Wofford 5, No. 6 South Carolina 4

COLUMBIA, S.C. - On Wednesday night, the Wofford baseball team defeated South Carolina 5-4 in eleven innings at Carolina Stadium. Mac Doyle provided the offense for the Terriers, hitting two home runs that drove in four runs, while Konstantine Diamaduros had the game-winning RBI in the top of the eleventh to down the defending National Champions. Eric Eck struck out six batters in the final 3.2 innings for the win.

Wofford is 9-12 overall. South Carolina is 16-5 overall and ranked #6 in the nation. The Terriers were led by Mac Doyle with two home runs and four RBIs, while Konstantine Diamaduros and James Plaisted each added two hits. The Gamecocks were led by Christian Walker with two RBIs and Tanner English with two hits.

The Gamecocks had one hit in the first inning and the Terriers had a hit from James Plaisted in the second inning. In the bottom of the third, the Gamecocks scored when Joey Pancake hit a sacrifice fly to center field with the bases loaded for a 1-0 advantage.

Wofford added singles from Matt Moore and Matthew Kaskow in the top of the fifth, but both were left on base. With two out and one on base in the bottom of the fifth inning, Christian Walker hit a home run over the left field wall to give the Gamecocks a 3-0 lead.

In the top of the sixth, Konstantine Diamaduros led off with a single and Mac Doyle then hit a ball out of the park over the left center fence to make it a 3-2 game. With two out in the bottom of the sixth, Dante Rosenberg hit a single up the middle that drove in a run to take a 4-2 lead.

James Foster led off the top of the eighth with a single. Mac Doyle then hit a bomb to left field, his second homer of the day, which tied the game at four. The Terriers had two runners on base after walks when a single by James Plaisted loaded the bases, but two strikeouts left all three runners stranded.

South Carolina left one runner on base in the bottom of the eighth inning. Wofford opened the top of the ninth with a walk to Matthew Kaskow and Mac Doyle was intentionally walked, but both runners were left on base. In the bottom of the ninth, the Gamecocks were retired in order on three strikeouts.

The Terriers had Eric Brenk reach on a walk to open the top of the tenth, but he was stranded at second. South Carolina was retired in order in the bottom of the tenth. Wofford opened the top of the eleventh with a walk to Matthew Kaskow and he moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. A single to left by Konstantine Diamaduros scored Kaskow for a 5-4 lead, but Wofford left two runners on base.

In the bottom of the eleventh, Chase Vergason walked to open the inning and he moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Grayson Greiner grounded out to end the game in favor of the Terriers.

Wofford starter Mason Bradley threw five innings and allowed six hits and three runs along with one strikeout. Pete Noordsy worked one inning and gave up one run on two hits with a strikeout. Jesse Morris retired the side in the bottom of the seventh with two strikeouts. J.D. Osborne had one strikeout in a third of an inning. Eric Eck (3-1) had six strikeouts in 3.2 innings without allowing a hit.

South Carolina starter Adam Westmoreland went five innings and allowed two runs on five hits with two strikeouts. Patrick Sullivan went 2.1 innings and gave up one hit and a run with three strikeouts. Hunter Privette allowed a home run to the only batter he faced. Nolan Belcher went an inning and allowed one hit with two strikeouts. Evan Beal (1-2) threw two innings and allowed one hit and one run with three strikeouts. Joel Seddon went the final two-thirds of an inning without allowing a hit.

The home runs for Mac Doyle were his fourth and fifth of the season and he now has 39 in his career. With four RBIs on the night, Doyle moves into second place in school history with 169 career RBIs. The game was the third extra inning contest of the season for the Terriers, all of them eleven innings. The Terriers are 2-1 in extra innings this season. Wofford and South Carolina also went extra innings in 2006, a 9-8 win in Spartanburg for Wofford in 13 innings. The Terriers also won in Columbia in 2009.

Wofford will begin a three-game series with Samford on Friday night at Russell C. King Field at 6:00 p.m.

 

UNCG 6, Princeton 3

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Trevor Edwards and Lloyd Enzor connected on two-run blasts and strong pitching helped UNCG defeat Princeton, 6-3, on Wednesday night at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.

Princeton (4-8) struck first as Matt Bowman singled up the middle before Sam Mulroy connected on his team-high fifth home run of the year, giving the Tigers an early 2-0 lead after half an inning of play. Mulroy led the Tigers with two hits on the day.

However, the lead was short lived as UNCG (12-8) responded with two runs in the bottom of the first frame. Nick Chapman drew an one-out walk followed by a monster two-run blast to right field by Southern Conference home run leader Edwards two batters later. The homer was Edwards' ninth of the year.

UNCG kept the pressure on in the second inning as Christian Wolfe led off the inning with a double to left. Two outs later, TJ Spina delivered the go-ahead run with an RBI single down the third base line.

With UNCG leading 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth, Spina drew a lead-off walk and advanced to second on a wild-pitch by Michael Fagan. Kris Richards dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move him to third. Two batters later, Troelstrup connected on his fourth dinger of the year to give the Spartans a 5-2 lead.

Princeton threatened in the seventh after Nate Baird drew a four-pitch walk off Spartan reliever Tyler Frazier to start off the inning. Following a fly out, the Tigers' Alec Keller lined out to centerfield and Chapman doubled up Baird at first for an inning-ending double-play.

UNCG turned two double plays on the evening while Princeton had one.

Princeton would take advantage of back-to-back walks from Frazier by scoring on an RBI single from John Mishu to bring the Tigers within two in the eighth, 5-3. Again, UNCG responded with a leadoff double by Enzor and Wolfe followed with an RBI single of his own making it 6-3 in the Spartans' favor.

Princeton starter Fagan (0-1) pitched five innings allowing five earned runs, walking four and striking out two on 83 pitches.

Eric Kalbfleisch (1-0) collected the win for the Spartans with two innings of no-hit ball to go along with a strikeout. The win was the first of his career.

UNCG returns to action this weekend as it travels to Cullowhee, N.C., for a Southern Conference series with Western Carolina. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. on Friday.

 

No. 23 Clemson 4, Elon 2

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Despite jumping out to an early 2-0 lead, the Elon Phoenix found itself on the wrong side of a 4-2 decision against 23rd-ranked Clemson at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. on Wednesday.

The Phoenix (12-10) began a two-out rally in the top of the first with an Alex Swim single that extended his hitting streak to 15 games. Ryan Kinsella followed with a single before Garrett Koster walked to load the bases. Niko Fraser put the maroon and gold in front with a single up the middle that drove home two runs.

Still down 2-0 in the last of the third, Clemson (11-8) got on the board when Tyler Slaton singled, went to second on a ground out and then took the next two bases on wild pitches.

The Tigers evened the score at two in the fourth when Brad Felder scored on the first of three RBI hits from Mike Dunster.

Dunster delivered the go-ahead run in the sixth with a double down the left field line before driving home an insurance run in the seventh with a single.

Elon had the tying run in scoring position in the top of the eighth after one-out singles from Sebastian Gomez and Joey Tomko, but failed to push across a marker in the frame.

Clemson starter Daniel Gossett (1-2) won after allowing two runs on three hits in seven innings. He struck out 10 and retired the final 13 Elon hitters he faced. Matt Campbell collected his second save with a perfect ninth.

David Whitehead (0-2) was saddled with the loss after he gave up two runs on four hits in 2.2 innings out of the bullpen. Elon starter Jim Stokes threw five innings and was charged with two runs on five hits while fanning six.

Elon returns home to Latham Park for a key Southern Conference series with Appalachian State this weekend. Friday's game one is slated for a 6 p.m. start.

 

UNC Asheville 3, Western Carolina 1

Asheville, N.C. - Sophomore Cody Jones broke an 11-inning scoreless tie, blasting a towering solo home run over the fence and scoreboard combination in right center field in the top of the 12th inning at historic McCormick Field on Wednesday night to give the Catamounts a short-lived lead.

However, a costly error allowed UNC Asheville to stay alive in the home portion of the frame when Patrick Koontz answered with a walk-off, three-run home run over the 37-foot high fence that protects the short porch in right field to hand the Bulldogs a dramatic 3-1 victory over Western Carolina in midweek, nonconference action.

The victory marks the third-straight by UNCA over its mountain-rival, WCU, matching the longest such win streak in series history. The Bulldogs swept the two seasonal meetings a year ago.

One batter after outfielder Julian Ridings was caught around first on a single to right field to lead off the 12th-inning, Jones broke the scoreless affair with his second solo home run of the year to give WCU the 1-0 advantage.

With reliever Jon Nadale (2-1) on the hill in the home portion of the frame, the Catamounts retired the first two batters as Ian Graham flew out to center and Todd Joyner tapped one back to the mound for two outs. Nadale then worked quickly ahead of Bulldog freshman Hunter Bryant, 0-2. Bryant managed to stay alive with a pair of foul balls before plunking a single into right field to keep the inning going.

WCU (15-6) was nearly out of the frame as UNCA's third baseman Cody Buch dribbled one up the first base line, but the Catamounts were unable to field it cleanly allowing Buch to reach on the error to put two aboard and again continue the inning.

Koontz, a senior, was then summoned from the dugout to pinch hit for the Bulldogs. He worked the count to 2-1 before hitting the long home run over the fence in right to hand UNCA its second extra inning victory of the season.

Ridings led the Catamounts with three base hits on the night, all coming after he entered the game as a pinch hitter and defensive substitution in the seventh inning. Freshman Bradley Strong also tallied three hits, finishing 3-for-4 including a shot off the right field fence he legged out for a double in the 10th inning.

Jones and his classmate Aaron Attaway collected two hits apiece, finishing 2-for-5.

Both teams squandered opportunities throughout the game. UNC Asheville combined to leave 15 men on base - leaving a runner on in each of the first 10 innings before WCU turned in a perfect 11th behind Nadale. The Catamounts stranded seven on base and had two runners thrown out trying to steal second in the seventh inning, and one trying to reach third from first on a hit to right field in the ninth inning.

Despite its success of putting runners on base, UNCA's best chance at scoring in regulation came in the sixth inning. A double by Buch and two-out walks by Casey Ebersole and Eli Miller loaded the bases and chased starter Adam Curtis in the process. Catamount senior reliever Darron Dotson then threw one low that true freshman Connor Andrus could not handle, squirting towards the backstop. Andrus rushed to the ball, throwing back to the dish where Dotson made a swiping tag on Buch for the out, ending the inning and keeping the dueling shutouts intact.

Asheville used 10 pitchers in the game with nine combining to keep the Catamounts off the scoreboard until Jones' solo homer in the 12th. Justin Hunt (1-0), who surrendered the solo homer in the top of what proved to be the final inning, picked up the victory after tossing one frame with two hits allowed and one strikeout.

Nadale was saddled with the tough loss after three unearned runs came across on the homer in the home half of the 12th inning. The Petaloma, Calif., native only allowed two hits in the inning and two thirds he pitched. Curtis struck out four against three walks in the starting role with Dotson, Hunter Brister Tyler Powell and Vance Chavis combining to toss an inning and two-thirds in situational relief.

Catamount closer Preston Hatcher threw two and two-thirds innings, pitching around two walks with three strikeouts allowing just one hit.

Western Carolina (15-6) returns home to open a four-game home stand with a three-game Southern Conference series against UNC Greensboro at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 5:00 pm with Saturday at 2:00 pm and Sunday's finale set for 1:00 pm. The Catamounts have dropped five-straight to the Spartans in the head-to-head series including the last two meetings in Cullowhee during the 2010 season.

 

College of Charleston-CSU Baseball Game Cancelled

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - Today's non-conference baseball game between College of Charleston and Charleston Southern has been cancelled due to rain.

No makeup date has been announced at this time. The two teams are scheduled to play again next Tuesday, March 27 at 6 p.m. at Patriots Point.

College of Charleston will host Davidson this weekend for a conference series beginning on Friday, March 23 at 6 p.m.