No. 28 Appalachian State 5, UNCG 4
BOONE, N.C. - Daniel Kassouf (Lexington, N.C./North Davidson) hit his school-record-tying 16th home run of the season in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift 28th-ranked Appalachian State University baseball to a 5-4 walk-off win over UNC Greensboro on Saturday afternoon at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
Leading off the bottom of the ninth inning, Kassouf launched the second pitch from UNCG's Tyler Hollstegge into a steady rain and high over the wall in left center field for the walk-off blast. His 16th home run of the year matched the long-standing Appalachian State single-season record shared by Pete Camelo (1982) and Andre Crawford (1986).
Kassouf's walk-off home run was made necessary when UNCG rallied from a late four-run deficit. Thanks primarily to a gutsy effort from starting pitcher Seth Grant (Etowah, N.C./West Henderson), who battled through multiple jams to turn in six scoreless innings, Appalachian led 4-0 after six frames.
UNCG got on the board with an RBI triple by Zach Leach in the seventh and cut the Mountaineer lead to one run with a two-run homer by Cambric Moye in the eighth.
Appalachian turned the slim 4-3 advantage over to closer Nathan Hyatt (Brevard, N.C./Brevard) in the ninth. Pitching for the sixth time in the last seven games, Hyatt was one strike away from nailing down his 12th save of the year but just missed on a full-count pitch to Thomas Troelstrup to load the bases. He followed that by walking UNCG's leading hitter, Kris Richards, on four pitches to force in the tying run and suffer his first blown save of the year. Tyler Moore (Banner Elk, N.C./Watauga) relieved Hyatt after the walk to Richards and struck out Moye to get out of the bases-loaded jam, setting up Kassouf's heroics in the bottom of the ninth.
In addition to becoming the first Mountaineer in 26 years to hit 16 home runs in a season, Kassouf snapped an 0-for-9 skid and an eight-game homerless drought (his longest of the season) with the game-winning blast. Prior to the walk-off bomb, Kassouf was responsible for three of the 11 men that Appalachian had left on base during the course of the first eight innings. The 11 stranded baserunners nearly negated an explosive 13-hit effort by the Mountaineers.
UNCG had 14 hits but struggled throughout the ballgame in the clutch and left 12 men on base. In particular, the Spartans were held at bay in key situations by Grant. The right-handed senior allowed a season-high-tying nine hits but kept UNCG off the board by getting most of his five strikeouts in key situations and also benefitted from two double plays and having a runner thrown out at the plate to end an inning.
Tyler Zupcic (Charlotte, N.C./Providence) led the Mountaineers' 13-hit attack by going 3-for-4. Troelstrup and Moye also had three hits apiece to pace the Spartans. Moore got the win for the Mountaineers to move to 3-1 on the campaign while Hollstegge fell to 4-6 after surrendering a walk-off homer for the second time in a week.
With the thrilling victory, Appalachian (34-10, 18-5 SoCon) lowered the number of wins it needs to clinch its first Southern Conference championship in 25 years without any assistance to four. The Mountaineers also clinched their sixth SoCon series victory of the season and moved to 23-1 at home on the campaign.
Appalachian goes for its fifth three-game SoCon sweep of the season when the clubs meet for the series finale on Sunday at Smith Stadium. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. but will be immediately preceded by Senior Day recognitions, which will begin at 12:40 p.m.
Western Carolina 6, Elon 5
ELON, N.C. -- For the first time this season, the Elon Phoenix failed to claim a victory when is led after seven innings as the Western Carolina Catamounts rallied to defeat the maroon and gold by a 6-5 score in game one of a three-game Southern Conference series at Latham Park.
Elon (27-22, 16-9 SoCon) had won all 22 games in which it was in front after seven innings this season.
The Phoenix took a 1-0 lead in the last of the first on a Ryan Kinsella single.
Western Carolina (28-17, 12-10) then grabbed a 2-1 edge in the second thanks to RBI singles from Dale Urquhart, Jr. and Aaron Attaway.
After the Catamounts had taken a 3-1 lead in the top of the fifth, the Phoenix exploded for four runs in its half of the fifth. With one out, Alex Swim was hit by a pitch and Sebastian Gomez drew a walk. Kinsella picked up his second RBI of the game with another single before Jake Luce drove home two with a triple down the right field line. Luce crossed the plate to give Elon a 5-3 advantage on a safety squeeze put down by Joey Tomko.
Adam Martin got the Western rally started in the eighth by leading the inning off with his seventh homer of the season, this one to left. Pinch-hitter Jacob Hoyle followed with a double and later scored on a Dykota Spiess single up the middle that just escaped the reach of Elon's Chris Bresnahan.
Swim collected career hit number 207 for the Phoenix, moving into a tie for 10th all-time in program history in that category. Western's Ross Heffley's first hit of the night, a single, gave him sole possession of that program's hit chart with 337.
Taking the loss for Elon was John Antonelli (1-1). Antonelli was charged with two runs on two hits in two innings. Starter Dylan Clark surrendered four runs (three earned) on 10 hits in five frames.
Jon Nadale (3-2) was the winning pitcher as he recorded the final two outs of the seventh. Preston Hatcher tossed two scoreless innings for his ninth save.
The two teams will be back at it again on Sunday evening as first pitch from Latham Park is set for 6:30 p.m.
Wofford 11, Furman 10 (12 inn.)
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Wofford scored two unearned runs in the 12th inning to break a tie game and held off Furman in its last at bat to secure an 11-10 victory in the second game of a Southern Conference weekend baseball series at Latham Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
With the win Wofford (19-27, 6-17 SoCon) evened the series at a game apiece heading into Sunday's 2:00 p.m. finale. It also halted the Terriers' eight-game losing skid to Furman (21-25, 8-15 SoCon) and 11-game skid to the Paladins in Greenville dating back to the 2004 season.
The Terriers earned the victory after battling back from deficits of 3-0, 7-3, and 8-5, erasing their final three-run shortfall with a four-run eighth to take a 9-8 lead on Konstantine Diamaduros' three-run double off the right center field wall.
Furman tied it in the ninth after Wofford third baseman Eric Brenk misplayed a two-out, bases loaded grounder off the bat ofWill Muzika, allowing Alex Abrams to score and send the game into extra innings.
The Paladins stranded a pair of runners in the 10th, as did the Terriers in the 11th. In the Wofford 12th Matthew Kaskow reached on an error to lead off, and the Terriers proceeded to load the bases with one out when Muzika misplayed a sharp grounder by James Plaisted at second base, allowing Kaskow and Mac Doyle to score and give Wofford an 11-9 lead.
In the bottom of the 12th Will Miller and pinch hitter Brent Rickman opened with back-to-back singles, but the Paladins only managed to plate Miller on a sacrifice fly as Terrier reliever Eric Eck rallied to retire Chris Ohmstede on a ground out to end the game with the potential tying run at second base.
Eck (4-2), who came on the eighth, worked the final four innings to earn the victory, allowing two runs, only one of which was earned, on five hits. He walked two and struck out three.
Five Furman errors led to six unearned runs for Wofford, including the four runs the Terriers tallied in the eighth. Trailing 8-5 with two outs Stephen Cantrell singled and advanced to second on a passed ball. James Foster followed with a sharp grounder that went under the glove of Furman first baseman Taylor Johnson, allowing Cantrell to score and make it an 8-6 game. Wofford then loaded the bases and Diamaduros stroked a 2-2 pitch by Paladin reliever Elliott Warford into right center field for a three-run double to give Wofford a 9-8 lead, their first of the game.
The Paladins appeared set to take control of the game with a four-run sixth that led to a 7-3 advantage, but Wofford began its comeback in the seventh with a Diamaduros RBI triple and Josh Hyman RBI single that cut the lead to 7-5.
A Chris Ohmstede solo home run, his sixth of the season, in the Furman seventh extended the advantage to 8-5 before the Terriers answered with their four-run eighth.
Both teams banged out 16 hits but managed to strand small villages, respectively, with the Paladins leaving 16 runners on and the Terriers 14.
Diamaduros had two hits in seven at bats and collected a game high four RBI. Mac Doyle hit a two-run home run in the fifth to tied the game at 3-3 and scored three runs in a 2-for-5 performance.
Furman was led at the plate by Abrams, who went 3-for-5 and reached base five times. Ohmstede, meanwhile, had three hits in six at bats, including his home run.
Furman's eighth inning collapse wasted a good outing by starting pitcher Nate Smith, who allowed three runs on eight hits. He walked one and struck out four before departing after retiring the first batter in the seventh with the Paladins ahead 7-3.
Samford 6, Georgia Southern 5
STATESBORO, Ga. - The Georgia Southern Baseball team rallied for two runs in the ninth inning but dropped their second game in as many days to Samford. The Bulldogs struck for three first inning runs but had to hold on for a 6-5 win on Saturday afternoon at J.I. Clements Stadium.
Georgia Southern (25-23, 11-12) fell behind early after Samford (32-16, 18-8) scored four runs over the first two innings off of Eagle starter Justin Hess (Panama City, Fla.). The day did not start well for Hess (3-3) after a lead off fielding error by shortstop Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.), a single off the bat of Brad Moss and a wild pitch put two runners in scoring position. The Bulldogs took advantage of the early opportunity and struck for three runs in the first inning on a RBI single from Phillip Ervin and a pair of ground outs from Saxson Butler and C.K. Irby.
Hess settled down after the first inning and allowed just a pair of single runs in the second and fourth innings. The junior right-hander gave up three earned runs on eight hits over five innings and sat down the last four batters he faced. Hess allowed a lead off home run to Christiaan Durdaller in the second inning and worked out of a three-hit jam in the fourth inning. Hess avoided a big inning and gave up just one run on a RBI double by Zeth Stone.
Trailing by three runs, 6-3, heading into the ninth inning, Georgia Southern rallied to score two runs on a bases-loaded infield single by Phillips and a throwing error by Tommy Corbin. The error by the third baseman also allowed Scooter Williams (Detroit, Mich.) to move in to third base. With runners on the corners and two-outs, C.K. Irby struck out Chase Griffin (Leesburg, Ga.) to end the ball game.
The save by Irby (S, 9) cashed in a quality start by Josh Martin, who allowed three runs in 6.1 innings. Irby came in for Lex Rutledge, who walked Brent Pugh (Atlanta, Ga.) and allowed a base hit to Ben Morgan(Evans, Ga.) in the ninth inning, and got the final two outs after allowing the hit to Phillips.
Martin began the game with three perfect innings before walking Williams to start the fourth inning. The Eagles took advantage of the free pass and scored two runs on a pair of hits and an error. Griffin singled to right centerfield to plate Williams and move Phillips, who reached on a base hit to third base. Phillips later scored on a grounder to third base which was misplayed by Corbin.
Georgia Southern added a third run in the fifth inning on a two-out RBI single from Phillips. The Eagles were held scoreless for the next three innings after the bullpen combined for two scoreless frames. Martin allowed a one-out single to Williams, but Joseph Burns and Tyler Vanderheiden retired the side with a pair of flyouts. Rutledge retired two batters in the eighth inning after Vanderheiden coaxed a ground out to start the frame.
The three-game series concludes tomorrow with a 1:30 p.m. first pitch. Will Middour (2-3, 4.17) will look to avoid the sweep against likely starter Kyle Putkonen (2-5, 6.22).
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.
Clemson 4, College of Charleston 3 (11 inn.)
CLEMSON, S.C. - Cougar slugger Daniel Aldrich knocked a go-ahead RBI double in the top of the 11th, but Clemson's Thomas Brittle landed a two-out hit that tied the game and the Tigers won on a walk-off wild pitch in the bottom of the 11th inning, 4-3.
The College of Charleston (31-14) pitching staff delivered an outstanding performance, holding Clemson to just two runs and two hits until the 11th inning. Starter Christian Powell picked up the no decision as he went 7.0 innings, allowing just two hits and two runs which came in the first inning. Powell struck out five batters while walking four.
Senior reliever Kyle Owings kept the game close with three outstanding innings through to the 10th as he struck out four batters and didn't allow a hit. Cougar closer David Peterson (1-2) was tagged with the loss as he gave up two runs on two hits in the bottom of the 11th inning.
Aldrich nearly played the hero for the Cougars as he belted three doubles in the game, including the dramatic line drive in the top of the 11th frame that scored Brandon Murray from first base on a play at the plate. Aldrich finished 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI.
Senior Marty Gantt hit a solo home run in the sixth inning that tied the game at two, and Bradley Goodson went 2-for-5 with an RBI.
Clemson (27-19) was led by the strong pitching of David Gossett (5-2) who picked up his fifth win of the season as he pitched the last 4.1 innings of the game and struck out eight batters. Jon McGibbon tallied two RBI on a bloop single in the first inning that scored Richie Shaffer and Brittle.
After a one-out bloop single from Brad Felder, Peterson induced a groundout from pinch-hitter Joe Costigan for the second out. Felder advanced to second on the grounder and then stole third base. With two strikes in the count, Brittle hit a ball to left that landed just under a diving Murray, scoring Felder to tie the game. Runners advanced to second and third on an error on a ruled error on Murray as the ball skipped away off his glove. Wilkerson then scored the game-winning run on a Peterson wild pitch that went right off the catcher's glove.
No Tiger tallied more than one hit in the ballgame as the Cougars outhit Clemson, 9-4.
With the loss, College of Charleston moved to 2-2 this season in extra-inning games.
The second game of the series will start at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday evening, featuring CofC LHP Josh Renfro and Clemson RHP Kevin Pohle.