East Tennessee State 12, Wofford 10

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – On a cold and windy Tuesday afternoon, the Wofford baseball team was defeated 12-10 by East Tennessee State at Thomas Stadium. Despite Wofford’s three home runs and Josh Hyman hitting for the cycle, the Bucs scored the final five runs in the contest for the victory.

Wofford begins the season 3-1, while ETSU is also 3-1. For the Terriers, Hyman was 5-of-5 and hit for the first cycle hit by the Terriers since 2010. Eric Brenk had three hits and three RBIs. The Bucs were led by Andrew Green with three hits and three RBIs.

The Terriers opened the game with a walk to Matthew Kaskow. With one out, Hyman hit a home run over the left-center fence. With two outs, Matthew Ramsay singled and he was driven home by a home run from Brenk that cleared the fence down the left field line. The Buccaneers got one run back on a solo home run by Clinton Freeman to make it a 4-1 game after one inning.

Wofford added a solo home run down the left field line by Kaskow in the top of the second inning for a 5-1 lead. It was Kaskow’s first career home run. ETSU loaded the bases in the bottom of the second on a walk and two bunt singles. A single by Chris Riopedre drove in two runs and a hit by pitch made it 5-4. A fielder’s choice tied the game at 5 as the Bucs batted around in the second inning.

In the top of the third, Hyman led off with a triple. Hyman scored on a sacrifice bunt by Ramsay to give Wofford a 6-5 advantage. Neither team posted a run in the fourth inning. In the top of the fifth, Hyman singled and moved to third on a single by Ramsay. A double steal allowed Hyman to score. A triple down the right field line by Brenk scored Ramsay to give the Terriers an 8-5 lead.

The Buccaneers loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth with no outs. A sacrifice fly scored one run, and a single up the middle made it an 8-7 game. Wofford added a run in the top of the sixth on a single to center field by Alec Paradowski. Hyman hit a double to score a run as the Terriers took a 10-7 lead. In the bottom of the sixth, ETSU got two runs back on an RBI double and a single to cut the score to 10-9.

Wofford left one runner on base in the top of the seventh. The Bucs loaded the bases with two out in the bottom of the seventh. A walk allowed the tying run to cross the plate, but ETSU stranded three runners to end the seventh inning.

In the top of the eighth, Wofford stranded two runners. With two out in the bottom of the eighth, a double followed by a triple from Andrew Green drove in a run for an 11-10 lead. The bases were loaded when a walk allowed another run to score and ETSU had a 12-10 advantage. Wofford left one runner on base in the top of the ninth to end the game.

Wofford starter Tanner Hawley went three innings and gave up five runs on six hits with three strikeouts. Dominick Del Monte worked two innings and allowed four runs on five hits with one strikeout. Matthew Milburn threw two innings with one run allowed on two hits with two strikeouts. Connell Anderson (0-1) went 2/3 of an inning and gave up two runs on two hits along with one strikeout. Josh Simpson picked up the final out.

ETSU starter Kevin Marnon lasted one inning and gave up four runs on three hits. Peyton Taylor worked two innings and allowed two runs on three hits with one strikeout. Josh Jacques went two innings and allowed two runs on three hits with two strikeouts. Kameron Miller had a third of an inning and gave up two runs on one hit. Will Chesney (1-0) threw 2 2/3 innings and did not allow a run on four hits with one strikeout. Clinton Freeman had the save by pitching the ninth without allowing a hit. He had one strikeout.

The Terriers return home on Friday at 4 p.m. for the beginning of a three-game series against Pittsburgh.

 

Samford 12, Alabama A&M 1

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Designated hitter C.K. Irby went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and four RBI to lead the Samford baseball team to a 12-1 win over Alabama A&M Tuesday night at Joe Lee Griffin Field.

Four Samford pitchers saw time on the mound in the win, and they scattered seven hits while allowing just one unearned run. Cole Limbaugh started the game and pitched two innings, allowing the unearned run on three hits. Patrick Maronde (1-0) earned the win, pitching four innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four batters. Sean Handlan and Phillip Ervin also saw time on the mound for Samford.

Behind Irby at the plate for Samford, Zeth Stone, Ervin and Patrick McGavin had two hits each. Will Davis drove in two runs in a 1-for-1 performance.

For Alabama A&M, Bradley Black and Jordan Benford each went 2-for-4 at the plate. Benford (0-1) took the loss on the mound for the visitors, pitching four innings, allowing six runs, just four earned, on nine hits.

Samford jumped on top first with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Irby singled through the left side of the infield to drive in Frankie Navarrete for a 1-0 Samford lead.

Alabama A&M plated its lone run of the game in the top of the second inning to tie the score at 1-1. Black reached base on an infield single to lead off the inning and later scored on a Samford error to tie the score.

Samford took control of the game with two runs in the third inning and three more runs in the fourth inning. In the third inning, Irby and McGavin drove in a run each to give Samford a 3-1 lead. In the fourth inning, Irby and Durdaller drove in a run each and Navarrete scored on a wild pitch to make the score 6-1.

Samford added three more runs in the sixth inning to push its lead to 9-1. Irby homered to left field to lead off the inning for the first run. Brandon Powell and Richard Greene drove in the final two runs in the inning for an eight-run Samford lead.

In the seventh inning, Samford plated two more runs, and it added one final run in the eighth inning to finish the scoring. Davis singled through the right side of the infield to drive in Damon Waller and Ervin for the two runs in the seventh inning. In the eighth inning, Ervin doubled down the right-field line to drive in Danny Rodriguez to make the final score 12-1.

With the win, Samford improved to 4-1. Alabama A&M dropped to 1-4 with the loss.

Samford will return to action on Friday, when the Bulldogs travel to Starkville, Miss., to take part in the Diamond Classic, hosted by Mississippi State. Samford will take on Purdue Friday at 2:30 p.m., Mississippi State Saturday at 3 p.m., Purdue Sunday at 11 a.m. and Mississippi State Sunday at 3 p.m. All times are Central.

 

College of Charleston 13, Charleston Southern 5

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – College of Charleston’s offense exploded for 13 runs on 12 hits and defeated the visiting Charleston Southern Buccaneers, 13-5, on Tuesday night at Patriots Point.

CofC sophomore Gunnar Heidt tallied a career-high four RBI with a two-run homer and a two-run triple. Juniors Brandon Glazer and Brandon Murray each drove in two runs, and freshman Carl Wise hit a solo homer for his first career hit.

Charleston starter Jimmy Revan pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed just three earned runs and struck out five in his first career start. Senior Drew Freie (1-0) picked up the win with 2 2/3 innings of relief, striking out four and allowing just one hit and one run.

Charleston Southern’s Stephen Leopard (0-1) was tagged with the loss after giving up eight runs, four earned, in the first 2 2/3 innings.

College of Charleston’s hit and run output was the largest of the season so far as the Cougars (3-1) scored runs in all but two innings.

Heidt pushed his season average to .400 with his home run and triple. Along with his career-best four RBI, he also scored two runs. Murray extended his SoCon-best hitting streak to 15 games with a two-run double in the first inning.

Glazer followed Murray with his own RBI double, and the Cougars led 3-0 after the first inning. Heidt’s two-run homer scored freshman Blake Butler in the second inning, and an error in the third inning allowed Cody Martin and Glazer to score. College of Charleston built an 8-0 lead after three innings, and CSU never got closer than four runs for the rest of the game.

Junior Ryan Welke scored a career-high three runs as he drove two in with two hits, including his first double of the season. Butler earned his first career start at second base and he went 1-for-2 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.

Wise entered the game as a pinch-hitter and knocked his first career hit, a solo home run to dead center field.

Charleston Southern (2-2) was led by Robbie Streett’s two RBI and Nick Berry’s two hits. Jaren Sustar knocked an RBI triple and scored two runs.

Tuesday’s game was played at College of Charleston after rain in the area forced the teams to move it from its previously scheduled venue at Charleston Southern. CofC will now play at Charleston Southern on March 6 at 2 p.m.

College of Charleston will travel to Auburn, Ala., this weekend for a three-game tournament against Indiana State, Auburn and Middle Tennessee State.