Appalachian State 5, College of Charleston 2
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. – Appalachian State’s Jaylin Davis hit a two-run homer in the first inning and the Mountaineers led the rest of the way in a 5-2 win over College of Charleston on Friday.
The Cougars (12-10, 3-4) lost their third SoCon game in the last four at home, while Appalachian State (12-7, 4-3) pulled out the victory by holding Charleston to just two runs on seven hits.
Matt Pegler (1-1) picked up his first loss of the season as he went six innings, allowing just three runs on five hits with two walks and a strikeout.
Jamie Nunn (5-1) also had a quality start for Appalachian State, picking up the win after going seven innings with just two runs allowed, striking out six.
Ryan Welke and Morgan Phillips picked up RBI for the Cougars in the seventh inning, while Davis and Hector Crespo led Appalachian State’s offensive effort with two-RBI hits, one in the first inning and one in the ninth inning.
Davis put the Mountaineers up 2-0 in the first inning with a two-run homer to left that scored Crespo. The Mountaineers added another run in the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly from Noah Holmes that scored Will Callaway.
The Cougars could not get the offense going until the seventh inning, when Alex Pastorius hit a one-out double to left field and came home on a single from Welke. Lorenzo Wright pinch-ran for Welke and came all the way around to score on a double from Phillips. It was Phillips’ sixth hit since becoming a starter six days ago, and all of his hits have been doubles.
A groundout from Butler and strikeout from Gunnar Heidt ended the CofC threat in the seventh inning, but the score was cut to 3-2.
Appalachian State put the game away with two insurance runs in the ninth inning off of reliever Blake Ross. With runners on second and third, Crespo doubled to left-center and scored Brandon Burris and William Head, making the margin 5-2.
College of Charleston will look to even the series on Saturday afternoon. The game is still currently scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
Western Carolina 7, Elon 5
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina rallied to score three runs in the home half of the third inning to claim a lead it would never relinquish, upending the Elon Phoenix, 7-5, to take game one of the three-game Southern Conference series Friday afternoon at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
WCU (13-9, 5-2 SoCon) had three players post multiple-hit games with a trio driving in two runs apiece in halting a six-game home losing skid to Elon that dated back to 2009. Catamount pitching recorded 14 strikeouts on Friday, just two shy of its seasonal high. It was the seventh time this season WCU has posted double-digit Ks in a game.
Game two of the three-game series is scheduled for a 2 p.m. first pitch on Saturday afternoon. Fans are encouraged to check CatamountSports.com for any weather-related schedule changes.
Starter Jeremy Null (2-1) fanned seven Phoenix batters through six innings of works, surrendering four runs while scattering six hits and walking two. The bullpen did its job as freshman Alex Barr allowed one run in a hitless inning of relief with two Ks, while Tyler Powell struck out two of the batters he retired, benefiting from a strikeout, caught-stealing double play in the eighth.
Senior closer Preston Hatcher earned his fifth save of the season, working around a leadoff walk and a one-out single that put runners at the corners. The Atlanta, Ga., native struck out the side in the ninth to secure the series-opening victory for the Catamounts. Hatcher earned his 15th career save, moving him into a tie for sixth all-time in WCU’s record books, matching former right-handed closer Daniel Ottone (15 saves, 2007-10).
Junior Julian Ridings paced the Catamounts with a perfect 3-for-3 showing at the dish, including his fourth double of the season. The Shelby, N.C., native added a stolen base and a sacrifice bunt, raising his seasonal average to .423. His classmate, Aaron Attaway, joined him with three hits in a 3-for-4 showing, scoring three runs and swiping two bags in the win.
WCU’s RBI leader, Tyler White, added two more markers to his tally, finishing 2-for-3 while, Bradley Strong hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot to right field in the fourth inning that helped propel the Catamounts to the victory.
Elon (12-9, 5-5 SoCon) opened scoring in the top of the first inning, tallying two runs after WCU had recorded two outs. Antonio Alvarez doubled down the left-field line ahead of Ryan Kinsella, who homered to right field to give the Phoenix a 2-0 lead.
Friday’s game marked just the fifth time this season the Phoenix has scored in the first frame.
The Catamounts responded in the bottom of the first as Ridings put the home squad on the board with an RBI single up the middle to score Attaway, who singled off the first pitch he saw to open the inning.
All told on the year, WCU has outscored its opponents now 28-9 in the first inning.
In the third, Western Carolina managed to push across three runs on three hits and took advantage of an Elon error on the first batter, Strong. Attaway put runners at the corners with his second single of the outing with White bringing home the tying run on a run-scoring single through the right side. Ridings tallied his second RBI of the game with a double down the right-field line with a throw behind the play to try and catch Ridings off the bag at second allowing White to scamper home for the 4-2 lead.
Strong’s two-run homer an inning later made it a four-run game at 6-2 through four complete.
Elon chipped away at the Catamount advantage with a two-spot in the top of the fifth as Blaine Bower singled and later scored on a wild pitch with Alex Swim doubling down the right-field line and later scoring on an infield fielding error. The Phoenix trimmed the advantage back to one in the top of the seventh without recording a hit. Swim walked to open the inning before moving around to third on a pair of wild pitches before scoring on an infield groundout.
Western Carolina got that run back, though, in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by White, scoring Attaway, who reached with his third single of the ball game to provide the final tally, 7-5.
Elon starter Dylan Clark (2-2) took the loss after surrendering all seven runs – only five of which were earned – on nine hits through 6 2/3 innings of work. Clark recorded two of Elon’s three strikeouts in the game. Reliever Jordan Darnell worked through the final inning and a third without allowing a run or hit.
Offensively for Elon, Swim was on base three times – scoring twice – with two hits in a 2-for-4 showing with a walk. Blaine Bower finished 2-for-3 with a walk while Joey Tomko was 2-for-4. Kinsella drove in three of Elon’s runs, including the two-run home run.
Saturday’s game features WCU redshirt senior left-hander Morgan McKinney (1-1, 1.47 ERA) against Elon right-hander Kyle Webb (1-0, 2.51 ERA) with first pitch slated for 2 p.m.
Georgia Southern 6, Davidson 4
STATESBORO, Ga. – Chase Griffin drove in a run in the fifth inning and Justin Hess threw 2 2/3 shutout innings to secure a 6-4 Georgia Southern win over the visiting Davidson Wildcats to open a three-game Southern Conference series.
Georgia Southern (14-7, 6-1) got 6 1/3 solid innings from starter Sam Howard, who left the game with a one-run lead. Howard (4-2) earned the win after allowing four runs on six hits and striking out seven. Hess held Davidson (8-12, 4-6) hitless and struck out four to earn his third save. The senior right-hander also left a pair of runners stranded in scoring position in the seventh inning.
Ryan Lowe (2-3) took the loss after surrendering five runs over 6 1/3 innings. Lowe allowed five hits and two walks while striking out seven batters.
Davidson took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two-out home run by Andrew Barna before GSU responded with four runs in the third inning. The first three Eagle hitters all reached base and all three scored on back-to-back sacrifice flies from Ben Morgan and Chase Griffin and a home run from T.D. Davis.
The Wildcats tied the contest in the fifth inning after scoring two more two-out runs. Sam Foy provided the big hit, a double down the left-field line, to plate Chris Dyer and Andrew Pope. Georgia Southern retook the lead in the bottom half of the inning after Scooter Williams scored on a base hit from Chase Griffin.
The Eagles added an insurance run in the eighth inning to extend their lead to two runs. Robbie Dodds drew a two-out walk and scored on a double from Stryker Brown. Brown, who pinch-hit for Arthur Owens in the sixth inning, recorded two hits in two at-bats.
The three-game series against Davidson continues Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Freshman left-hander Jason Richman will take the mound against the Wildcats' Danny Mooney.
Samford 9, Furman 1 (game two)
Samford 9, Furman 4 (game two)
GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Samford baseball team swept a Southern Conference doubleheader at Furman Friday afternoon at Latham Stadium. The Bulldogs defeated the Paladins by scores of 9-1 and 9-4.
In the first game, C.K. Irby (4-2) pitched a complete game and tied a Samford record with 16 strikeouts, while allowing no walks. The 16 strikeouts tied a record set by Josh Ehmke on May 13, 2006, at Tennessee Tech.
In addition to his performance on the mound, Irby led the Bulldogs at the plate, as well. He went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBI. Phillip Ervin went 2-for-5 with a home run and an RBI. Austin Allison also hit a home run in the first game, going 1-for-5 at the plate.
For Furman in game one, Andrew MacLatchie drove in the Paladins’ lone run with a solo home run in his only at-bat of the game. Nate Smith (2-1) pitched seven innings, striking out eight batters and walking three to take the loss on the mound for Furman.
In game one, Samford jumped on top first with four runs in the top of the second inning. Ervin led off the inning with a home run to left field for the game’s first run. With two outs in the inning, Brandon Haarer and Richard Greene singled, and Frankie Navarrete walked to load the bases. Allison then reached base on an error, and Haarer and Greene scored on the play for a 3-0 Samford lead. Navarrete then stole home on a double steal in which Allison took second base and Samford took a 4-0 lead.
The Bulldogs added a run in the third inning to push their lead to 5-0. Irby and Ervin led the inning off with back-to-back singles. With one out in the inning, Caleb Bryson singled to drive in Irby for a five-run Samford lead.
Samford plated another run in the top of the seventh inning. Allison led the inning off with his first home run of the season to give Samford a 6-0 lead. The Bulldogs also scored a run in the eighth inning. Christiaan Durdaller singled and later scored when Greene reached base on a fielder’s choice for a 7-0 Samford lead.
The Bulldogs added two final runs in the top of the ninth inning. Irby hit a two-run home run to make the score 9-0.
Furman got on the scoreboard with a run in the bottom of the ninth inning. MacLatchie led the inning off with a home run to make the final score 9-1.
In game two, Samford was led by Ervin, who went 4-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Durdaller went 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Bryson went 2-for-5 with two RBI.
Alex Milazzo (4-0) pitched five innings, allowing four runs, just one earned, on eight hits to earn the win on the mound. Milazzo struck out seven batters and overcame an early three-run deficit to get the win. Parker Curry, Andres Gracia and Arthur Strauss split the final four innings to close out the game and secure the win in game two for Samford.
For Furman in game two, Chris Ohmstede and Jordan Simpson had two hits each. Elliott Warford (0-3) pitched 3 1/3 innings in relief, allowing four runs on five hits to take the loss on the mound for the Paladins.
Samford jumped on top first again in game two, plating a run in the top of the first inning. Allison led the inning off with a single and later scored on a single by Ervin for a 1-0 lead.
Furman tied the game with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Hunter Burton singled with one out in the inning. Burton then scored on a double by Paul Nitto to make the score 1-1.
The Paladins added three unearned runs in the second inning to take a 4-1 lead. Ohmstede singled to lead off the inning and later scored on a Samford error for the first run of the inning. Simpson also singled and later scored on a Samford error, with Will Muzika scoring on the same play for a three-run Furman lead.
Samford came back with three runs in the top of the third inning to tie the score at 4-4. Allison walked to lead off the inning and later scored on a Furman error for the first run of the inning. Durdaller later singled to drive in Tommy Corbin and Ervin to tie the score.
The Bulldogs took the lead again with two runs in the top of the fifth inning. Corbin scored the inning’s first run when Patrick McGavin reached base on a fielder’s choice. The final run of the inning was scored when Durdaller hit a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in Irby for a 6-4 Samford lead.
Samford added two more runs in the top of the seventh inning to make the score 8-4. Bryson singled to drive in Ervin and Brandon Powell for a four-run Samford lead. The Bulldogs added one final run in the top of the ninth inning to push their lead to 9-4. Bryson singled to drive in Ervin for the final run of the game.
With the sweep, Samford improved to 14-10 overall and 4-4 in Southern Conference play. Furman dropped to 15-8 overall and 5-6 in league play.
Samford and Furman will wrap up their three-game series with a single game Saturday afternoon. The game is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. from Latham Stadium.
UNCG 10, Wofford 9 (game one)
Wofford 4, UNCG 1 (game two)
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford College baseball team split a doubleheader with UNCG on Friday night at Russell C. King Field. In the first game, the Spartans scored six runs in the second inning on the way to a 10-9 victory. Jesse Morris struck out 15 batters in the second game to lead the Terriers to a 4-1 win.
Wofford is now 10-14 on the season and 2-6 in the Southern Conference. UNCG is 11-11 overall and 1-4 in conference play.
In game one, the Spartans loaded the bases in the top of the second on a catcher’s interference, hit by pitch and walk. A double by Zac MacAneney drove in two runs and Benigno Marrero reached on an error that allowed two more runs to score. An RBI single from Ray Crawford made it a 5-0 score. The Spartans added a run on a sacrifice fly by Eric Kalbfleisch for a 6-0 lead.
The Terriers loaded the bases in the bottom of the second and a single by Matthew Kaskow drove in one run. A groundout by Alec Paradowski added a run, while a wild pitch allowed Wofford to cut the lead to 6-3 after two innings. Neither team scored in the third or fourth innings.
In the bottom of the fifth, Josh Hyman had a double and scored on a single up the middle by James Plaisted. Matthew Pelt struck out but reached first on a passed ball and Plaisted was able to score. Luke Feisal made it to first after a fielding error and Pelt crossed home plate on the play to tie the game at 6.
After the Spartans left one runner on base in the top of the sixth inning, Wofford had runners at second and third with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. Hyman beat out a throw on an infield single that scored Matt Moore to give the Terriers a 7-6 lead.
The Spartans loaded the bases in the top of the seventh on a double and two walks. A single by Lloyd Enzor drove in the tying run. MacAneney hit a two-run single and a sacrifice bunt by Marrero gave the Spartans a 10-7 advantage. After a scoreless eighth, the Terriers opened the bottom of the ninth with a double by Paradowski. A single by Seth Neely scored Paradowki to make it a 10-8 score and a single by Plaisted cut the lead to one run, but that was as close as the Terriers could get.
Wofford starter Brandon Yarusi went 6 1/3 innings and allowed seven runs on six hits with two strikeouts. J.D. Osborne (1-1) gave up two runs on two walks. Matt Milburn threw 2/3 of an inning and gave up one run on two hits with one strikeout. Will Stillman went the final two innings and allowed one hit with two strikeouts.
UNCG starter Max Povse went five innings and gave up six runs, four of them earned, on five hits with three strikeouts. Tyler Frazier (1-2) threw 3 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on four hits with one strikeout. Dylan Hathcock picked up his third save of the season with 2/3 of an inning on the mound with one hit allowed and one strikeout.
In the second game, Wofford got on the board in the bottom of the first inning when Paradowki walked and stole second. He scored on a single to right field by Neely for a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the second, the Terriers took advantage of two errors and Clark Wise scored for a 2-0 advantage.
With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Wofford loaded the bases with two singles and a walk before a strikeout ended the scoring chance. In the bottom of the sixth the Terriers added two singles but could not add a run.
In the bottom of the seventh, Paradowski led off with an error. A double to right-center by Neely scored Paradowski for a 3-0 lead. Neely stole third and scored on a bunt single by Plaisted to make it a 4-0 game. The Spartans had a double to lead off the top of the eighth and a double by Zach Leach drove in MacAneney for a 4-1 score.
The Terriers led off the bottom of the eighth with a double by Matthew Ramsay down the left line, but a double play erased the base runner. Moore added a double with two outs, but he was stranded at third. The Spartans left one runner on base in the top of the ninth to end the contest.
Wofford starter Morris (4-1) went a season-high 7 2/3 innings and allowed one run on five hits. His 15 strikeouts were a career high and set a new Wofford Division I-era record. The previous mark was 10, set eight times and most recently by Morris against Marshall earlier this season. The 15 strikeouts were the most for a Wofford pitcher since 1973. Eric Eck picked up his fifth save of the season with 1 1/3 innings on the mound and two strikeouts.
UNCG starter Lee Gilliam (1-1) worked six innings and allowed only two runs on six hits with six strikeouts. Dominique Vattuone went two innings and gave up two runs on four hits with two strikeouts.
Wofford and UNCG will complete the three-game series on Saturday at 3 p.m., weather permitting.
The Citadel 6, Charleston Southern 4
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Hughston Armstrong had three hits, including a sixth-inning single which drove in Brett Bullard with the go-ahead run, in The Citadel's 6-4 victory over Charleston Southern in the opener of a three-game set Friday at Riley Park.
The Bulldogs (15-9) snapped a two-game losing streak and posted their eighth straight win over the Bucs (8-15) at Riley Park. The middle game of the series is Saturday at CSU Ballpark at 11:30 a.m. and the finale is back at The Joe on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Game times are subject to change due to the possibility of inclement weather in the Charleston area. Go to CitadelSports.com for updates on this weekend's schedule.
The Citadel and CSU are playing their first three-game weekend series since the Bucs took two of three at Riley Park in 2005, which was the last time they won in the Bulldogs' home stadium.
The tiebreaking hit by Armstrong made a winner of Zach Sherrill, who earned his first career win in his 19th appearance of the season, a mark that leads all of Division I baseball. Sherrill worked 1 1/3 innings of shutout relief, allowing only one hit.
David Rivera pitched a perfect eighth before Skylar Hunter finished up for his sixth save of the year. Hunter allowed two hits and a run with one strikeout and got Robbie Streett to line out to right with two on and two outs to finally secure the win.
CSU starter Ryan Gunther (2-3) took the loss, giving up seven hits and four runs while walking four and striking out three in six innings.
The Bucs battled back from a 3-0 deficit with a run in the fifth and two in the sixth against Citadel starter Austin Pritcher. In the bottom of the sixth, Bullard singled with one out and stole second. With two down in the inning, Armstrong bounced a single through the right side to plate Bullard to give the Bulldogs a 4-3 lead.
The Citadel added to its lead with a run in the seventh on an RBI single by Johnathan Stokes and another tally in the eighth, when three walks loaded the bases and Bo Thompson was hit by a pitch.
Pritcher was staked to a 3-0 lead but was denied his fourth win of the year when CSU tied it in the sixth on a bases loaded walk followed by an infield single. Pritcher surrendered seven hits and three runs, walked four and fanned four in 5 2/3 innings.
The Bulldogs got on the board first in the bottom of the second when Tyler Griffin walked and scored on a base hit by Calvin Orth. Armstrong doubled in a run and Mason Davis added an RBI single in the fourth to give The Citadel its early three-run lead.
Davis had two hits to raise his career-long hitting streak to 11 games. Thompson saw his nine-game streak come to an end but the hit-by-pitch did allow him to continue his run of having reached base in all 20 of his games this season and 23 in a row dating back to the end of the 2012 campaign.