Elon 8, Western Carolina 5
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Quinn Bower had a career-best four hits and the Elon bullpen logged 3 2/3 scoreless innings as the Phoenix picked up an 8-5 victory over the Western Carolina Catamounts on Saturday to even the Southern Conference series at a game apiece.
Elon (13-9, 6-5 SoCon) never trailed in the game as the Phoenix jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Antonio Alvarez's three-run home run in the top of the first. The Maroon and Gold stretched its lead to 6-0 in the top of the third. Joey Tomko led off the third with a double before scoring on a one-out single off the bat of Wil Leathers that left runners on first and second. After a walk loaded the bases, Niko Fraser singled to center, driving home two runs.
The Catamounts (13-10, 5-3) came back with a three-run third of their own as Aaron Attaway delivered a three-run homer to left.
Western Carolina clawed back with solo runs in the fourth and sixth innings to pull within a run. Adam Martin doubled to left center field to drive home Austin Neary who reached on a one-out single through the left side to make it 6-4 in the fourth. Then in the sixth, Jones drove a single to center to bring home Strong from third who had also reached on a one-out single to make it 6-5.
From there, Elon tacked on an insurance run in the seventh when Bower singled home pinch-runner Sebastian Gomez from second. The Phoenix added a final run on a Bower infield single in the ninth as Gomez scored for the second time in the game.
Kyle Webb (2-0) was the winning pitcher after allowing five runs on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings. The final 10 outs were recorded by Andrew MacDonald, who struck out a career-high four hitters to earn his first save of the season.
Taking the loss was Morgan McKinney (1-2). McKinney did not make it out of the third and allowed six runs on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings.
Joining Bower with multi-hit games were Tomko (2-for-5) and Fraser (2-for-3).
Five Catamounts posted two-hit games on Saturday as WCU out-hit the Phoenix, 13-to-12. Martin led the way with a 2-for-3 outing, reaching three times as he was hit by a pitch in the third. Left-handed hitters Cody Jones and Bradley Strong finished 2-for-4 at the plate while Attaway and Julian Ridings collected two hits apiece, both going 2-for-5.
The rubber match of this series will be played on Sunday at 2 p.m. The game time was pushed back one hour from the original start time of 1 p.m. due to the threat of rain.
Georgia Southern 3, Davidson 2
STATESBORO, Ga. – Scooter Williams threw out the potential tying run at the plate as the Georgia Southern Eagles defeated the Davidson Wildcats in a pitchers’ duel 3-2 to secure their third Southern Conference series win in as many attempts.
Jason Richman (4-1) bounced back from an eight-run outing at Samford to allow just two runs – one earned – over 8 1/3 innings. Richman helped Georgia Southern (15-7, 7-1) extend its home winning streak to seven games after allowing just five hits and striking out eight. Matt McCall picked up his third save of the season after allowing two hits and recording a strikeout.
Davidson (8-13, 4-7) cut the Eagles’ two-run lead down to one after scoring a single run in the ninth inning with a two-out double from pinch-hitter Ty Middlebrooks. With the tying run on base, Aaron Ruzinsky singled through the left side but an on-target throw by Williams and a good catch and tag by Chase Griffin recorded the final out at home plate.
The eighth GSU win in the series by three runs or less handed Danny Mooney (3-2) his second loss of the season. Mooney recorded a quality start but allowed the game-deciding two-run homer to Brent Pugh in the fourth inning. Mooney struck out eight and surrendered seven hits and three runs over 7 2/3 innings.
Georgia Southern struck first and led the entire ball game after Pugh drove in the first of his three runs with an infield single. T.D. Davis scored the run after leading off the inning with a double.
Stryker Brown singled with two outs in the fourth inning before Pugh hit his second career home run over the fence in center field to put the Eagles ahead 3-0. It was the first of two hits for Brown, who finished with a walk and a run scored.
Davidson scratched across its first run of the contest in the sixth inning. Andrew Barna recorded a two-out single to score David Daniels, who reached on an error. Richman retired five straight batters after the base hit and worked around a double and a walk to record a scoreless eighth frame.
The three-game series against Davidson concludes tomorrow at 1:30 p.m.
Wofford 3, UNCG 2
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford College baseball team defeated UNCG 3-2 on Saturday afternoon at Russell C. King Field. The Terriers scored one run each in the second, fourth and fifth innings on the way to the series win.
Wofford is now 11-14 on the season and 3-6 in the Southern Conference. UNCG is 11-12 overall and 1-5 in conference play. The Terriers were led by Luke Feisal with four hits and two RBI, while James Plaisted added three hits. The Spartans had two hits and an RBI from Benigno Marrero.
Both teams left one runner on base in the first inning. In the top of the second, Ray Crawford singled and moved to second on a groundout. Marrero singled to right field, but Crawford was thrown out at home. Crawford was also ejected from the game on the play after running over Terrier catcher Luke Feisal. Wofford led off the bottom of the second with a double by Plaisted. A walk to Matthew Ramsay and a groundout gave the Terriers runners at second and third. Luke Feisal hit a single to right field to score Plaisted for a 1-0 lead.
The Spartans tied the game in the top of the third when a single by Eric Kalbfleisch scored Sean Guite from third. UNCG left the bases loaded to end its half of the inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Matthew Pelt reached on a fielder’s choice. A double by Feisal down the right-field line scored Pelt to give the Terriers a 2-1 advantage.
After UNCG left one on base in the top of the fifth, the Terriers led off with a single by Matthew Kaskow. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a single by Seth Neely with two outs. A single by Plaisted and a walk to Ramsay loaded the bases, but all three runners were stranded.
After a scoreless seventh, UNCG had a double by Lloyd Enzor and a double by Marrero scored Enzor for a 3-2 score after eight innings. In the top of the ninth, the Spartans had one runner reach base on an error before a strikeout ended the game.
Wofford starter Luke Leftwich (2-2) threw 5 2/3 innings and allowed only one run on four hits with seven strikeouts, matching his career high. Eric Eck recorded his sixth save of the season by going 1 2/3 innings without allowing a hit and two strikeouts.
UNCG starter Corey Taylor (0-3) went 4 2/3 innings with three runs allowed on seven hits with five strikeouts. Ryan Clark threw the final 3 1/3 innings and did not allow a run on two hits.
Wofford will begin a nine-game road trip on Wednesday night at USC Upstate before heading to Boone, N.C., for a three-game series at Appalachian State starting on Friday night.
The Spartans return to the diamond Tuesday when they take on crosstown neighbor North Carolina A&T at NewBridge Bank Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Samford 16, Furman 6
GREENVILLE, S.C. – C.K. Irby went 4-for-5, scored four times and drove in three runs to power Samford to a 16-6 victory over Furman on Saturday afternoon in the final game of a three-game Southern Conference baseball series at Latham Stadium.
The victory completed the series sweep for Samford (15-10, 5-4 SoCon) and handed Furman (15-9, 5-7 SoCon) its fifth straight loss in league play.
The Bulldogs pounded out 15 hits, took advantage of 12 walks by Paladin pitching and scored five unearned runs on a pair of Furman errors.
Samford led 7-6 going to the eighth inning but blew the game open with five runs, all of which were charged to Paladin reliever Matt Solter. Zeth Stone’s triple led off the inning, and he trotted home on an Irby triple into right center field that also plated Tommy Corbin. After a pair of walks loaded the bases, Caleb Bryson singled home Irby, and Brandon Haarer followed with a two-run single to give the Bulldogs a 12-6 lead.
Samford tacked on four more in the ninth on a Bryson grand slam to left field off of Furman’s Ryan Morse.
Bryson finished with five RBI, going 2-for-6 at the plate. Drew McWhorter had three hits and drove in two runs, and Corbin, Phillip Ervin and Christian Durdaller scored three runs apiece for the Bulldogs.
Chris Ohmsted led Furman’s 10-hit attack with a 3-for-5 performance, and Alex Abrams had two hits, including a triple, and scored three runs for the Paladins.
A Furman error in the first inning gave Samford a 2-0 lead against Paladin starting pitcher Tyler Wood.
Jordan Simpson’s two-run single in the second off of Bulldogs starter Eric Wright keyed a four-run frame that was aided by two Samford miscues.
Furman led 5-3 after three before another Paladin error in the fifth led to three unearned runs. With one out and Irby at first, Simpson fielded Durdaller’s sharp grounder to second base but dropped the ball as he pivoted to make the throw to retire Irby. Three batters later, McWhorter singled through the left side to score Irby and Durdaller, and Frankie Navarette followed with an RBI single to right center field to give the Bulldogs a 6-5 lead.
A run in the sixth put Samford up 7-5, but after answering with an unearned run in the bottom of the inning to make it 7-6 and loading the bases with one out, Furman saw its chance to tie the game dashed when Bulldog reliever Cole Limbaugh struck out Will Muzika and got Hunter Burton on a ground out.
Limbaugh (2-0), who came on with two outs in the third in relief of Wright, picked up the win after working 5 1/3 innings and surrendering only three hits and an run, which was unearned. He walked one and struck out six.
Drake Browne (1-1) took the loss for Furman, the victim of three unearned runs in the Samford fifth.
Samford will return to action on Friday, when the Bulldogs open a home Southern Conference series with College of Charleston. The first pitch for Friday’s series-opener is set for 6 p.m. (CT) at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
Furman hosts Presbyterian on Thursday at 6 p.m.
College of Charleston 4, Appalachian State 2
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – College of Charleston’s pitching staff allowed just four hits and two unearned runs as the Cougars tied the series with a 4-2 win over Appalachian State on Saturday evening.
College of Charleston (13-10, 4-4) responded from a tough loss on Friday night with runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings before Appalachian State (12-8, 4-4) scored two in the seventh. However, the Mountaineers never pulled even, especially after CofC added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Senior starter Jake Zokan (1-1) picked up his first win of the season with a quality start, pitching 6 2/3 innings and allowing just four hits and two unearned runs. He also struck out eight batters and only walked two Mountaineers. Senior Dre Watts did not allow a hit and struck out four in picking up his third save of the season, finishing the seventh inning and pitching the eighth and ninth innings.
Appalachian State starter Sam Agnew-Wieland (3-2) earned the loss despite a six-inning start with seven strikeouts. He did give up seven Cougar hits and three runs while walking four. Josh Wilson allowed CofC’s insurance run in the eighth inning.
Gunnar Heidt hit his SoCon-leading fourth triple of the season and scored three runs on the game. Brandon Murray went 2-for-4 with two RBI while Bradley Goodson hit a two-out RBI single in the eighth inning. Morgan Phillips knocked two hits and scored a run, and Tyler Jackson had an RBI on two singles.
Brandon Burris tallied two hits for the Mountaineers, while Will Callaway doubled and scored a run. Josh Zumbrook picked up the Mountaineers’ only RBI on a groundout.
CofC scored the first run of the game in the fourth inning after Heidt led off with a triple over the center fielder. He scored on an RBI groundout from Murray to give CofC a 1-0 lead. Ben Boykin walked and advanced to second on a balk but was doubled up after Alex Pastorius lined out to the shortstop.
Phillips singled with two out in the fifth inning and advanced to second after a walk from Blake Butler. Jackson hit a two-out single to right to score Phillips but was caught off first base and Butler was thrown out at home trying to score during the rundown.
Charleston grabbed its largest lead at 3-0 in the sixth inning with another good leadoff at-bat from Heidt as he walked and stole second base. Murray singled him home for his second RBI of the contest. Boykin reached on an infield error and both runners advanced a base after a balk. However, the Cougars stranded them on second and third after two strikeouts and a foul out.
Appalachian State rallied in the top half of the seventh inning after Murray dropped a fly ball in left field that allowed Callaway to reach second base. Callaway came home safely after running before a groundout and deftly rounding third on the throw to first.
After two more singles, Appalachian State scored a run on failed pickoff attempt that went wide, pulling the margin to 3-2.
Heidt scored again in the eighth inning, reaching base as the leadoff hitter for the third time in the game. He stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and came home on Goodson’s two-out RBI single, making it 4-2.
College of Charleston will play in a Sunday rubber game for the fourth straight weekend and third time in conference play.
Game time is currently scheduled for 1 p.m.; however, it could change with impending precipitation. Updates on game time will be available on CofCSports.com and on Twitter, @CofCBaseball.
The Citadel at Charleston Southern, ppd.
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel and Charleston Southern were tied 2-2 heading to the bottom of the second inning Saturday when heavy rains forced the postponement of the middle game of the three-game weekend series.
The game will be made up at a date later this season. The teams are still scheduled to play at Riley Park on Sunday at 1 p.m., weather permitting.
Mason Davis singled and scored on a wild pitch in the first, and the Bulldogs also scored in the second when Johnathan Stokes singled and came across on an error on a grounder off the bat of Davis.
The Bucs scored twice in the bottom of the first on RBI by Robbie Streett and Alex Tomasovich off James Reeves.
None of the stats will count as the game is considered a no-contest.