifth, sixth, and seventh frames before Matt Solter ran into trouble in the eighth. A leadoff walk was followed by a Scott Johnson RBI double that cut Furman's lead to 6-2. Dusty Quattlebaum then cracked a two-run shot to right field to slice the advantage to 6-4.
Freshman right-hander Elliott Warford got the call at that point and came on to get all three outs in the eighth before working a perfect ninth. He struck out two in notching his second save on the young season.
Furman opens a three-game series with Toledo this Friday at 4:00 p.m. at Latham Stadium.
Presbyterian 8, Furman 5
CLINTON, S.C. - On Wednesday afternoon, the Wofford baseball team was defeated 8-5 by Presbyterian at the PC Baseball Complex. The Terriers had a five run lead after the first two innings, but the Blue Hose scored four runs in the sixth and three in the eighth to take the victory.
Wofford is 3-4 and Presbyterian is 1-8. The Terriers were led by Mac Doyle with four hits and four RBIs, while James Foster and Clark Wise each added two hits. The Blue Hose were led by Tony Micklon with two hits and three RBIs.
The Terriers led off the game with a triple by James Foster and he scored on a double by Mac Doyle. David Roney reached on an error, which scored Doyle for a 2-0 advantage. Wofford loaded the bases, but all three runners were stranded to end the top of the first.
In the top of the second, James Foster and Clark Wise singled before Mac Doyle hit his first home run of the season over the left center fence for a 5-0 lead. The Terriers left one runner on base in the third and fourth innings. The Blue Hose recorded their first hit of the game in the bottom of the fourth and Tony Micklon had an RBI single to make it a 5-1 score after four complete innings.
The Blue Hose got things going in the bottom of the sixth, scoring four runs on three hits and two errors to tie the game at 5. Wofford and Presbyterian both left one runner on base in the seventh inning. In the bottom of the eighth, the Blue Hose added a run on an RBI single by Cam McRae and a double by Robby Swab drove in McRae for a 7-5 lead. Another run scored on a sacrifice fly to make it 8-5 at the end of eight innings. Mac Doyle singled in the top of the ninth, but was left on base.
Wofford starter Pete Noordsy retired the first ten batters he faced. He went 5.1 innings with five runs scored, two of which were earned, on four hits and two strikeouts. Ryan Traylor worked an inning and gave up two hits. Dominick Del Monte struck out the one batter he faced. Anthony Rowland (0-2) went two-thirds of an inning and allowed two hits and three runs with a strikeout. Alex Wilson gave up one hit and had a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning.
Presbyterian starter Chad White went five innings and allowed five runs on eight hits with five strikeouts. Buck Mosteller threw two innings with three strikeouts and one hit allowed. Ryan Morris (1-0) went an inning and did not allow a hit with one strikeout. Gabe Grammer got the save with only one hit allowed in the ninth.
The Terriers will return home on Friday at 4:00 p.m. against Albany. The weekend series continues with a doubleheader against Air Force on Saturday and one game against Valparaiso on Sunday afternoon.
Davidson Baseball vs. Charleston Southern Canceled
DAVIDSON, N.C. - Tonight's scheduled Davidson baseball game vs. Charleston Southern at Wilson Field has been canceled due to inclement weather.
The Wildcats will open a three-game weekend series at Wilson Field Friday at 6 p.m. against Ohio. They will face the Bobcats again Saturday at 4 p.m. and conclude the homestand Sunday at 2 p.m. against Presbyterian.