Furman 16, Presbyterian 4
CLINTON, S.C. -- Taylor Johnson went 4-for-6, drove in three runs, and scored three times to key Furman to a 16-4 win over Presbyterian in baseball action Wednesday evening at PC Baseball Complex.
The victory snapped a four-game losing skid for Furman (19-14) and earned the Paladins the two-game series sweep of Presbyterian (18-23).
Johnson, a junior outfielder from Greer, stroked a two-run single to highlight a seven-run Paladin first, singled and scored in both the third and fourth, and finished off his career best four-hit performance with a single in the ninth.
Every Paladin starter scratched in the hit column on the way to the 17-hit afternoon. Will Muzika went 3-for-5 and scored two runs, and Will Miller and Paul Nitto both collected two hits apiece. Jarrod Rickman matched Johnson with three RBI with a three-run double.
Furman's offensive explosion made an easy winner of Paladin starting pitcher Nate Smith (4-4), who was designated to throw only two innings.
Blue starting pitcher Matt Nodelman (1-1) bore the brunt of Furman's first inning fireworks. He allowed seven runs, only four of which were earned, on just three hits and hurt his cause with three walks before departing after only one out.
A Will Miller two-run single got the scoring started for Furman in the first, and two batters later Johnson added his own two-run single to make it 4-0. After a walk and fielder's choice loaded the bases, Will Owens' deep fly ball to center bounced off the glove of PC's Gabe Grammer, allowing three more runs to score as the Paladins sent 11 men to the plate in the opening frame.
Furman made it 9-0 with two runs in the third, and Jarrod Rickman's three-run double in the fourth stretched the advantage to 12-2.
Jay Lizanich had three of PC's 12 hits.
Furman will take a break for exams before returning to action next Wednesday with a 6:00 p.m. home game against Gardner-Webb.
Western Carolina 6, East Tennessee State 1
Johnson City, Tenn. - Western Carolina plated four runs in a strong first inning showing on Wednesday night en route to snapping a season-long four-game losing skid with a 6-1 victory over former league foe, East Tennessee State at the Buccaneers' new on-campus Thomas Stadium. Three Catamount recorded two-RBI outings as WCU scored its seventh-straight victory over ETSU.
Freshman Jacob Hoyle led WCU with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate with a double and two runs driven in. Senior second baseman Ross Heffley also drove in two runs on a 1-for-3 showing, adding a sacrifice fly, while Aaron Attaway plated two in the opening frame.
Western Carolina (26-15) got on the board in the top of the first inning as freshman Bradley Strong - playing in front of his old high school teammates and a near hometown crowd - tripled to right center field to open the game. The next batter, Heffley, lifted a sacrifice fly to right field that easily plated Strong for the early advantage. The Catamounts would add to their lead on back-to-back, two-out doubles. Hoyle doubled to left center field with runners at the corners to push the WCU lead to 2-0 with Attaway doubling to right center to drive in a pair and double the lead to 4-0.
The Buccaneers (19-21) answered with a run in the home portion of the frame as Matthew Scruggs doubled to left center to score Dylan Pratt who was the second player hit by a pitch in the inning.
WCU managed solo runs in the third and fourth innings to provide the final tally for the game. Hoyle drove home his second run of the game on a two-out single through the right side to plate Tyler White in the third while Heffley drove home his second marker with a two-out single to right field that scored Julian Ridings who doubled for the fourth extra base hit for the Catamounts on the day.
Following the fourth inning score, ETSU pitchers settled into a groove, retiring 14 batters in a row until Bryant Noteboom drew a pinch hit walk in the top of the ninth inning and was later stranded at second.
Junior Adam Curtis (5-1) scored the victory for the Catamounts after tossing two innings in a pre-determined staff day as WCU used eight hurlers on the afternoon, limiting the Bucs to just four combined base hits. Curtis surrendered one run on one hit, walking and striking out one batter while also plunking two in the first inning. Senior Andrew Blackwell also tossed a pair of innings of hitless, scoreless relief out of the bullpen, working around a pair of fourth inning walks while facing eight batters.
The Catamounts also threw junior Jon Nadale for two thirds of an inning, freshman Tyler Powell for an inning and a third with freshman Danny Schneider, junior Hunter Brister and senior Darron Dotson working the game into the ninth. Freshman Jeremy Null came on in the final frame, working a perfect inning with a team-high two strikeouts.
The Bucs' four hits were scattered amongst four different batters with Scruggs recording the lone extra base hit. ETSU did benefit from five walks and three hit batters issued by Catamount pitching.
Kuehl McEachern (0-1) took the loss for the Buccaneers after allowing five earned runs on four hits in two innings of work, walking two and fanning one. Logan Rice slowed the Catamount attack in the five innings he toed the rubber, surrendering three hits with two strikeouts but only one run scored.
Western Carolina returns home this weekend for a three-game Southern Conference series against the College of Charleston at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. Friday's game is scheduled for a 5:00 pm, with Saturday and Sunday slated for a 1:00 pm first pitch.
All three games will be broadcast by the Catamount Sports Network with audio (free), as well as video streamed online through Catamount All-Access (subscription required) online at www.CatamountSports.com.
Samford 9, UAB 2
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.-Samford shortstop Austin Allison went 4-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and two RBI to lead the Bulldog baseball team to a 9-2 win at cross-town rival UAB Wednesday evening at Young Memorial Field.
"That was a huge night for Austin," Samford head coach Casey Dunn said. "He's a guy who really had been struggling until Sunday. But he had a good day Sunday for us and then another really good night for us tonight. So, it was good to see him get back to swinging it well, because we are going to need him down the stretch."
Behind Allison at the plate for Samford, Brad Moss went 3-for-3 with an RBI. Saxon Butler drove in two runs with a double in a 1-for-4 performance. Phillip Ervin also drove in a run for the Bulldogs.
Andres Gracia (1-0) pitched 3.0 innings, giving up one run on four hits to earn the win. Michael Gunter, Cole Limbaugh, Joseph Burns, Charles Terry, Arthur Strauss and C.K. Irby also saw time on the mound for the Bulldogs.
"I thought we pitched really well," Dunn said. "I thought everybody threw the ball well. All of our guys went out there and competed, and they all threw strikes. Their two runs were both on solo home runs, and that happens sometimes, but I was really pleased with the way we pitched."
For UAB, Ivan De Jesus and John Frost both went 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI. Jeff Schalk, Ryan Prinzing and Tyler Mims had a hit each for the Blazers. Tanner Bryant (1-1) pitched 3.0 innings, giving up two runs on five hits to take the loss on the mound for UAB.
UAB jumped on top first with a run in the bottom of the first inning. With one out in the inning, Frost hit a solo home run to left-center field to give the Blazers a 1-0 lead.
Samford came back with two runs in the top of the third inning to take a 2-1 lead. Allison reached base on an infield single to lead off the inning. Zeth Stone then singled to center field, moving Allison to second base. Allison then moved to third base and Stone to second on a sacrifice bunt by Moss. Butler then doubled to drive in Allison and Stone for a one-run Samford lead.
The Bulldogs added five runs in the top of the fourth inning to push their lead to 7-1. Irby and Kevin Putkonen drew back-to-back walks to start the inning and then both scored on a double by Allison for a 4-1 lead. With two outs in the inning, Moss walked. Butler then reached base on an error, allowing Allison and Moss to score for a 6-1 Samford lead. Ervin then singled to drive in Butler to make the score 7-1.
The Blazers put their second run on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth inning. De Jesus led the inning off with a home run to cut the Samford lead to 7-2.
Samford plated another run in the top of the sixth inning to make the score 8-2. With one out in the inning, Allison doubled to right field. With two outs in the inning, Moss singled to right field to drive in Allison for a six-run Samford lead.
The Bulldogs added one final run in the top of the eighth inning to push their lead to 9-2. With one out in the inning, Allison tripled to get things started. Stone then grounded out to second base to drive in Allison for Samford's ninth run of the contest.
The win was Samford's sixth-straight over UAB. Samford improves to 26-16 with the win, while UAB drops to 23-20 with the loss.
Samford will return to action on Friday, when the Bulldogs open a three-game Southern Conference series at Davidson. The teams will play Friday at 5 p.m. (CT), Saturday at 1 p.m. (CT) and Sunday at 12 p.m. (CT).
UNC Wilmington 7, Elon 5
WILMINGTON, N.C. -- The Elon Phoenix claimed an early lead, but could not solve UNC Wilmington's Kelly Secrest late and found itself on the wrong side of a 7-5 score in non-league baseball action on Wednesday night.
Elon (23-20) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. After a one-out walk and an error put runners on the corners, Ryan Kinsella laced a two-out single to right to score both runners.
The Phoenix lead was short-lived, however, as the Seahawks (25-16) rallied for four runs in the bottom half. With runners on second and third with one out, Hunter Ridge doubled down the right field line to tie the game. An Elon error extended the inning and allowed Ridge to score the go-ahead run before an errant pick-off throw let the runner head to third. A Drew Farber ground out then made it 4-2.
UNCW, which has now won five straight games, scored single runs in the second and third before Elon closed its deficit to 6-5 with a three-run fourth. An error and walk put two aboard for the Phoenix before Blaine Bower doubled home won with a shot to right-center. A walk loaded the bases for Niko Fraser who returned to the lineup after missing 11 games with an injury. Fraser's slow roller to short scored the second run of the inning and left the bags full when the Seahawks failed to put out the runner at second. Sebastian Gomez picked up a RBI with a ground out to complete the scoring.
The Seahawks tacked on an insurance run in the seventh to make it a 7-5 game.
Secrest (2-1) came on in the fifth and retired all 16 hitters he faced, including 12 via the strike out.
David Whitehead (2-3) took the loss after he allowed four runs (two earned) on three hits in just one inning.
Elon will come back home to Latham Park for a three-game Southern Conference series against Triad rival UNCG.