The Citadel 18, Wofford 9

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Citadel recorded its biggest scoring inning in nine years when 10 men crossed the plate in the top of the first, and the Bulldogs went on to an 18-9 victory over Wofford to take two of three in the Southern Conference series.

The Bulldogs rebounded from a 5-4 loss on Friday to score 27 runs in the final two contests of the series and improve to 14-7 overall and 4-2 in the SoCon with their ninth win in the past 11 games. The Terriers dropped to 8-13 and 1-5 in the league.

With the wins on Friday and Saturday, The Citadel moved to a season-high seven games over .500, the most the Bulldogs have been above the break-even mark since finishing the 2010 season with a record of 43-22. The Citadel also avoided just its second series loss to Wofford in 22 seasons under head coach Fred Jordan and is 42-16 against the Terriers and 18-7 in Spartanburg over that span.

Freshman right hander Austin Mason (2-1) earned the first SoCon victory of his young career by working into the sixth and allowing nine hits and six runs with three walks and three strikeouts. He gave up two infield hits and a run in the third, was tagged for a three-run homer by Luke Feisal in the fourth and left after allowing two walks and an RBI single to start the sixth.

Kevin Connell relieved Mason and gave up two hits but pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam, including a fly out to the warning track in center off the bat of Josh Hyman to keep the Bulldogs comfortably ahead. Zach Sherrill worked the eighth for his 16th appearance of the season, the top mark in the SoCon, while David Rivera finished up in his 15th game of the year.

The Citadel banged out seven hits and drew five walks in the first and reached double figures in runs in an inning for the first time since scoring 11 against Charleston Southern on March 23, 2004. The record for most runs scored in a first inning is 12 set against Salisbury State on March 21, 1983.

Fifteen batters came to the plate in an opening inning that was capped by a three-run homer by Joe Jackson, his third of the season and fourth of his career. The junior catcher also walked with the bases loaded in the sixth and seventh innings to match his career high with five RBI and took over the team lead for the season with 25, one more than Tyler Griffin.

Mason Davis grounded out to start the inning before the next six Bulldogs reached base. Drew DeKerlegand and Jackson drew walks, a run scored on a wild pitch and Bo Thompson singled in the second run of the inning for his 21st RBI of the year.

Griffin and Bullard reached on walks and Thompson scored on a single by Calvin Orth, with Orth extending his hitting streak to a career-long nine games with the knock. Another base on balls to Hughston Armstrong and an infield single by Davis made it 5-0, and DeKerlegand doubled to the fence in left for two more runs. Jackson followed with his long home run to right.

The Bulldogs could have added to their total as Thompson doubled and Griffin singled to put runners at the corners with one out before Wofford reliever Tanner Hawley was finally able to get out of the inning. Luke Leftwich was the starter for the Terriers and departed after eight runs on three hits and the five walks.

Johnathan Stokes added a two-run single in the fourth to make it 12-1. An RBI double by Davis was part of a two-run sixth that pushed The Citadel advantage to 14-4, and the Bulldogs scored four in the seventh, including run-scoring base hits by Davis and DeKerlegand, who both drove in three runs on the day.

The Bulldogs finished with 14 hits, the sixth straight game and 12th time this season they have reached double figures in that category. The run total was the most since a 20-15 win over Elon on March 20, 2010, and most in a nine-inning game since a 20-6 victory over Davidson on April 11, 2009. That Elon game also represented the most recent time before Sunday that all nine Citadel starters scored at least one run.

The Citadel will host South Carolina on Tuesday at Riley Park in a game sponsored by TD Bank with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m. The game has been designated as a Blue Out, with all Bulldog fans encouraged to wear blue to the game, and the first 1,000 Citadel fans will receive a free rally towel courtesy of YP.

Wofford is next in action at Presbyterian on Wednesday at 3 p.m.

 

Western Carolina 10, College of Charleston 6

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – Western Carolina scored eight times in the final two innings, including six runs on seven straight hits in the decisive eighth, to rally past the College of Charleston, taking the Southern Conference series with a 10-6 win Sunday afternoon at Patriots Point.

For the third time in as many days, the final two innings witnessed game-winning runs with WCU rallying from a four-run deficit to pick-up its first-ever three-game series win over CofC in Charleston.

Five Catamount batters posted multiple-hit games as WCU pounded out 16 hits, mostly coming in the latter stages of Sunday’s finale. Adam Martin (3-for-4) and Jacob Hoyle (3-for-5) led the way with three hits apiece for the Catamounts, while Cody Jones, Julian Ridings and Tyler White all collected two hits. Hoyle led the squad with three RBI, with Ridings, White and Aaron Attaway driving home two apiece.

Both starting pitchers turned in quality starts as Charleston freshman Nathan Helvey limited WCU to just one hit through the first five innings before exiting after the sixth inning, allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts. Catamount starter Jordan Smith tossed 6 1/3, settling after giving up three runs in the bottom of the third to retire nine straight Cougars before a one-out error in the seventh inning.

A native of Liberty, N.C., Smith struck out six against two walks, surrendering six runs – only four of which were earned – while scattering six base hits in factoring in the no-decision. Jonathan Waszak pitched a third of an inning out of the bullpen.

Reliever Alex Barr (1-0) scored his first collegiate victory on the mound for the Catamounts, striking out one with just one hit allowed in an inning and a third. Barr shut the door on a three-run, seventh-inning Cougar rally before tossing the eighth after the Catamounts had pulled in front, 8-6.

Attaway sparked the six-run rally for the Catamounts with a solo home run over the fence in left field to pull WCU back within three, 6-3. Jones singled ahead of Ridings, who laced a double down the right-field line with an error in the outfield, allowing him to advance to third and scoring a run to close the deficit to two, 6-4. With Ridings on third, White blasted his team-leading seventh home run of the season, tying the game at 6 with his home run to left center.

Continuing the hit parade, Austin Neary singled to left before scoring what proved to be the game-winning run on an RBI double to left-center by Hoyle. With two aboard, Bradley Strong plated a run on a sacrifice fly scoring Hoyle to cap the six-run rally.

WCU tacked on two insurance runs in the top of the ninth as Hoyle singled down the left-field line to plate Ridings and White to provide the final tally.

In the bottom of the ninth, Catamount closer Preston Hatcher worked around a leadoff walk by inducing a fly ball out to right before striking out the final two in the order to secure the victory.

College of Charleston reliever Drew Freie (3-3) took the loss, giving up four earned runs on four hits without recording an out during WCU’s six-run eighth. Blake Butler and Morgan Phillips combined for half of CofC’s eight hits, both posting 2-for-4 outings on the afternoon.

The Cougars took a 3-0 lead in the third inning, capitalizing on a leadoff walk and three base hits, including two doubles. Alex Pastorius drew the free pass before Morgan Philips doubled to center field to break the scoreless tie. Blake Butler singled home a run before taking second on the throw to the plate, later crossing the dish on RBI double to right center by Ben Boykin.

Western Carolina chipped away at the margin with two runs in the top of the sixth inning. Martin singled to open the frame and was moved around to third on a single by Bradley Strong. Attaway put the Catamounts on the board with a sacrifice fly, with Ridings also flying out to score a run, plating Strong to make it 3-2.

In the bottom of the seventh, CofC again scored three runs, pulling out to a series-high, four-run lead at 6-2. A one-out error was followed by consecutive doubles to score two runs and chase Smith. A two-out single by Gunnar Heidt pushed across the third run, putting the Cougars comfortably ahead, 6-2, before WCU’s offensive finish over the final two frames.

Western Carolina returns to action on Wednesday (March 20) as it travels to Knoxville, Tenn., for a mid-week game against SEC foe, Tennessee. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. College of Charleston hosts Connecticut on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

 

Georgia Southern 6, Samford 3

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – For a third-straight game, the Samford Bulldogs scored first, but for a second straight day, the Georgia Southern Eagles rallied from the early deficit to pick up the series victory 6-3 on Sunday afternoon.

Georgia Southern (12-7, 5-1 SoCon) scored three runs on a wild play in the eighth inning to secure their first regular-season series from the defending Southern Conference tournament champions since 2010. Ben Morgan scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch, and two more runs followed after Richard Greene threw the ball wide of the plate and into the Eagle dugout.

Samford (12-9, 2-4 SoCon) tied the contest at 3-3 on a sacrifice fly by Patrick McGavin in the seventh inning. Kyle Rowe (2-0) came on in relief following the run and stranded two batters after coaxing a fly out from Greene. Rowe allowed just one hit and a walk over the final 2 2/3 innings to earn the win in his first appearance since Feb. 27.

Andres Gracia (0-3) held GSU scoreless over his first three innings out of the bullpen before being lifted without recording an out in the eighth inning. Gracia hit Morgan to lead off the inning and allowed a double to Chase Griffin before Arthur Strauss intentionally walked T.D. Davis. All three runners scored without a hit to hand Gracia his third loss of the season.

Eagle starter Josh Stevenson threw his second straight five-inning start and held the Bulldogs to two runs on four hits. Stevenson worked around three walks and left with the lead after setting down the side in order in the fifth inning.

Samford started the scoring with a single run in the third inning.

After Stevenson struck out Drew McWhorter to start the inning, Frankie Navarrete doubled down the left-field line and scored a batter later on a single by Zeth Stone.

Georgia Southern responded with three runs in the fourth inning. Griffin and Davis led off the inning with back-to-back singles before Robbie Dodds grounded out to score the first run. Arthur Owens doubled to plate the second run, and Brent Pugh recorded a two-out single to score Owens.

The Bulldogs got a run back in the bottom half of the fourth.

Christaan Durdaller walked to lead off the frame and scored on a two-out error by the third baseman Pugh.

Georgia Southern remains on the road in the midweek before returning home to host Davidson in a three-game set starting on Friday. The Eagles will wrap up a five-game road swing at Georgia Tech Tuesday. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Samford hosts Alabama on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Eastern time.

 

Davidson 7, Furman 6 (10 inn.)

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Sam Foy’s base hit to right center field in the bottom of the 10th inning scored Michael Zeblo from second base to give Davidson a 7-6 victory over Furman in Southern Conference baseball action Sunday afternoon at Fluor Field.

The win earned Davidson (8-9, 4-5 SoCon) the series victory, two games to one. The Wildcats were the designated home team in Sunday’s contest, which followed games at Davidson on Friday and Saturday.

The loss was the third in five extra-inning games for Furman (14-6, 5-4 SoCon) this season.

Furman forced the game into extra frames after battling back from a 5-0 fourth-inning deficit. Chris Ohmstede led the charge with two home runs, including a mammoth two-run blast to center field in the top of the ninth, to give the Paladins a 6-5 lead.

Davidson, however, answered in the bottom of the ninth behind Forrest Brandt, who survived a close call on a 1-2 pitch from Paladin closer Ben Carlton to rip a leadoff double into the left-center field gap. He advanced to third on a sacrifice and scored easily to tie the game at 6-6 on Andrew Barna’s sacrifice fly to right field.

In the Davidson 10th, Zeblo drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second when Chris Dyer was plunked by a pitch for the third time in the game. Foy followed with his game-winning hit into the right-center field gap.

Zeblo (1-0) pitched the final two innings and survived Ohmstede’s two-run home run to earn the victory, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk. He recorded one strikeout.

Carlson (2-1) was charged with the loss after working the final 1 1/3 innings for the Paladins. He yielded two runs on two hits, walked one, and hit a batter.

The Paladins lost despite posting a 15-8 advantage in hits. Ohmstede led the way with a 3-for-5, four-RBI performance. Alex Abrams and Hunter Burton also had three hits in the contest.

Foy and Brandt led Davidson both doubled and had two hits apiece to lead Davidson at the plate.

The Wildcats grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning off of Paladin starter Jake Wolff and made it 2-0 in the second when Dyer was hit by a Wolff pitch with the bases loaded, forcing in Barna.

Wolff’s control problems continued in the fourth when he hit Lowe to lead off and walked Nathan Becker with one out. His replacement, Ryan Dittmar, surrendered an RBI single to Dyer and then walked the next two batters he faced to force in another run to make it 4-0. Davidson capped the three-run inning with a Brandt sacrifice fly to take a 5-0 lead.

The Paladins began their comeback in the fifth behind Ohmstede, who delivered an RBI single to score Abrams.

Furman tallied twice in the sixth to make it a 5-3 game and cut it to 5-4 in the seventh on Ohmstede’s first of two home runs in the game, a solo shot over the green monster in left field off of Davidson reliever Matt Saeta.

The Paladins play at Georgia on Tuesday in a 5 p.m. game. Davidson hosts Cornell on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

 

Elon 8, UNCG 4

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Elon baseball team completed a three-game sweep of UNCG with an 8-4 Southern Conference victory at UNCG Baseball Stadium on Sunday behind an early offensive outburst and strong pitching.

Elon (11-8, 5-4 SoCon) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in its first at bat. Sebastian Gomez opened the game with a walk and scored on an Alex Swim triple to right-center. Swim then came in on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Antonio Alvarez.

The Phoenix extended its lead to 5-0 in the second inning after a two-out error allowed Tyler McVicar to reach safely. After Chris Schaedel singled, Gomez grounded one back up the middle to plate McVicar. Swim's single drove home Schaedel before Gomez came home on an Alvarez double.

UNCG (8-10, 0-3) got one back in the second on a Benigno Marrero single.

The score remained 5-1 until the fourth when the Maroon and Gold struck for three more. McVicar began this rally with a single through the left side and headed to second on a Schaedel single. Once Gomez had sacrificed the runners up 90 feet, Swim picked up his third and fourth RBI of the game with a double down the right-field line. With Swim on third after a stolen base, Alvarez bounced one up the middle to drive in Elon's eighth run of the contest.

The Spartans tacked on a single run in both the fifth and eighth to make it 8-3. UNCG tried for a ninth-inning comeback as Ray Crawford started things off with a double down the right-field line. Trevor Edwards' one-out single put runners on the corners before Lloyd Enzor singled home Crawford to make it 8-4. David Whitehead then got Cambric Moye to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game and finish off the Elon sweep.

Spencer Medick (2-1) provided the Phoenix with a quality start, going 6 2/3 innings and allowing two runs on eight hits. He struck out eight.

Eight UNCG pitchers were used in the contest, none lasting longer than 1 2/3 innings. Starter Dylan Thompson (1-3) took the loss after surrendering five runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings.

Swim led Elon's offense by going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBI. He was a homer shy of the cycle and climbed into fifth place on the program's all-time hits chart with 243. Alvarez drove in three with a 2-for-3 day at the plate. Gomez, Schaedel and Ryan Kinsella all had two-hit games for the Phoenix.

Elon will be back in action at Latham Park at 2 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon against the Princeton Tigers.

UNCG hits the road to face NC State on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

 

Cornell 8, Appalachian State 4

BOONE, N.C. – Cornell scored five runs in the top of the ninth inning to rally past Appalachian State, 8-4, on Sunday afternoon at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.

With a 4-3 lead going into the ninth, Appalachian State (10-7) sent senior closer Rob Marcello to the mound to seal the victory. However, Marcello, who not been tagged with an earned run yet this season, walked the first three batters he faced before Spenser Souza launched a full-count pitch into the Cornell bullpen in right field for a grand slam that gave the Big Red a 7-4 lead.

Cornell (6-5) would go on to add a fifth run later in the frame when Appalachian freshman center fielder Jaylin Davis dropped the would-be third out for a two-base, run-scoring error.

The Mountaineers tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the ninth, bringing the tying run on deck with one out. However, Cornell’s Matt Horton came on to retire the only two batters he faced to earn the save in his first appearance of the season.

Prior to Cornell’s ninth-inning comeback, Appalachian State put together a rally of its own earlier in the game when it overcame a 3-2 deficit to take the 4-3 lead it held until the top of the ninth. Will Callaway and Hector Crespo provided the Mountaineers’ tying and go-ahead runs with RBI singles in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively.

Despite Callaway’s and Crespo’s big base hits, the story of Appalachian’s comeback from the 3-2 deficit was the pitching of sophomore reliever Taylor Thurber. Thurber retired all 12 batters that he faced in four perfect innings out of the bullpen to allow the Mountaineers to remain within striking distance and eventually take the lead. With the four flawless innings of relief, Thurber lowered his ERA to a team-best 1.50.

Callaway and Crespo finished with two hits apiece to lead Appalachian State’s nine-hit attack. Souza and J.D. Whetsel each had two hits to pace Cornell, which scored its eight runs on just seven hits.

Appalachian State returns to action on Tuesday with its sixth straight nonconference tilt at local rival North Carolina A&T. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at historic War Memorial Stadium in Greensboro, N.C.