Wofford 5, Furman 0
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Wofford’s Brandon Yarusi pitched a complete-game shutout to beat Furman 5-0 in Sunday Southern Conference baseball action at Russell King Field.
Yarusi (2-2), a senior right-hander, scattered eight hits, all singles, struck out eight, and didn’t allow a walk or a runner past second base to give Wofford (15-23, 6-12 SoCon) the series win two games to one.
The loss handed Furman (19-16, 7-11 SoCon) its fourth straight league series defeat and marked the Paladins’ ninth setback in their last 11 SoCon games.
Yarusi got all the runs he would need in the third inning after Demetrius Jennings reached on a throwing error by Paladin third baseman Chris Ohmstede and advanced to second. He moved to third on a bunt single by Clark Wise and came home another bunt single by John Paradowski. Wise later scored on a Seth Neely single to center field, and Paradowski made it 3-0 after coming home on a squeeze-play sacrifice bunt by James Plaisted.
The Terriers added two more runs in the fourth and chased Furman starting pitcher Jake Wolff (2-1) when Paradowski belted a two-run home run to right field.
Yarusi, meanwhile, was never threatened and held every Paladin batter in check except Jake Jones, who went 4-for4 in the game in accounting for half of Furman’s eight hits.
Paradowski paced Wofford by going 2-for-3 and driving in three runs while scoring twice. Wise went 2-for-4 with a run and stolen base. The Terriers finished with seven hits.
Wolff lasted only 3 2/3 innings, allowing all five runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out two.
Furman’s bullpen, which included four pitchers, combined to toss 4 1/3 frames on two-hit, shutout ball.
The Paladins play at Clemson on Wednesday in a 6:30 p.m. game. Wofford will host USC Upstate on Wednesday at 6 p.m. before heading to Elon for a three-game series beginning on Friday night.
The Citadel 8, Georgia Southern 2
STATESBORO, Ga. – The Citadel pitching staff completed a dominating three-game performance at Georgia Southern behind the best start of the season by freshman Austin Mason in an 8-2 win over the Eagles on a rainy Sunday in Statesboro.
The sweep was the first by the Bulldogs on the road since taking three at Georgia Southern in 2010 and improved their record to 20-17 and 9-6 in the Southern Conference. The Citadel finished the weekend tied with Elon (12-6), Western Carolina (12-6) and College of Charleston (11-6) for the fewest losses in the league.
Mason turned in the longest performance of his young career and the longest for a Citadel pitcher this season, going eight innings and allowing five hits and two unearned runs with no walks and five strikeouts. He was working on The Citadel's third straight shutout until Georgia Southern took advantage of a two-out error to score an unearned run in the seventh.
Prior to that run, the Bulldog staff had blanked the Eagles through the first 26 1/3 innings of the series, the longest such stretch since The Citadel shut out Wofford twice and Lafayette once in March 2003 for a string of at least 27 straight shutout innings.
Including an 11-0 win on Friday and a 1-0 victory in 11 innings on Saturday, the Bulldogs allowed the fewest runs in a SoCon series since giving up just one in a sweep of Marshall in 1995. Georgia Southern managed only 13 hits and one extra-base hit the entire weekend while losing all three games at home in a series for the first time since that Citadel sweep three years ago.
Calvin Orth led the offensive attack on Sunday, blasting his third home run of the series and driving in three to give him eight RBIs over the weekend. The junior first baseman entered the series with just three home runs in his career but had two, including a grand slam on Friday, and added a solo shot in the sixth on Sunday to give the Bulldogs a 5-0 lead.
Orth also had a two-run single to cap a three-run uprising with two outs in the third that gave The Citadel a four-run margin. Jonathan Stokes drove in two runs with a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly, giving him RBI in seven of his last eight games and a total of 11 during the run. Joe Jackson extended his hitting streak to nine, including a solo homer in the ninth, his sixth of the season.
After a 32-minute rain delay before the start of the game, the Bulldogs wasted little time jumping on Georgia Southern starter Jason Richman. Mason Davis singled to start the game, was sacrificed to second and scored on a base hit by Bo Thompson, who recorded his 36th straight game reaching base by a hit, walk or hit by pitch.
Mason, meanwhile, cruised through the first six innings, allowing only one Eagle to reach scoring position. He allowed a two-out single in the first before retiring the next seven batters. Ben Morgan got the second Georgia Southern hit to lead off the fourth, but Mason got Chase Griffin to hit a double-play grounder to short.
The biggest Georgia Southern threat came in the fifth when Arthur Owens was hit by a pitch and Michael McClellan singled with one out. But two groundouts ended that threat and Mason induced three grounders to short in the sixth before the Eagles finally scored their first run of the series an inning later.
James Reeves relieved Mason in the ninth and retired the side in order to complete the sweep.
The Bulldogs return home for four games next week beginning with a nonconference contest against East Tennessee State on Wednesday at 4 p.m. The Buccaneers are coached by Tony Skole, a member of The Citadel's 1990 College World Series team and an inductee into the school's athletic hall of fame.
The Citadel's next SoCon series begins Friday at 6 p.m. when Appalachian State visits Riley Park.
Georgia Southern will remain at home with two midweek games against Mercer and Kennesaw State before traveling to Cullowhee, N.C., to face Western Carolina. The Eagles will face the Bears on Tuesday and the Owls on Wednesday. Both games start at 6 p.m.
Western Carolina 5, Samford 2
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina’s Jordan Smith scattered eight hits through eight innings of work on Sunday afternoon, holding the Samford Bulldogs to just two runs as the Catamounts completed the series sweep with a 5-2 victory in Southern Conference action at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
Smith struck out a season-high seven in securing the win, his second victory of the year. The Liberty, N.C., product retired seven straight batters after allowing a run in the second inning, sitting the Bulldogs down in order in both the third and fourth innings before adding a third perfect frame in the sixth, striking out two.
Offensively, four Catamounts recorded multi-hit games, as Julian Ridings and Jacob Hoyle both recorded 3-for-5 outings with one RBI apiece. Ridings, who hit a sizzling .643 (9-for-14) in the three-game sweep of the Bulldogs, belted his fourth home run of the season, with Hoyle legging out a double for the only extra-base hits of the series finale.
Senior Tyler White finished 2-for-5 with an RBI, while sophomore Bradley Strong posted a 2-for-3 showing with a walk.
Samford (19-18, 8-10 SoCon) took an early one-run lead in the top of the second inning as Christiaan Durdaller singled home Damon Waller from second base. Durdaller finished with a team-high two hits on a 2-for-4 outing, matched by C.K. Irby (2-for-5).
The Bulldogs’ lead stood until the fifth, when the Catamounts plated three runs to take a lead they would never relinquish.
Ridings opened the scoring with a solo home run to right center field, tying the game at 1. Two batters later, Hoyle doubled to center before taking third on a wild pitch. Dykota Spiess handed the Catamounts their first lead of the afternoon with an RBI single up the middle, driving home Hoyle. WCU would load the bases as Strong was intentionally walked before Adam Martin singled through the left side with Spiess held at third. Cody Jones then had a six-pitch at bat, fouling off four pitches before delivering a run-scoring single through the left side to make it 3-1 for the home squad.
In the eighth inning, Samford threatened as Phillip Ervin led off with a single to left-center, with Smith plunking Drew McWhorter to put two aboard with one out. Jared Watson came on to pinch run for McWhorter, with a wild pitch putting the two Bulldog runners in scoring position with two away. Tommy Corbin then laced a single to right field, scoring Ervin with Watson rumbling toward home. However, Cody Jones delivered a strike to Martin at the dish to nail the runner, sustaining the one-run edge, 3-2.
Clinging to the one-run advantage, the Catamounts tacked on two insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth as Jones reached on an HBP before a Ridings single to left-center on a full-count to put runners at the corners. Executing a perfect hit-and-run, Ridings sprinted off of first as White sharply singled through the right side to score Jones, with Ridings able to advance to third easily. Hoyle then drove in his 34th run of the season with a single through the right side, stretching WCU’s lead back to three, 5-2.
The Catamounts turned to preseason All-American closer Preston Hatcher in the ninth inning. The Marietta, Ga., native struck out pinch-hitter Brandon Powell before fanning Zeth Stone on three pitches. Amidst the heart of the Samford order, Durdaller drew a two-out walk before Hatcher got Irby to fly out to Spiess in left to end the game, scoring his eighth save of the year – and the 18th of his career to rank fifth in WCU’s record book, one shy of matching former closer and current Kansas City Royals reliever Greg Holland (19, 2005-07).
Samford’s Cole Limbaugh (3-2) took the loss after allowing three runs on nine hits through 4 2/3 innings. The Bulldog starter was able to strand seven Catamount runners through the first four frames, including working out of a bases-loaded jam in the third. However, in the fifth, he gave up the leadoff homer to Ridings that tied the game and the RBI single to Spiess that drove home Hoyle before being chased.
WCU later touched up reliever Arthur Strauss for two runs on three hits, recording just a third of an inning out of the bullpen before Ervin came on from left field to pitch the final 2/3 of an inning with a strikeout.
Western Carolina continues its current nine-game homestand by hosting the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs on Wednesday evening in Cullowhee before welcoming SoCon foe Georgia Southern for a three-game set next weekend. First pitch on Wednesday is scheduled for 5 p.m.
Samford will return to action on Tuesday when the Bulldogs play host to Auburn at 6 p.m. at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
Appalachian State 9, UNCG 5
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Appalachian State broke open a close game with five runs in the seventh and eighth innings to walk away with a 9-5 victory over the UNCG baseball team in the series finale of a Southern Conference series Sunday at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
The Spartans pounded out 15 hits in the game but left 16 men on base. UNCG is now 17-19 overall and 5-10 in league play while the Mountaineers improved to 20-11 and 10-7.
UNCG senior outfielder Christian Wolfe extended his hitting streak to 13 games and finished 2-for-5 at the dish as one of six Spartans to tally multiple hits. Classmate and infielder Lloyd Enzor recorded his fourth home run of the season as part of a three-run fourth inning.
Sophomore RHP Lee Gilliam suffered just his second loss of the season, throwing 6 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs on 10 hits with six strikeouts. Classmate LHP Caleb Henley pitched a solid two scoreless frames in relief as he gave up no hits.
A RBI single by Noah Holmes with two outs gave Appalachian State a one-run lead after the top of the first. Wolfe was able to get to second thanks to a leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning, but he would stay there as junior catcher Cambric Moye struck out swinging.
The Mountaineers plated a big three runs in the top of the second to extend their lead to 4-0. Gilliam got Brandon Burris to strike out with the bases loaded for the second out, but Jaylin Davis drove a ball to right center that fell for a bases-clearing triple.
UNCG made it a ballgame in the fourth, scoring three runs on four hits. Senior infielder TJ Spina was hit by a pitch with one away before Enzor stepped up and nailed a 1-2 pitch high over the left-field wall to make it a 4-2 affair. Wolfe and redshirt sophomore infielder Ray Crawford tallied singles after a groundout by redshirt freshman infielder Nin Marrero, and Edwards followed with a base knock of his own to bring home Wolfe. Edwards and Crawford advanced to third on a wild pitch, but Moye grounded out to third to end the inning with Appalachian State leading 4-3.
It did not take long for the Spartans to tie the game in the fifth as sophomore outfielder Eric Kalbfleisch led off with a double to left. He moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt by senior outfielder Zach Leach. Marrero came through with two outs and ripped a single up the middle to score Kalbfleisch. Crawford came up later in the inning with two outs and the bases loaded, but he struck out swinging to keep the score tied.
Appalachian State put the game away in the seventh and eighth innings, racking up five runs on five hits to move in front 9-4. UNCG would close the scoring in the ninth with two outs as Wolfe tallied an RBI single that plated Spina, who had led off with an infield single.
The Blue and Gold returns to action Tuesday, hosting Wake Forest for the teams’ second and final meeting of the season. First pitch at the UNCG Baseball Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Appalachian State is back in action Tuesday at High Point at 6 p.m.
College of Charleston 18, Davidson 5
DAVIDSON, N.C. – College of Charleston exploded for 18 runs on four home runs to take a big series victory over Davidson with an 18-5 win on Sunday.
The Cougars (20-15, 11-6) notched new season highs in nearly every offensive category with 18 runs, 19 hits, four homers, seven doubles and 18 RBIs.
Brandon Murray led the Cougars’ offense with a career day, hitting a grand slam, a three-run homer and a two-run double to set a new school record with nine RBIs in a single game. Murray’s grand slam was the first of his career, while his multiple home runs in a single game marked a career first and a season first for CofC hitters.
Murray finished the Davidson series with a 1.154 slugging percentage, launching three home runs and tallying 13 RBIs.
Blake Butler posted his third consecutive three-hit game, launching a triple, double and single and scoring three runs. Gunnar Heidt went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer and four runs scored, while Carl Wise posted a career-high four runs on two hits and two walks.
Morgan Phillips extended his reached-base streak to a team-high 18 games with a double and home run, his second long bomb in as many days.
Ben Boykin finished with two doubles and two runs, while Devon Reed came off the bench to hit two doubles and record his first two RBIs of the season.
CofC starter Jake Zokan (2-1) picked up the win with a quality start, going six innings and allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out five. Davidson’s Rob Bain (0-4) picked up the loss, going 3 2/3 innings and allowing three runs on six hits.
The Cougars got on the scoreboard with a three-run fourth inning, started by a single and steal from Heidt. He came home to score on a double from Boykin, with Bradley Goodson and Cody Martin each earning RBI groundouts to give CofC a 3-1 lead.
After a double from Butler in the fifth inning, Wise and Heidt earned walks to set up Murray’s grand slam to center field, breaking the game open at 7-2.
Phillips led off the sixth inning with a solo home run, and then Heidt hit a two-run line-drive homer to left field to push the lead to 10-2.
Davidson’s Chris Dyer got one run back for Davidson with a solo home run in the seventh inning, but the Cougars responded with four runs in the eighth. Heidt tallied an RBI and Murray drove in two runs with a double. Reed tallied his first RBI of the season with a pinch-hit double to push the score to 14-3 after the top of the eighth.
CofC kept the hit-fest going in the ninth inning with a triple from Butler, a walk from Wise and then a three-run homer from Murray, his second bomb of the game. Back-to-back doubles from Boykin and Reed scored another run to push the lead to 18-5.
The Cougars will travel to Columbia, S.C., on Tuesday for a game against the nationally ranked South Carolina Gamecocks. Game time is slated for 7 p.m.
Davidson will next host Winthrop Tuesday at 6 p.m. and return to Southern Conference action Friday at 7 p.m. against UNCG.
No. 8 Louisville 4, Elon 0
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – For the third consecutive day, the Elon baseball team battled eighth-ranked Louisville in a tight contest, but the Phoenix came up short, dropping a 4-0 game in the series finale on Sunday.
The game was scoreless until the last of the fourth. Ty Young led things off with a ground-rule double to left and headed to third on a Coco Johnson bunt single. Cole Sturgeon then drove in Young with a single through the right side.
The deficit for the Phoenix (20-18) could have been worse as Louisville (28-7) loaded the bases with no outs before Kyle Webb struck out Shane Crain and got Zak Wasserman to ground into a double play to end the inning.
The Cardinals upped their lead to 3-0 on an RBI groundout and RBI single in the fifth before plating their final run on a Crain homer in the sixth.
Elon left two on in both the eighth and ninth innings but was unable to come up with a hit to score in those frames.
With Alex Swim on first after being hit by a pitch to start the ninth, Ryan Kinsella singled up the middle to extend his hitting streak to a career-best 15 games and put runner on the corners. Sturgeon then came in and got a strikeout and two fly outs to end the games to pick up his first save of the year.
Webb, pitching on short rest, took the loss to fall to 3-2. He went 4 2/3 innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits.
Anthony Kidston (5-0) was the winning pitcher. He allowed three hits over eight innings.
Elon, which has already played seven games against top-25 opponents this season, will get another crack at a ranked foe on Wednesday as the Maroon and Gold will visit top-ranked North Carolina in a 6 p.m. contest.