Wofford 9, USC Upstate 4
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - On Wednesday evening, the Wofford baseball team defeated USC Upstate 9-4 at Russell C. King Field. At the plate, Mac Doyle was five-of-five on the night with three singles, a triple, and a home run along with three RBIs.
Wofford is 14-19 overall and USC Upstate is 22-12 overall. In addition to the performance of Mac Doyle, the Terriers were led by Taylor Rozier and Josh Hyman with two hits each and Hyman added two RBIs. The Spartans were led by Tyler Cook with three hits and two RBIs. The teams combined to use eleven pitchers in the contest and a total of 18 runners were left on base.
The Spartans left one on base in the top of the first inning. Wofford led off the bottom of the first with a single by James Foster. A single by Mac Doyle, along with a throwing error, allowed Foster to score. With Doyle at third base, a ground out by Eric Brenk drove in a run to give the Terriers a 2-0 lead.
USC Upstate stranded two runners on base in the top of the second inning. Taylor Rozier and Josh Hyman opened the bottom of the second with singles and they advanced on a sacrifice bunt. A sacrifice fly by Matthew Kaskow scored Rozier for a 3-0 advantage. The Spartans added two singles in the top of the third, but both runners were left on base.
In the top of the fourth, the Spartans had a solo home run by Trey Richardson to make it a 3-1 contest. Wofford led off the bottom of the inning with a double by Taylor Rozier. Josh Hyman then hit his first career home run to over the left field fence to give the Terriers a 5-1 lead.
Mac Doyle added a home run for Wofford in the bottom of the fifth to push the lead to 6-1. It was his eighth homer this season and 42nd of his career. In the top of the sixth, the Spartans loaded the bases after two walks and a single. A ground out by Jordan Stampler drove in one run for a 6-2 score. Tyler Cook hit a single to center field that scored two runners to cut the lead to 6-4.
In the bottom of the seventh, Mac Doyle tripled to right center and scored on a single by David Roney to give Wofford a 7-4 advantage. Wofford loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth on two walks and a hit by pitch. Mac Doyle had a single up the middle to drive in two runs to push the lead to 9-4. The Spartans had two runners on base in the top of the ninth, but both were stranded when the game ended.
Wofford starter Pete Noordsy (2-1) went three innings and allowed three hits along with three strikeouts. Connell Anderson threw 1.1 innings with one run allowed on four hits. Ryan Traylor added two-thirds of an inning without allowing a hit. Mason Bradley gave up three runs on one hit in two-thirds of an inning along with a strikeout. Alex Wilson worked 1.1 innings and gave up one hit with two strikeouts. J.D. Osborne added an inning without a hit allowed and a strikeout. Eric Eck threw the ninth and allowed one hit along with a strikeout.
USC Upstate starter Ben Augenstein (1-1) threw three innings and gave up five runs on seven hits with two strikeouts. Andrew Wyant went three innings with one run allowed on two hits with three strikeouts. Jordan Rusk threw an inning and allowed one run on two hits with two strikeouts. Chris Knauff worked two-thirds of an inning and did not allow a hit but two runs scored. Jake Waller hit the one batter he faced. Brandon Lee worked a third of an inning with one hit allowed.
Mac Doyle had five hits in the game to bring his career total 244, which moves him to second in school history. James Foster added a hit to give him 240 for his career, third in school history. Both players trail Shane Kirkley, who had 260 hits from 2005-08.
Wofford will face Davidson in a three-game Southern Conference series beginning on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. and continue on Saturday and Sunday.
Georgia Southern 7, Jacksonville 6
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Georgia Southern Baseball team staved off a two-out rally in the ninth inning to pick up a 7-6 win over the Jacksonville Dolphins on Wednesday night at Sessions Stadium. SeniorEric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) picked up his 300th career hit in the process and helped the Eagles extend their win streak to seven games with a RBI in the fifth inning.
Phillips entered the game three hits shy of becoming the fifth-ever Eagle to tally 300 career hits and picked up the three he needed with three singles. Phillips singled in his first two at-bats in the first and third innings before using his 300th hit to drive in a two-out run in the fifth inning. The senior captain joined Alan Balcomb, Greg Dowling, Todd Greene and Scott Henley in the 300 hit club.
Georgia Southern (20-15) rallied from an early two-run deficit to tie the game at 3-3 on Stryker Brown's(Dalton, Ga.) leadoff home run in the sixth inning. A throwing error by the third baseman Chris Moye allowedTyler Avera (Baxley, Ga.) to reach base two batters later and extended the inning for Scooter Williams'(Detroit, Mich.) two-out home run. The second home run of the junior's career plated Avera and Hunter Thomas(John's Creek, Ga.), who reached on fielder's choice for the second out of the inning, to put the Eagles up 6-3.
Jacksonville (12-22) made things interesting in the ninth inning after scoring three two-out runs on a double, triple and a home run. Jarret Leverett (Eatonton, Ga.) started the inning with a four-run lead and got two quick outs with a strikeout and a ground ball to second base before Zachary Houck started the rally with a double. Jonathan Murphy tripled in the first run of the inning and scored on a home run by Dan Gulbransen. With the Dolphins trailing by just one run, Kyle Rowe (Valdosta, Ga.) (S, 4) took over for Leverett on the mound and got out of the jam with a strikeout of Matt Frank.
The second save this week by Rowe gave Taylor Burke (Statesboro, Ga.) (1-0) his first career victory in his second year in the program. Burke faced just one batter in Gulbransen and coaxed a fly out to end the fifth inning. Wes Torrez (0-2) took the loss after giving up four runs - one earned - in the sixth inning.
Jacksonville held a lead until the sixth inning and opened the game with a pair of runs in the first inning. Houck drew a leadoff walk and quickly moved into scoring position with a stolen base. Murphy followed with a double to right field to plate the runner from second base and scored the second run of the game on an errant throw during his stolen base attempt of third base.
The two teams traded a run in the third inning and the Dolphins remained ahead 3-1 on a RBI ground out by Murphy. Houck reached base for a second-straight at-bat to lead off the inning, this time with a bunt double down the third base line, and moved to third base on a passed ball before Murphy grounded out to shortstop.
Georgia Southern got their first run of the game in a similar fashion in the top half of the third inning. Williams opened the frame with a double and scored from third base on Chase Griffin's (Leesburg, Ga.) ground out to shortstop.
Griffin moved the Eagles ahead by four runs and scored what proved to be the winning run in the seventh inning. The freshman catcher connected on a long fly ball that bounced off the top of the center field wall for a solo home run, his ninth home run of the season and the fourth in his last 10 games.
Georgia Southern looks to keep things rolling at home this weekend against the top team in the Southern Conference, Appalachian State. The series starts at 6 p.m. on Friday and will continue with games on Saturday and Sunday.
All baseball games this season can be heard on the Boomer 103.7 FM and inside J.I. Clements 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.
No. 17 North Carolina State 14, Elon 2
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Two big innings were key for 17th-ranked North Carolina State as the Wolfpack took a 14-2 decision over the visiting Elon Phoenix on Wednesday night.
Elon (19-16), which started four freshman for the first time this season, played its 10th game of the season against a top-25 opponent.
NC State (22-9) grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second inning thanks to an Elon error and a sacrifice fly.
The Wolfpack put together a big inning in the fourth. It all began with a two-out infield single by Trea Turner. Turner, who finished a homer shy of the cycle, went to second on a Chris Diaz single before the duo pulled off a double steal. After a walk loaded the bases, Danny Canela singled through the left side to drive in two. A Ryan Mathews single drove home the third run of the inning ahead of a Tarran Senay double that scored two more as NC State built a 7-0 lead.
State exploded for seven runs in the seventh to finish its scoring for the game.
Elon erased the shutout in the eighth when Ryan Kinsella drilled his fourth homer of the year deep over the wall in right-center. Scoring on the blast was #Alex Swim# who had singled.
Andrew MacDonald (4-2) took the loss in his first career start. He was charged with seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits in 3.2 innings.
Anthony Tzamtzis (3-2) earned the win with two scoreless innings in relief of starter D.J. Thomas who tossed three scoreless frames.
Elon's lone multi-hit night belonged to Blaine Bower who went 2-for-3 as he picked up the first hits of his career in the maroon and gold.
The Phoenix will begin a four-game homestand on Friday evening as Elon welcomes in Towson for a non-league series at Latham Park. Game time is set for 6:30 p.m.
Coastal Carolina 6, The Citadel 2
CONWAY, S.C. - Coastal Carolina used a four-run fourth inning to rally past The Citadel on the way to a 6-2 victory over the Bulldogs Wednesday evening at Watson Stadium. The Citadel falls to 13-21 on the season and will host UNC Greensboro in a key Southern Conference series at Riley Park this weekend.
Drew DeKerlegand went 3-for-3, while Nick Orvin added two hits for the Bulldogs, who out-hit Coastal nine to seven. Bryce Hines (0-3) took the loss, allowing five runs - three earned - on three hits in 3.2 innings with five walks and five strikeouts. James Reeves added 2.1 innings of no-hit relief with two strikeouts.
For Coastal (21-11), Daniel Bowman and Jacob May had a hit and two RBI apiece. Bowman's two RBI tied him for the all-time record at Coastal with 186 career RBI. Ben Smith (1-1) earned the victory in relief for the Chanticleers, tossing 4.2 shutout innings and scattering three hits. The southpaw walked two and struck out four. Ryan Connelly allowed two hits in 1.1 innings for his seventh save of the season.
The Bulldogs plated single runs in each of the first and second innings for a 2-0 lead. Orvin reached on a fielding error by Coastal third baseman Tripp Martin to open the game. Mason Davis laid down a sac bunt to move Orvin to second and a single to left by Justin Mackert put runners at the corners with one out.
Tyler Griffin hit into a fielder's choice to first, scoring Orvin for his 20th RBI of the season and a 1-0 lead.
Bailey Rush led off the second frame with a single to right and Grant Richards sacrificed the Bulldog shortstop over to second. A single to left by DeKerlegand put runners at the corners and another RBI fielder's choice, this time by Hughston Armstrong to third, plated Rush for a two-run lead.
Coastal cut the deficit to 2-1 in the third with a unearned run after an error by Davis. Back-to-back walks by May and Alex Buccilli put runners at first and second, but a 4-6-3 double play by Bowman put May at third with two outs. Rich Witten hits a lofted pop fly to shallow right and Davis got under the ball, but he dropped it to the grass allowing a run to score.
The Chanticleers put up four runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 5-2 lead. Ted Blackman led off the frame with a double that dropped just in fair territory down the left-field line. Martin was hit by a pitch from Hines to put a pair of runners on with no outs. After Brian Pruett struck out, Justin Creel hit into a fielder's choice, putting runners at the corners with two away. May beat out a slow roller to second for a RBI single, knotting the game at 2-2 and Bowman followed up with another slow roller to short. The hit, on a 3-2 pitch from Hines, came with the runners going and allowed two runs to score for a 4-2 Coastal lead.
Reeves came on in relief for the Bulldogs and got Witten to hit a popup to first, but Jackson dropped the ball and Buccilli scored on the error for a 5-2 Chants advantage.
Coastal added an insurance run in the eighth, scoring on a sacrifice fly to left by May. Pruett led off the inning with a double down the right-field line and a single by Creel put runners at the corners for May, who lifted a deep fly ball to left to plate Pruett.
Friday's first pitch against UNC Greensboro is set for 6 p.m. All three games of the series will be broadcast live on Sports Radio 1450 AM with the "Voice of the Bulldogs" Danny Reed handling the play-by-play. The broadcast can also be heard online at www.CharlestonSportsRadio.com.