Elon 10, Davidson 2
Davidson 12, Elon 11 (11 inn.)
DAVIDSON, N.C. - LHP Dylan Clark held Davidson in check in the first game of the day as Elon took a 10-2 victory, but senior Drew Gadaire hit a two-out, walk-off single in the 11th inning to give Davidson a 12-11 comeback win in the second game of the doubleheader Saturday in Southern Conference baseball action at Wilson Field.
Trailing 11-9, the ‘Cats were able to score three runs on a two-RBI double by pinch hitter Daniel Gerow and Gadaire's walk-off single. Freshman designated hitter Ryan Lowe and sophomore pinch hitter Kelly Myers led the inning off with walks, and Gerow scored both with a double to the wall in centerfield to tie the game. RHP Nate Young (2-1) was able to get the first out of the inning with a strikeout, and then sophomore left fielder Forrest Brandt grounded out and advanced Gerow to third on the play. Gadaire completed the comeback by slapping a pitch into shallow right field to score Gerow and end the game.
Senior second baseman James Cerbie went a combined 5-for-9 with five runs and two RBI to lead Davidson (6-10, 1-4 SoCon) offensively for the day. He hit a solo home run in the first game and went 4-for-6 with four runs and an RBI in the second. Gadaire went 4-for-11, including 3-for-7 in the second game, with a run and the game-winning RBI.
Left fielder Jake Luce paced Elon (12-7, 6-2 SoCon), going 4-for-4 with two runs and two RBI in the first game and 3-for-6 with an RBI and run in the second. First baseman Ryan Kinsella hit home runs in the first inning of each game and finished the day going 3-for-8 with five RBI and four runs. Clark (5-1) was dominant on the mound in the first game, surrendering just two hits and two walks and striking out four in seven innings of work.
Elon had twice tied Davidson in the game, but did not take the lead until the top of the 11th inning. Shortstop Garrett Koster (2-for-6, 3 RBI) broke a 9-9 tie with a two-RBI triple down the right field line to score Luce (3-for-6) and Kinsella (2-for-5), who had reached base on an intentional walk.
Davidson scored four runs (two earned) in the first inning with two outs, but Elon pulled within one in the top of the second inning by scoring three runs. Junior shortstop Michael Zeblo (2-for-4) hit a two-RBI double in the bottom half of the inning to give the ‘Cats a 6-3 lead, but the Phoenix tied the game with another three-run inning in the third.
Sophomore catcher Chris Dyer (1-for-3) hit a two-RBI single in the fourth inning and Lowe hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning to give Davidson a 9-6 lead, but Elon tied the game with another three-run inning in the eighth.
RHP Clark Beeker (2-1) earned the win, pitching the final 3.2 innings and surrendering three runs on six hits and a walk and earning two strikeouts.
Elon out-hit Davidson 17-12, in the game but issued nine walks to Davidson's three.
The win ended a 16-game Southern Conference losing streak for Davidson dating back to last season.
Elon jumped out to a 6-0 lead early in the first game with a three-run home run by Kinsella in the first inning and another three-run inning in the second. The Phoenix added two more in the fourth and a run each in the sixth and eighth innings for a 10-0 lead. The ‘Cats were finally able to generate offense off RHP Jordan Darnell in the eighth inning as Brandt hit an RBI-groundout. Darnell was able to get a double play to end the inning and then surrendered a home run to Cerbie in the ninth for the final margin.
The two teams will conclude the series Sunday at 1 p.m.
Appalachian State 9, The Citadel 4
BOONE, N.C. - Daniel Kassouf (Lexington, N.C./North Davidson) homered twice to lead Appalachian State University baseball to a series-clinching 9-4 win over The Citadel on Saturday afternoon at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
With the victory, Appalachian (16-3, 5-0 SoCon) moved to 10-0 at home this season and clinched its first series victory over The Citadel (8-10, 1-4 SoCon) since 2005.
Kassouf led off the second and fifth innings with solo homers and finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored to pace the Mountaineers' nine-run, 12-hit attack. His line-drive blast to left field sparked a six-run second inning that gave ASU a lead it would never relinquish while he went opposite field for his Southern Conference-high-tying eighth home run of the season in fifth.
With his 3-for-4 afternoon at the plate, Kassouf upped his batting average to a team-best .400. The red-hot senior designated hitter has hit safely in 10 of the last 11 games and has four home runs in the last four contests.
Prompted by Kassouf's leadoff blast, Appalachian erased a 2-0 deficit with the six-run second inning and never looked back. In addition to Kassouf's bomb, Tyler Zupcic (Charlotte, N.C./Providence) had two RBI and Preston Troutman (Rockwell, N.C./East Rowan), Hector Crespo (Miami, Fla./Florida Christian) and Will Callaway (Greenville, S.C./Eastside) all drove in single runs in the second to help give ASU a commanding 6-2 lead.
Troutman drove in his second run of the afternoon with an RBI double in the third and Noah Holmes (Rockwell, N.C./East Rowan) followed Kassouf's second home run with an RBI groundout in the fifth to close out the scoring for the Mountaineers, which have won 14 of their last 15 ballgames.
Starting pitcher Seth Grant (Etowah, N.C./West Henderson) battled through a rough first inning to go six strong stanzas, allowing four runs on just five hits to move to 3-1 on the season. Three Mountaineer relievers combined to hold the Bulldogs hitless over the final three frames.
Appalachian jumped all over The Citadel starter Bryce Hines and chased the right-hander after just 2.2 innings. Hines surrendered seven runs on eight hits to fall to 0-1.
Joe Jackson and Justin Mackert combined for four of the Bulldogs' five hits with two apiece.
The Mountaineers go for their first-ever three-game series sweep over The Citadel on Sunday when the teams conclude their weekend set at Smith Stadium. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
College of Charleston 8, Wofford 1
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - College of Charleston saw yet another outstanding start from Matt Pegler while the offense scored an efficient eight runs on nine hits to lead the Cougars to an 8-1 victory over Wofford.
The win was the fifth straight in conference play for College of Charleston (14-5, 6-2), while Wofford went down 0-2 in the weekend series.
Junior Matt Pegler (4-0) continued the incredible start to his season as he improved to a perfect 4-0 and lowered his season ERA to 2.08 by pitching 7.0 innings, allowing just one run while scattering four hits and striking out seven batters and only walking one.
Senior Marty Gantt hit a two-run homer and drove in three, while Bradley Goodson also homered and finished with two RBI and two runs scored. Gantt's performance extended his reached base streak to 16 games, dating back to the season-opening series at South Alabama.
Gantt's outstanding performance extended to the field where he made a diving catch in center field and a throw home that prevented a sacrifice fly RBI.
Sophomore Brandon Murray and redshirt-sophomore Daniel Aldrich each went 2-for-4 and Murray scored two runs.
Wofford starter Cash Collins (1-3) pitched six innings and allowed all eight runs, seven earned, as he walked five and struck out six. David Roney picked up the only RBI for the Terriers, and Eric Brenk tallied two hits.
The Cougars tallied two runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings to put the contest out of reach. Goodson opened the scoring with a two-run homer to left center that scored Gunnar Heidt in the third inning.
College of Charleston was able to manufacture scoring in the fourth inning when Rob Harding walked and stole second base with two outs. He came home to score on a single up the middle from catcher Ryan Welke to make it 3-0. Two pitches later, Heidt doubled to left center field and scored Welke for the Cougars' fourth run.
The hot hitting wasted no time in the fifth frame as Murray doubled down the right field line on the first pitch and Gantt blasted a two-run homer over the left field fence just two pitches later to put CofC ahead 6-0.
Wofford scored its only run in the top of the seventh inning when Josh Hyman tripled to center field past the outstretched glove of Gantt. Pegler was able to induce flyouts from Diamaduros and Brenk with no runners advancing, until Roney singled with two outs to score Hyman and make the game 6-1.
College of Charleston answered with another offensive inning at the bottom of the frame, using a walk from Goodson and a single from Murray to set up a sacrifice fly from Gantt. The Terriers overthrew a routine ground ball to get out of the inning and Murray came around to score for the final margin of 8-1.
CofC relievers Dre Watts and Derrick Smith pitched well in the eighth and ninth innings, allowing just two hits and no runs.
College of Charleston will go for the series sweep on Sunday at 1 p.m., with junior Christian Powell taking the mound.
UNCG 12, Georgia Southern 9
STATESBORO, Ga. - On a day in which 21 combined runs crossed the plate on 25 hits, UNCG evened the series with the Georgia Southern Baseball team with a 12-9 victory on Saturday. The Spartans got yeoman's work out of their bullpen and scored seven runs in the first three innings to take an early lead. Game three's start time has been pushed up an hour to 12:30 p.m. due to expected late afternoon showers.
Georgia Southern (8-11, 1-4) battled to within one run and trailed 7-6 after the fourth inning, but UNCG (11-7, 2-3) outscored the Eagles 5-3 over the final five frames. Zach Furl (2-0) was the first out of the bullpen for the Spartans and earned the win in relief of start Corey Taylor. Furl allowed a hit and struck out a batter in 0.2 innings and combined with four other pitchers to allow three runs on five hits in the final six innings. Taylor gave up six runs on four hits and walked four in three innings before being lifted in the fourth inning.
Lloyed Enzor capped off a three-run first inning with his first of two home runs on the day and drove in Thomas Troelstrup, who doubled in the first run of the game, with two outs. Troelstrup doubled in two more runs in another three-run second inning. Eagles' starter Josh Stevenson (Social Circle, Ga.) (0-1) left after just two innings and allowed four earned runs on five hits. Josh Adams (Bath, S.C.) pitched the final four frames and did not allow a walk. He surrendered two runs on four hits and struck out two batters on 67 pitches.
Georgia Southern posted as many hits as they had runs but walked six times and took advantage of four Spartan errors to give them extra base runners. Chase Griffin (Leesburg, Ga.) accounted for a third of the hits in his first three-hit game of his young career. He opened his day at the plate with a three-run homer in the second inning to keep the Eagles within reach of UNCG and added singles in the fourth and eighth innings. T.D. Davis (Evans, Ga.) returned to the lineup for the first time in a week and went two-for-four including a solo home run in the the ninth inning to cut the lead to three runs.
Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.), who went hitless for the second time in the series, manufactured his own run in the first inning after walking with two outs. He stole two bases and crossed the plate after an errant throw to third base sailed wide of the bag.
After UNCG added a single unearned run in the third inning, the Eagles came back with two runs in the fourth inning. A pair of walks to lead off the frame both came around to score. Griffin plated the first with a single to center field, and the second run scored on a sacrifice fly by Scooter Williams (Detroit, Mich.).
The Spartans scored three runs combined in the fifth and sixth innings to break open a one-run lead. Enzor pulled his second two-run homer off the scoreboard in left field to score two runs in the fifth inning and a lead off walk crossed the plate in the sixth inning. Troelstrup tallied his fourth RBI of the day in the sixth and scored Cole Harrison, who reached third base on a stolen base and wild pitch.
GSU got one of the runs back in the bottom half of the sixth inning after Ben Morgan (Evans, Ga.) reached on an error. Phillips plated the run with a sacrifice fly to right after Michael Burruss (Marietta, Ga.) moved Morgan to third with a base hit.
The Eagles added another run in the eighth inning, but it came after Trevor Edwards drove in two runs for the Spartans with a homer to right field in the top half of the frame. Tyler Avera (Baxley, Ga.) scored the run on a wild pitch after leading off the inning with an infield base hit.
The three-game series concludes tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. Will Middour (Atlanta, Ga.) (0-2, 2.89) returns to the mound for his first start of 2012 and will square off with Max Povse (1-2, 4.15) on Sunday.
All games can be heard on Boomer 103.7 FM and inside the stadium on 88.1 FM. Audio for all games is also available on the web and subscription video is available for all home games at GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com/Eaglevision.
Samford 11, Furman 1
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.-The Samford baseball team plated seven runs in the sixth inning to break open a close game on its way to an 11-1 Southern Conference win over Furman Saturday afternoon at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
With the win, Samford improves to 12-7 overall and 3-2 in Southern Conference play. Furman drops to 11-9 overall and 1-4 in league play.
Samford was led at the plate by Saxon Butler and Phillip Ervin, both going 3-for-5 with two RBI. Brad Moss went 2-for-5 with two RBI. Tommy Corbin hit a home run in a 1-for-3 performance.
Charles Basford (4-0) pitched 7.0 innings, giving up one run on five hits to earn the win on the mound for Samford. Basford struck out five batters, while allowing two walks. Michael Gunter and Andres Gracia also saw time on the mound for Samford.
For Furman, Will Miller drove in the Paladins' lone run in a 1-for-4 performance. Nate Smith (1-3) tossed 5.0 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits in taking the loss on the mound for Furman.
Samford jumped on top early with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Zeth Stone walked to lead off the inning. With one out in the inning, Butler singled and Stone moved to third base, while Butler moved to second base on the throw. Ervin then singled to left field to drive in Stone and Butler for a 2-0 Samford lead.
Furman came back with a run in the top of the fifth inning to cut the Samford lead to 2-1. Miller singled to drive in Harrison Farmer to pull Furman to within one run.
Samford took control of the game by scoring seven runs in the sixth inning to take a 9-1 lead. Moss and Butler drove in two runs each to lead Samford in the inning. Kevin Putkonen, Austin Allison and Corbin drove in a run each in the inning for the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to make the final score 11-1. Ervin singled to shortstop to get things started. With one out, Corbin homered to left field for the game's final two runs.
The teams will conclude the series with the rubber game Sunday at 1 p.m. at Joe Lee Griffin Field. The game can be heard locally on WVSU-FM 91.1, or worldwide on the internet at www.samford.edu/wvsu.
Western Carolina 2, Jacksonville 1
Jacksonville, Fla. - Pinch runner Bradley Strong scored the game-winning run from third base, scampering home when an Alex McRae breaking ball bounced away from Dolphin catcher Matt Frank as Western Carolina held off Jacksonville, 2-1, Saturday evening at John Sessions Stadium.
Tied at one in the top of the ninth inning, Strong was summoned from the dugout to add speed at second base for freshman Jacob Hoyle who reached on an infield error and advanced to second on a single to right by Cody Jones. Pinch hitter Luke Gragg bounced into a fielder's choice that forced Jones out at second, putting runners at the corners with two out.
Early in the at bat by freshman Connor Andrus, McRae tried to get him to swing at one low and away, bouncing the ball on the outside part of the plate where it squirted away from Frank. Strong, already with a big secondary lead at third base, charged home for the go-ahead run with the throw back to the plate skipping down the third base line allowing Gragg to advance to third on the throwing error.
Up 2-1 going into the home portion of the ninth, reliever Preston Hatcher (3-0), who earned the win out of the bullpen, struck out all three batters he faced in the final inning as the Catamounts won for the first time in four attempts in Jacksonville.
Florida native Morgan McKinney tossed the first seven and a third innings in the starting role for the Catamounts, scattering three hits and allowing just one run. The left-hander out of Gainesville struck out seven against one walk, factoring in the no-decision while Hatcher fanned four of the six batters he faced. At one point, McKinney sat down eight-straight Dolphins before a single up the middle. He then retired nine-straight following the hit up the middle.
All told, the two Catamount hurlers combined to hold Jacksonville to four just four hits with 11 strikeouts.
Jones and senior Ross Heffley both finished 2-for-4 to lead the Catamounts on Saturday with Heffley drilling his sixth double of the season. Heffley was aboard in the fourth inning when Hoyle delivered his team-leading 30th RBI of the season on a double the left field line to give the Catamounts the 1-0 lead it enjoyed until the home half of the eighth.
Jacksonville's Jake Huxtable doubled a full-count pitch down the left field line to lead-off the frame with Taylor Ratliff successfully sacrificing him to third base on a bunt and chasing McKinney. Hatcher struck out Jonathan Murphy to hold the runner at third, but Dan Gulbransen lifted a 2-2 pitch into left field to plate the game-tying run, 1-1.
With a runner at first base, Hatcher got Adam Brett Walker II - the preseason player of the year in the Atlantic-Sun Conference - to pop-up to Heffley at second to end the threat and set-up WCU's heroics in the top of the ninth.
McRae (2-1) took the loss despite tossing all nine innings for the Dolphins, scattering seven hits while allowing two runs. He recorded four strikeouts against one walk on the day. Ratliff, Gulbransen, Frank and Huxtable all finished with one hit apiece for JU.
Western Carolina (14-5) concludes play in Florida on Sunday afternoon with first pitch of its nonconference game with Fairfield scheduled for 2:00 pm. The Catamounts are scheduled to start freshman RHP Jeremy Null against the Stags, who enter the game at 7-9 after a 9-3 victory over Jacksonville on Saturday.
Sunday's finale will be broadcast on the Catamount Sports Network with air time of 1:45 pm ahead of the 2:00 pm first pitch and can be heard online at www.CatamountSports.com.