College of Charleston 15, Charleston Southern 1

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – College of Charleston hit double digits in runs for the fourth time this season and senior Griffin Jones had a quality start to lead the Cougars to a 15-1 win over Charleston Southern.

The win was the third straight for the Cougars (8-5), who swept the season series with Charleston Southern (6-7) by a combined margin of 28-6.

The Cougars scored in all but two innings with 15 runs on 15 hits as every starter managed a hit and all nine either scored a run or tallied an RBI.

Senior starter Jones (1-0) earned the win, going into the seventh inning with just one unearned run allowed, scattering seven hits. Player Loving and Michael Hanzlik combined for five strikeouts in three innings of shutout relief. The Cougars continue to lead the Southern Conference with a 2.43 staff ERA.

Charleston Southern left-handed pitcher Andrew Tomasovich (0-2) took the loss as the Buccaneers used seven different pitchers on the game and all but two position starters were eventually pulled.

As a team, the Cougars scored a season-high 15 runs on a season-best 15 hits, drew seven walks, stole four bases and stranded 13 Charleston Southern runners on base. The Cougars scored runs in all but the second and ninth innings, highlighted by a five-run fourth and a three-run seventh.

CofC’s Bradley Goodson was a perfect 3-for-3 on the day with three runs scored, tying his career high. Goodson also walked, was hit by a pitch twice and swiped two bases. Alex Pastorius went 2-for-3 with a double and three runs scored, and Devon Reed tallied two hits while picking up his first RBI of the season.

Junior Ben Boykin hit a pinch-hit solo home run in the eighth inning for his first long ball in a Cougar uniform. Freshman Carl Wise tallied two RBI for a new career high, while Morgan Phillips registered his first career RBI.

College of Charleston will hit the road this weekend for a SoCon series at Elon. The Phoenix was the preseason favorite in the SoCon coaches poll, while the Cougars led the SoCon media poll. First pitch on Friday is slated for 4 p.m.

 

Furman 11, Coastal Carolina 6

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Taylor Johnson went 4-for-5 and scored a pair of runs and Furman overcame an early five-run deficit to defeat Coastal Carolina, 11-6, in baseball action Wednesday afternoon at Pelican Stadium.

With the victory, the Paladins (10-3) completed the two-game midweek sweep of the Chanticleers (4-8) to post a 4-1 record on their five-game road stretch, which included a SoCon season-opening series win at Elon.  The start is the best by a Furman squad since the 2001 Paladins also posted a 10-3 mark through 13 games.

Furman trailed 4-0 after the first inning and 5-0 after three frames before mounting the comeback – its third of the season from a 5-0 deficit.

Johnson singled and scored the first of five Paladin runs in the fourth that tied the game at 5-5. An inning later the Greer, S.C., product collected two hits as Furman sent 10 batters to the plate and scored five more runs to blow the game open.  Johnson stroked a leadoff double into right-center field gap and scored on an Alex Abrams sacrifice fly to give the Paladins a 6-5 lead, and tacked on the final run of the rally with a single to shortstop that drove home Jordan Simpson for a 10-5 Paladin advantage.

Chris Ohmstede accounted for the Paladins’ 11th unanswered run with his first home run of the season, a solo shot to left field, in the sixth to make it 11-5.  Ohmstede, who entered the game hitting just .130, went 2-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored.

The pitching beneficiary of Furman’s impressive comeback was Abrams (1-0), who made the move from designated hitter to the mound in the fourth and worked 2 2/3 innings, allowing a run on five hits.  The junior from Charleston, S.C., also contributed two RBI in the contest.

Coastal Carolina cut it to 11-6 with a run off of Abrams in the sixth, but the Chanticleers were all but silenced after that by Paladin sophomore left-hander Ryan Morse who, after giving up a two-out single, got Coastal’s Jake Kane on a fly ball to end the inning, and then retired the final nine batters of the game, including four by strikeout.

The save was the first of the season for Morse.

Both teams banged out 13 hits and were charged with two errors.

Coastal’s miscues led to five unearned runs, three of which came in the fourth after a fly ball off the bat of Will Muzika was dropped in right field, allowing Simpson, Ohmstede and Griffin Davis to score.

A Furman throwing error in the first inning led to a pair of unearned runs in a four-run Coastal Carolina first inning against Paladin starting pitcher Matt Plate.

Senior catcher Paul Nitto registered a 3-for-5 performance and scored two runs to extend his SoCon-best hitting streak to 21 games.

Five Chanticleers collected two hits apiece.

The losing pitcher was Patrick Corbett (0-1), who surrendered seven runs, though only four were earned, on seven hits over four-plus innings.  He walked two and fanned a pair.

The Paladins return home to open a three-game Southern Conference series against defending league regular-season champion Appalachian State starting on Friday at 5 p.m.  Saturday’s game is a 4 p.m. start, and first pitch for Sunday’s finale is set for 1 p.m.

 

Samford 7, Alabama A&M 6

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Samford baseball team built a big lead and held on late for a 7-6 win at Alabama A&M on Wednesday afternoon.

With the win, Samford improved to 9-5. Alabama A&M fell to 2-12 with the loss.

For Samford at the plate, C.K. Irby went 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI. Patrick McGavin drove in two runs in a 1-for-4 performance. Luke Leeth (1-0) earned the win on the mound for Samford, pitching one inning, allowing just one hit. Arthur Strauss came on to get the final out to earn his fourth save of the season.

For Alabama A&M, Austin Hulsey went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Bradley Black went 2-for-3 for Alabama A&M. Walton Ashwander (0-1) pitched five innings, allowing five runs on five hits to take the loss on the mound.

Samford jumped on top first with two runs in the top of the first inning. With one out in the inning, Tommy Corbin was hit by a pitch. Irby then reached base on an error, moving Corbin to second base. With two outs in the inning, Irby and Corbin scored when McGavin reached base on another Alabama A&M error to give Samford a 2-0 lead.

Samford pushed its lead to 3-0 with a run in the top of the fourth inning. Caleb Bryson doubled to lead off the inning and later scored on a single by Austin Allison for a three-run Samford lead.

Samford added two runs in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth to make the score 7-0. In the fifth inning, Corbin scored the first run of the inning when Phillip Ervin hit a sacrifice fly to center field. Irby scored the final run of the fifth inning on a double by Christiaan Durdaller. In the sixth inning, Corbin hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Jared Watson, and Irby doubled to drive in Zeth Stone for a seven-run Samford lead.

Alabama A&M put its first run on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out in the inning, Black walked, and later scored on a wild pitch to cut the Samford lead to 7-1.

A&M plated two runs in the seventh inning to make the score 7-3. T.J. Lindsey walked with the bases loaded to drive in Dylan Johnson for the first run of the inning. The inning’s final run scored when Patrick Dodson reached base on a fielder’s choice, driving in Micah Johnson.

Alabama A&M added a run in the eighth inning and two runs in the ninth to cut the Samford lead to 7-6. Hulsey scored the run in the eighth inning on a groundout by Johnson. In the ninth inning, Hulsey singled to drive in Dodson for the first run. Black scored the final run when Jordan Benford reached base on a Samford error to pull Alabama A&M to within one run. Strauss, however, got Cornelius Woods to ground out to end the threat and secure the win for Samford.

Samford will return to action on Friday, when the Bulldogs open Southern Conference play at The Citadel. Friday’s game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. (CT) start from Charleston, S.C.

 

The Citadel 3, Winthrop 1

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Jason Smith singled in two runs, Austin Livingston picked up his first collegiate win and Skylar Hunter fanned three batters in the ninth to earn the save, leading The Citadel to a 3-1 victory over Winthrop on Tuesday night.

The trio of freshmen helped the Bulldogs (8-5) win their third in a row and complete a season sweep over the Eagles (3-9). The Citadel defeated Winthrop 6-4 at Riley Park two weeks ago and has won four in a row over its Upstate rival.

Livingston worked the first 4 2/3 innings in a split-staff game, allowing four hits and one unearned run while walking two and striking out five. He left with two on and two out in the fifth and was charged with Winthrop's only run of the game when Tyler Griffin misplayed a fly ball in right.

Ryan Hines then got Cody Altman to ground out to second to keep the Bulldogs in front 3-1. Kevin Connell worked a perfect sixth but ran into trouble in the seventh. Zach Sherrill escaped the two-on, one-out jam with a strikeout and groundout, and Winthrop never seriously threatened again.

After David Rivera worked a 1-2-3 eighth, Hunter got the first out in the ninth on a fly ball to left and then struck out Max Vogel, but the pinch hitter reached on a wild pitch. Unfazed, Hunter proceeded to fan Michael Patrick and Jace Whitley to finish off the win and pick up his third save of the year.

The game was scoreless in the top of the third when Calvin Orth singled, Hughston Armstrong walked and Mason Davis hit into a fielder's choice to put runners at first and third with two out.

Davis stole second and Smith followed by grounding a single into right to plate Orth and Davis and give The Citadel a 2-0 lead. An error and RBI double by Orth in the fourth made it 3-0.

Orth had two hits while starting his third straight game at first base in place of Bo Thompson, who is still resting a sore ankle. Davis' steal was his ninth in as many attempts while Armstrong had a pair of thefts.

The Citadel opens Southern Conference play this weekend with a three-game series against Samford at Riley Park. Game times are 6 p.m. on Friday, 3:30 on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.

 

Clemson 9, Wofford 2

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford College baseball team was defeated 9-2 by Clemson on Wednesday afternoon at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The Tigers scored three runs each in the fifth and seventh innings to earn the victory.

Wofford is now 7-6 on the season, while Clemson is 7-4. The Terriers were led by Josh Hyman with three hits, including a solo home run. The Tigers were led by Jay Baum with three hits and Shane Kennedy with three hits and three RBI. Steve Duggar added four RBI.

In the top of the first, the Terriers had a double by Hyman, but Matt Ramsay was thrown out at home on the play. Clemson loaded the bases in the bottom of the first. A walk to Duggar brought in the first run of the game, but at the end of the inning, three runners were stranded.

Wofford had a single in the top of the second by Alec Paradowski. Clemson added to the lead with an RBI triple by Shane Kennedy and a sacrifice fly by Duggar for a 3-0 score. The Terriers got on the board in the top of the fourth on a solo home run by Hyman to left center for a 3-1 game.

Clemson added a run in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single from Kennedy for a 4-1 lead. A two-run double by Duggar increased the lead to 6-1. Ramsay had a single for Wofford in the top of the sixth. He stole second and third and scored on a failed pickoff attempt for a 6-2 game.

The Tigers loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning on two singles and a walk. A single by Kennedy drove in one run and a two-run double by Matt Reed pushed the score to 9-2 before a double play ended the inning.

Demetrius Jennings was hit by a pitch to start the eighth inning. Hyman added his third hit of the game, but both runners were left on base. Clemson left one runner on base in the bottom of the eighth inning. Matthew Pelt hit a triple in the top of the ninth but was stranded to end the game.

Wofford starter Dominick Del Monte (0-2) went 4 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on four hits with one strikeout. Tanner Hawley gave up three runs on two hits. Josh Simpson gave up one hit. Connell Anderson went 2/3 of an inning without a hit and one strikeout. Matt Milburn threw an inning with one strikeout. J.D. Osborne gave up three runs on four hits with one strikeout in the seventh inning. Eric Eck worked the eighth and did not allow a hit.

Clemson starter Matthew Crownover (1-0) threw five innings with one run allowed on three hits with three strikeouts. Patrick Andrews went three innings and allowed one unearned run on two hits. Brody Koerner gave up one hit in the ninth inning and had one strikeout.

The Southern Conference slate for Wofford begins on Friday at Georgia Southern with a 6:30 p.m. contest. The Terriers and Eagles will also play on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

 

Kennesaw State 5, Georgia Southern 0

STATESBORO, Ga. – Steve Janas threw five scoreless innings as Kennesaw State defeated Georgia Southern 5-0 in a midweek contest at Stillwell Stadium.

Janas (1-0) allowed just two hits and struck out five batters in a combined shutout of the Eagles. The sophomore faced the minimum through three innings before allowing his second hit to Ben Morgan in the fourth inning.

Janas set the side down in order in the fifth inning before being relieved by Alan Buesnitz. Buesnitz combined with Justin McCalvin and James Connell for Kennesaw State's first shutout of 2013.

Georgia Southern (6-6) had a few opportunities to score runs, but a double play erased a leadoff single in the second inning. Morgan reached second base in the fourth inning after a base hit and a stolen base but was left stranded. Kyle Streicher walked to lead off the sixth inning but was thrown out trying to steal second base, and a leadoff double in Tyler Avera was thrown out at the plate on a wild pitch.

Josh Stevenson (0-1) was handed the loss after allowing four runs – one earned – on six hits. Stevenson threw 2 1/3 innings before being relieved by Drew Johnson. Johnson tossed a career-high 4 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out three batters.

The Owls (7-6) scored three unearned runs in the first inning after a two-out error by shortstop Cole Watson. Andy Almonte scored the first run of the game on the error, and a base hit from Ryan Raper and a fielder's choice by Chris McGowan drove in two more runs.

Kennesaw State added a fourth run in the second inning on a two-out triple by Jacob Bruce. Bruce plated Kal Simmons, who singled with one-out in the inning.

The Owls were held scoreless for five innings before scoring again in the eighth inning. Three consecutive singles, including a RBI base hit from Anthony Duran, scored the final run.

Georgia Southern returns home to open conference play against Wofford.

The three-game weekend series opens on Friday at 6 p.m. and continues Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.