Georgia Southern 8, UNCG 4
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG baseball team took an early lead Thursday against No. 22 Georgia Southern but could not hold on as the Eagles captured an 8-4 Southern Conference victory at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
The Spartans fall to 12-13 overall and 1-6 in league play while GSU is now 18-7 and 9-1 – extending its winning streak to eight games.
Redshirt freshman infielder Nin Marrero was 2-for-4 at the dish to lead the Blue and Gold while a quartet of Spartans recorded RBI in the contest. Senior outfielder Zach Leach and sophomore outfielder Eric Kalbfleisch tallied a hit and scored a run as well.
The teams combined for 28 strikeouts in the contest as both starting pitchers were dealing early. Sophomore RHP Max Povse, who lost his first decision of the season (1-1), fanned a career-high nine batters in five complete innings. He allowed five runs, of which only two were earned. Georgia Southern racked up nine hits to UNCG’s seven while the Spartans committed four costly errors.
The Eagles began the scoring in the top of the second when Tyler Avera grounded out with two outs and plated Robbie Dodds. Responding quickly, the Spartans loaded the bases with no outs as senior infielder Lloyd Enzor drew a leadoff walk before Kalbfleisch and junior catcher Cambric Moye laced singles up the middle and to left field. A single to right field by senior outfielder Zach Leach scored the first run and senior infielder TJ Spina followed with a sacrifice fly to left to give UNCG a 2-1 advantage after two complete.
The pitchers settled down through the fourth inning before Georgia Southern scored an opportunistic three runs in the fifth to move ahead 4-2. Chase Griffin hit a ball off Povse’s right leg and it rolled into left field to allow Stryker Brown to score from second with one out. Ben Morgan was thrown out at third on the play and the Spartans looked to end the inning catching Griffin in a run down between second and third with two away. However, Marrero dropped the ball trying to nab the runner and Griffin was safe at third. Griffin then scored on a wild pitch before Dodds doubled to bring home T.D. Davis to complete the inning’s scoring.
With two away in the sixth, a throwing error by senior RHP Dominique Vattuone allowed Brent Pugh to score from third as he had taken the base on a balk after drawing a leadoff walk and moving over to second on a sacrifice bunt by Avera.
UNCG pulled a run back in the seventh on a RBI single by senior outfielder Christian Wolfe, making the score 5-3, but the Eagles essentially put the game away in the eighth scoring two runs on three hits. Senior infielder Trevor Edwards drew the Blue and Gold to within 7-4 with a leadoff home run in the eighth – his team-leading seventh of the season and 33rd of his career. Another two-out run for the nationally ranked Eagles in the ninth provided the final score.
Presbyterian 10, Furman 8
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Presbyterian took advantage of a pair of Furman errors to score its first five runs on the way to a 10-8 victory over the Paladins in the opening game of a three-game baseball series Thursday evening at Latham Stadium.
The two teams will play at 3 p.m. Friday at PC before returning to Latham Stadium for Saturday's finale, which is set for 4 p.m.
Furman's defensive mistakes overshadowed a two-home run performance by Paladin senior center fielder Will Muzika, who went 2-for-3 and scored three runs in upping his career clout tally to 26 – the sixth highest total in program history.
Paladin senior outfielder Taylor Johnson also homered and stroked a two-run double, part of a 2-for-5, three-RBI game for Furman (15-10), which suffered its fourth consecutive loss.
The Blue Hose (17-10), winners of four straight, erased a 1-0 deficit by scoring three runs in the second inning after Paladin shortstop Matt Towarnicky's throw sailed wide of first base and allowed two runs to score Ryan Hagan, who reached on the miscue and advanced to third on the play, scored on a Jay Lizanich sacrifice fly to give PC a 3-1 lead.
PC made it 5-1 in the fourth, plating two more unearned runs following another Paladin throwing error. With two outs and Cam McRae at second base, Furman third baseman Chris Ohmstede fielded a ground ball to his left but his throw to first was wide of the mark and allowed McRae to trot home for a 4-1 lead. Lizanich, who reached and advanced to second on the error, later came home on Billy Montroni's single to left field.
Furman cut it to 5-2 in the fourth on a Griffin Davis double that drove home Alex Abrams.
After PC went up 6-2 with a run in the fifth, the Paladins answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame, highlighted by Johnson's two-run double to right center field off Blue Hose starting pitcher Beau Dees.
The Blue Hose, however, kept the pressure on by scoring twice in both the sixth and seventh to stretch their advantage to 10-6.
Furman cut it to 10-7 with an Ohmstede sacrifice fly in the seventh and made it 10-8 in the ninth on Johnson's leadoff home run, but Blue Hose reliever Brett Byrum, who worked the final four innings, recovered by retiring the next three Paladin batters to nail down the win and notch his first save of the season.
Both teams banged out 10 hits in the game. For PC, its six thru nine hitters of Nathan Chong, Hagan, Lizanich, and Montroni, who entered the contest sporting a combined batting average of .217, combined to score seven runs and collect five hits, four RBI, a three stolen bases.
PC starting pitcher Beau Dees (4-2) picked up the victory after working five innings and allowing five runs, only three of which were earned, on seven hits, and two walks. He fanned two.
Furman starter Elliott Warford (0-4) took the loss. Six runs crossed the plate in his four-plus innings on the mound, but only one was earned. He surrendered six hits and two walks while striking out two.
Samford/College of Charleston schedule adjusted
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Due to projected inclement weather, the Samford baseball team will now play a doubleheader against College of Charleston on Friday afternoon, beginning at 4 p.m. (CT) at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
The teams will wrap up the series with a single game Saturday at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
The Bulldogs enter the weekend with a record of 15-10 overall and 5-4 in Southern Conference play. Last weekend, Samford swept Furman in a three-game series, defeating the Paladins by scores of 9-1, 9-4 and 16-6.
The Cougars are currently 13-11 overall and 4-4 in the SoCon after a 3-1 loss to 14th-ranked South Carolina on Tuesday. Last weekend, Charleston split two games with Appalachian State, with the third game being rained out.