Furman
6, Miami (Ohio) 5 (11 inn.)
GREENVILLE,
S.C. – Jarrod Rickman delivered a two-out bases-loaded single in
the bottom of the 11th inning to give Furman a 6-5 victory over Miami
University in baseball action Friday afternoon at Latham Stadium.
Furman (3-1), which claimed its second win over Miami (Ohio)
on the young season, will play a doubleheader on Saturday at Fluor Field in
downtown Greenville, facing Michigan State at 2 followed by a matchup with
Cincinnati at 6.
Rickman, Furman’s designated hitter who had gone 0-for-4
with three strikeouts prior to coming to the plate in the 11th, drilled a
one-strike offering by Redhawks reliever Charlie Suich into the right-center
field gap to easily score Taylor Johnson from third base for the game-winner.
Johnson singled with one out in the 11th and moved to
second on a Griffin Davis two-out, pinch-hit single. Both Johnson and Davis
advanced on a wild pitch before teammate Jake Jones loaded the bases by working
Redhawks’ pitcher Seth Varner for a walk. Varner was replaced by Suich, who
yielded Rickman’s game-winning hit.
Furman led 5-3 going to the ninth before the Redhawks
combined two hits with an error, a wild pitch and failure by the Paladins to execute
a potential game-ending double play to push across two unearned runs that tied
the game at 5-5.
The Paladins took the 5-3 lead in the sixth on a towering
two-run home by catcher Paul Nitto off Redhawks starter Brooks Fiala.
Fiala, who surrendered five runs on seven hits over seven
frames, yielded a two-run double to Johnson in the third that gave Furman a 3-2
lead.
Miami tied it in the fifth against Paladin starter Nate
Smith, plating an unearned run on a dropped fly ball. Smith, who allowed three
runs, two of which were earned, on three hits, struck out seven but yielded
five walks. He was replaced with two outs in the fifth by Drake Browne, who
worked 2 1/3 innings of no-hit relief with four strikeouts. Ben Carlson retired
the Redhawks in order in the eighth before giving way to Matt Solter, whose two
runs allowed in the Miami ninth were both unearned.
The win went to Ryan Dittmar (1-0), who pitched a perfect
final two frames and recorded a strikeout for the Paladins.
Redhawks reliever Charles Zubrod (0-1) was charged with
the loss after yielding the one-out single in the 11th to Johnson, who later
scored the game-winner.
Furman’s pitching staff combined for 14 strikeouts in the
contest.
Johnson led Furman’s 13-hit attack with a 3-for-5, three-RBI
performance. Will Muzika had two hits and scored two runs, and Jake Jones also
collected two hits.
Davis’ pinch-hit single in the 11th was his second in
consecutive games.
Miami managed only five hits, including two each by Sedio
and Nate Bowles.
The
Citadel 6, North Florida 3 (11 inn.)
JACKSONVILLE,
Fla. – The Citadel took advantage of three hit batters and a
crucial error to score three times in the 11th inning in a 6-3
victory over North Florida in the opener of a three-game series in
Jacksonville.
The win improved the Bulldogs to 4-1 on the season while
the Ospreys dropped to 3-2. The teams are scheduled to play on Saturday and
Sunday at 1 p.m. but that may change as a result of impending inclement weather
in the Jacksonville area.
After North Florida wiped out a 3-0 deficit with a run in
the eighth and two in the ninth, Hughston Armstrong was hit by a Jamie Cardwell
pitch to lead off the top of the 11th. After fouling off two bunt attempts,
Mason Davis bounced a single over the head of third baseman Paul Karmeris to
put two on with nobody out.
Davis was forced at second on a bunt by Drew DeKerlegand.
Joe Jackson then hit a grounder back to Cardwell, whose low throw eluded Drew
Weeks at second and allowed Armstrong to score the tiebreaking run.
Jackson was credited with an RBI on the play to give him
10 through the first five games of the season. However, the junior catcher
finished 0-for-6 to see his 12-game hitting streak dating back to the end of
the 2012 campaign come to an end.
Evan Incinelli relieved Cardwell and hit Bo Thompson and
Tyler Griffin to force in a run and make it 5-3. With two outs and the bases
still loaded, Bailey Rush walked on four pitches to give the Bulldogs a
three-run cushion.
David Rivera allowed a leadoff single in the bottom of
the 11th but retired the next three batters to wrap up his second win of the
year.
Austin Pritcher cruised through seven shutout innings,
allowing six hits while striking out four, and his teammates backed him with
three runs. The senior right-hander has not allowed a run in his first 13
innings of the 2013 season.
Tommy Organ, who started and picked up a win when the
Ospreys defeated the Bulldogs last season at Riley Park, struck out seven and
allowed six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He went the same distance a year ago and
fanned nine Citadel batters.
The Bulldogs led the whole way, scoring two in the first
on an RBI single by Tyler Griffin – his first of four hits on the night – and a
run-producing double by Brett Bullard. The Citadel tacked on a run in the sixth
on a Calvin Orth sacrifice fly to back Pritcher.
Zach Sherrill and Logan Cribb combined to work the
eighth, with North Florida breaking up the shutout on what appeared to be a
double-play grounder to Mason Davis. But a bad hop resulted in just a force out
at second as Joe Wielbruda scored from third.
The Osprey rally continued in the ninth and they appeared
poised to steal a come-from-behind win. With runners at first and second, Rush
fielded a bunt by Corey Bass and threw wildly to first, allowing both runners
to score to tie the game at 3.
Closer Skylar Hunter then got two ground outs and walked
the No. 3 and 4 hitters intentionally to load the bases. The freshman struck
out Garrick Ferguson on a 3-2 count to send the game into extra innings.
Freshman Jason Smith got his first start in center field
for the Bulldogs and recorded his first collegiate hit when he singled to start
the two-run first.
Indiana
State 3, College of Charleston 1
AUBURN,
Ala. – Indiana State scored two runs on a two-out single from
Owen Conway in the eighth inning to take a 3-1 win over College of Charleston
in the first game of the Auburn Tournament at AU’s Plainsman Park.
College of Charleston (3-2) had tied the game at 1 apiece
in the top of the eighth inning after Gunnar Heidt scored from third on a
sacrifice fly from Brandon Murray.
However, freshman Player Loving (0-1) allowed a leadoff
walk and then Murray dropped a fly ball in left field that put runners on first
and second in the eighth inning. Mike Fitzgerald sacrificed the runners up a
base, but CofC reliever Michael Hanzlik struck out Koby Kraemer and was ahead
0-2 to Conway with two outs. However, Conway hit a bloop single into center
field to score the two go-ahead runs.
While Josh Negele (1-0) picked up the win after finishing
out the top of the eighth inning, ISU starter Sean Manaea earned most of the
attention during the day. The preseason First Team All-American struck out 10
CofC batters and allowed just one hit through six innings.
CofC senior Matt Pegler was nearly as impressive as he
picked up his second straight no-decision in a dramatic game. Pegler allowed
one run on five hits through 6 2/3 innings, although he loaded the bases in the
seventh inning with two out. Loving got him out of the jam with a strikeout,
but the Sycamores struck for two runs in the next inning.
Murray earned CofC’s only RBI of the game and was the
only Cougar to get a hit off of Manaea. Heidt picked up CofC’s other hit of the
game, a leadoff double in the eighth inning. After Devon Reed bunted Heidt to
third, a sacrifice fly from Murray allowed Heidt to score the Cougars’ lone
run.
Casey McCurdy was a perfect 3-for-3 for Indiana State,
scoring the game’s first run in the third inning off an RBI from Landon Curry.
College of Charleston’s scheduled game against host
Auburn on Saturday has been moved back to 3:30 p.m. ET.
Michigan
State 4, Western Carolina 1
GREENVILLE,
S.C. – Under threatening skies and amidst a sporadic drizzle,
Michigan State scored four unanswered runs to erase Western Carolina’s early
one-run lead Friday afternoon, downing the Catamounts 4-1 in the First Pitch
Invitational held at Fluor Field.
WCU (3-2) entered Friday’s game atop the Southern
Conference in fielding percentage, committing just one error through its first
four games of the year. However, the Catamounts were plagued by seven miscues
in the field against the Spartans.
The Catamounts managed to out-hit Michigan State, 5-to-4,
on the afternoon with senior Tyler White collecting two of WCU’s base knocks.
White finished 2-for-3 on the day, picking-up his team-leading eighth RBI on
his first double of the season in the top of the first inning to give the
Catamounts a one-run lead they would enjoy until the home half of the third.
Aaron Attaway doubled to open the game before Julian
Ridings sacrificed him to third base ahead of White. The Forest City, N.C.,
native then drove a 1-1 pitch to the outfield for a two-base hit, plating
Attaway for the lead.
In addition to White’s two-bagger, Attaway and Hoyle also
doubled for the Catamounts.
After putting three men aboard in the top of the first –
and adding a sacrifice hit – WCU only managed six base runners the remainder of
the afternoon. The Catamounts threatened in the third as White was plunked by a
pitch ahead of Hoyle, who doubled to put runners at second and third with two
out. Yet, Cody Jones struck out swinging to end the inning and start a stretch
of eight straight retired by Michigan State pitching before Hoyle drew a
one-out walk in the top of the sixth inning.
White singled with two out in the eighth and Jones
reached on a wild pitch after a strikeout to cap WCU’s men on base in the loss.
As the designated home team, Michigan State (2-1) scored
the tying and go-ahead runs in the bottom of the third inning. Consecutive
freebies on a walk and hit batsman put two aboard before an error allowed both
runners to advance 90 feet. Ryan Richardson then drove in the tying run on a
sharp groundout to short with the eventual game-winning marker scoring on an
error in centerfield.
The Spartans added insurance runs in the fifth and
seventh innings. Richardson lifted a one-out single to right in the fifth
before taking second on an outfield error. He was driven in by the next batter,
Jordan Keur, on an RBI single. In the seventh, Anthony Cheky doubled before
stealing third, eventually scoring on another Catamount error to provide the
final tally.
Keur finished 2-for-4 at the plate to lead the Spartans.
Sophomore Jeremy Null (1-1) suffered the loss for the
Catamounts, surrendering three unearned runs on three hits through five innings
of work on Friday afternoon. The Claremont, N.C., native struck out five
against just one walk in his second start of the season.
Hunter Brister tossed a one-hit inning and two-thirds out
of the bullpen with a strikeout while freshman Jonathan Waszak worked a third
of an inning in relief. Bryce Danielson completed the final frame, issuing a
walk and facing four batters.
All told, all four runs allowed by WCU on Friday were
unearned.
Andrew Waszak of Michigan State earned the victory,
striking out eight in six innings of work, limiting WCU to the one earned run
on four hits. Jeff Kinley picked up his second save of the season, tossing the
final three frames of one-hit relief, fanning seven Catamounts.
Western Carolina returns to action in the First Pitch
Invitational on Saturday morning, facing the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks at 10 a.m.
WCU junior right-hander Jordan Smith (1-0, 9.00 ERA) will face another junior
in MU’s Mac Thoreson (0-1, 6.75 ERA).
No.
8 Kentucky 6, Elon 1
MYRTLE
BEACH, S.C. – One unfortunate inning was the downfall of
the Elon baseball team as the Phoenix dropped a 6-1 decision to eighth-ranked
Kentucky at the Caravelle Resort Tournament on Friday. Elon now sits at 2-3 on
the year, while Kentucky improved to 4-1.
After Dylan Clark had retired the first nine Kentucky
hitters, the Wildcats got a leadoff double to right from Austin Cousino before
a Zac Zellers single to right-center put runners on the corners. A.J. Reid then
gave Kentucky a 1-0 lead by sending a 1-2 pitch through the right side of the
infield for a single. The fourth hitter of the frame, Max Kuhn, delivered the
second run with a double off the glove of a diving Joey Tomko in left-center. The
Wildcats would tack on three more runs in the inning to grab a 5-0 lead after
four innings.
Elon got on the board in the top of the seventh when Ryan
Kinsella belted his first home run of the season, a solo shot, into the Phoenix
bullpen beyond the right field wall.
The Wildcats added a run in the bottom of the seventh on
a sacrifice fly.
Outside of the fourth, Clark (1-1) was masterful. He went
six innings and gave up six hits, did not walk a batter and fanned seven – one
shy of his career high. In his other five frames, Clark retired 15 of the 16
hitters he faced.
Jerad Grundy (2-0) was the winning pitcher. He allowed
three hits and two walks in seven innings for Kentucky.
Elon was scheduled to take on host Coastal Carolina in a
second game on Friday, but steady rains forced the postponement of that
contest. A new start for the game against the Chanticleers has not yet been
announced. The Maroon and Gold is slated to face Kansas State on Saturday
morning at 11 a.m.
Purdue
9, Samford 4
STARKVILLE,
Miss. – The Purdue baseball team plated five runs in the top of
the eighth inning to overcome a one-run deficit on its way to a 9-4 win over
Samford on the first day of the Diamond Classic, hosted by Mississippi State,
Friday afternoon at Dudy Noble Field.
With the loss, Samford dropped to 4-2. Purdue improved to
3-2 with the win.
Samford was led at the plate by Tommy Corbin, who went
2-for-4 with an RBI. Brandon Haarer also drove in a run in a 1-for-3 performance.
Andres Gracia (0-1) took the loss on the mound for Samford, pitching 1 2/3
innings of relief, allowing five runs on six hits.
For Purdue at the plate, Conner Hudnall and Brandon Krieg
had four hits each. Stephen Talbott drove in two runs for the Boilermakers.
Eddie De LaRiva (2-1) earned the win for the Boilermakers, tossing three
innings of relief, giving up one run on four hits.
The teams were scoreless through the first four innings
until Purdue took the lead with a run in the top of the fifth inning. Jake
Hansen singled with one out and later scored from third base on a balk for a
1-0 Purdue lead.
Samford came back with a run in the bottom of the fifth
inning to tie the score at 1-1. Christiaan Durdaller singled up the middle to
lead off the inning. After moving to third base on a single by Caleb Bryson,
Durdaller scored on a wild pitch to tie the score.
Purdue took the lead again with a run in the top of the
seventh inning. Hansen, again, singled to start the rally. He later scored when
Talbott reached base on a fielder’s choice for a 2-1 Purdue lead.
The Bulldogs answered with two runs in the bottom of the
seventh inning to take a 3-2 lead. C.K. Irby singled up the middle, Durdaller
was hit by a pitch and Bryson walked to load the bases. Corbin then singled to
drive in Irby to tie the score at 2-2. Durdaller then scored when Haarer
grounded into a double play to give Samford a one-run lead.
The Boilermakers came back with five runs in the top of
the eighth inning to take a 7-3 lead. Hudnall scored the first run of the
inning on a wild pitch. Kyle Wood scored on a sacrifice fly by Hansen for the
go-ahead run. Jack Amaro scored the third run of the inning on a single by
Krieg, and Krieg later scored on a single by Talbott to make the score 6-3. The
final run in the inning scored when Sean McHugh singled to drive in Talbott for
a four-run Purdue lead.
Purdue plated two final runs in the top of the ninth
inning to push its lead to 9-3. Hudnall scored the first run on a sacrifice fly
by Angelo Cianfrocco. The Boilermakers’ final run was scored when Wood scored
on a wild pitch.
Samford scored one final run in the bottom of the ninth
to make the final score 9-4. Durdaller walked to lead off the inning and later
scored on a double by Haarer for the game’s final run.
Samford will continue play in the Diamond Classic by
taking on host Mississippi State Saturday at 3 p.m. Central.
Georgia
Southern vs. Indiana (susp.)
STATESBORO,
Ga. – With Georgia Southern leading 5-0 after two innings,
Friday night's series opener against Indiana was suspended due to heavy fog.
The two teams will resume game one on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
Georgia Southern (3-1) took advantage of three Hoosier
(2-1) errors to score five runs on six hits.
Scooter Williams led off the first inning with a double
and scored on a RBI single by Chase Griffin.
The Eagles scored four runs in the second inning,
including two on a double from T.D. Davis. Cole Watson started the frame with a
walk and moved to third base on back-to-back errors. Williams drove in the
second run of the game with a bloop single to right field before Griffin plated
a second run on a single.
Davidson
vs. Georgetown (ppd.)
DAVIDSON,
N.C. – Friday’s Davidson baseball game versus Georgetown at
Wilson Field has been postponed to Saturday at 6 p.m. due to rain, while Saturday’s
game versus Lafayette has been moved to a 3 p.m. start.
The game will cap a tripleheader of baseball action at
Wilson Field for the day. The schedule for the weekend is as follows:
Saturday
12 p.m. – Lafayette vs. Georgetown
3 p.m.* - Lafayette vs. Davidson
6 p.m.* – Georgetown vs. Davidson
*30 minutes after if previous game runs later
Sunday
12 p.m. – Lafayette vs. Davidson
30 min after – Georgetown vs. Davidson
Multiple game times for upcoming Davidson games have also
changed. The Tuesday, Feb. 26, game versus USC Upstate has been pushed back two
hours to 6 p.m. The Saturday, March 2, game versus Appalachian State has been
pushed back four hours to 6 p.m., and the Sunday, March 3, game has been pushed
back one hour to 2 p.m.
UNCG
vs. Dayton (ppd.)
GREENSBORO,
N.C. – Due to inclement weather in the Triad area, Friday's UNCG
baseball contest against Dayton at the UNCG Baseball Stadium will not be
played.
The teams will instead begin their three-game series
Saturday at 2 p.m. before playing a doubleheader Sunday with a noon start.
Wofford
vs. Pittsburgh (ppd.)
SPARTANBURG,
S.C. – Due to rain, the Wofford College baseball game against
Pittsburgh that was scheduled for Friday at 4 p.m. has been postponed.
Wofford and Pittsburgh have scheduled a doubleheader for
Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. with a seven-inning contest followed by a nine-inning
game. The two teams will also play on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. at Russell C.
King Field.