Elon 14, Wofford 3
ELON, N.C. – Kyle Webb threw eight strong innings and the Elon offense put up eight runs in the first two frames as the Phoenix picked up a 14-3 victory over the visiting Wofford Terriers to claim a Southern Conference baseball series win on Sunday. Following the game, Elon players and coaches shaved their heads in support of The Vs. Cancer Foundation, which raises funds to fight childhood cancers.
As it did in each of the first two games of the seriers, Wofford (16-26, 7-14 SoCon) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. On Sunday, that run came thanks to a Seth Neely infield single.
Elon (22-20, 14-7) came right back with three in the bottom of the first to grab the lead for good. Sebastian Gomez got it started by driving a 2-2 pitch over the center-field fence to lead off the game. Joey Tomko followed with a single to left-center before Ryan Kinsella connected on his 16th homer of the season. The blast moved the junior into a tie for 10th on the program's career homers chart.
The Phoenix then blew the game open with a five-run second. Back-to-back singles from Wil Leathers and Quinn Bower put runners on the corners. After Bower swiped second, Gomez delivered an RBI double down the right-field line to make it a 4-1 game. With one away, Wofford issued an intentional walk to Kinsella before Alex Swim hit the first of his two sacrifice flies on the day to push the Maroon and Gold's edge to 5-1. Casey Jones would drive in two with a double down the left-field line and Danny Lynch would plate the fifth of the frame with a single to left.
In an 8-2 game in the top of the fifth, Wofford inched closer when Josh Hyman ripped a double to left-center to drive home Alec Paradowski, who scored all three Terrier runs.
Elon pushed across two runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh to complete its scoring. In the sixth, Gomez drove in two with a double, giving him four RBIs on the day.
Webb (4-2) scattered eight hits and walked just one while striking out six in his eight innings to get the win. He allowed all three runs, only two of which were earned.
The loss went to Wofford's Brandon Yarusi (2-3), who was touched up for eight earned runs on eight hits in just 1 2/3 innings of work.
For Elon, Gomez finished 4-for-6 with three runs scored, while five other players had two-hit outings as eight of Elon's nine starters had at least one hit.
Wofford's Paradowski was 2-for-3, while Hyman went 3-for-4.
Elon will hit the road for the first of five straight on the road on Tuesday as the Phoenix will visit East Carolina in a 6 p.m. contest.
The Terriers will travel to UNC Asheville on Wednesday afternoon before hosting Davidson in a weekend series beginning Friday night.
College of Charleston 6, Furman 1
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – College of Charleston’s Ryan West had a quality start to lead the Cougars to a 6-1 win over Furman on Sunday in the finale of the SoCon weekend series.
College of Charleston (21-18, 12-8) avoided the sweep by scoring six runs on seven hits and limiting Furman (21-17, 9-12) to just one run on seven hits on a windy day at the ballpark. The win stopped CofC’s three-game slide and kept the Cougars from falling another game back in the tight SoCon standings.
West (3-1) pitched six innings of shutout ball as he recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts without walking a single batter. West’s 10 strikeouts were the most by any CofC pitcher in a game this season.
Furman’s Jake Wolff (2-2) allowed five runs, four earned, in four innings pitched to pick up the loss.
Gunnar Heidt and Ben Boykin each recorded two RBIs, while Carl Wise extended his team-best hitting streak to 10 games. Ryan Welke recorded the only extra-base hit of the game, a double in the fifth inning, and he scored two runs.
The Paladins offense was stymied for most of the game with Jordan Simpson being the only batter to record two hits. Alex Abrams drove in Furman’s only run on an RBI single in the eighth inning.
The Cougars jumped on the scoreboard in the third inning after a leadoff single from Welke and a walk from Blake Butler. Both players advanced a base on a passed ball and came home to score on a two-out single from Heidt.
Butler made a big play defensively in the fifth inning, diving for a potential RBI single from Jason Jones up the middle and throwing out Simpson at the plate for the final out of the inning.
Welke led off CofC’s next scoring inning with a double in the bottom of the fifth frame. After a single from Morgan Phillips, Butler singled in a run and then Boykin hit a two-out, bases-loaded single to right field to push CofC’s lead to 5-0.
Furman finally got on the board against CofC reliever Jimmy Revan with two out in the eighth inning, when Abrams singled to right field to score Will Muzika from second. The Cougars answered in the bottom of the inning with a pinch-hit RBI from Bradley Goodson that scored Boykin to make the score 6-1.
Senior Dre Watts allowed two singles in the ninth but induced Griffin Davis to fly out to end the game.
Charleston will remain at home this week with a home game against rival Coastal Carolina on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Furman returns to action on Tuesday when it takes on USC Upstate at Fluor Field in a 7 p.m. game that is a home contest for the Spartans.
The Citadel 8, Appalachian State 7
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Hughston Armstrong singled to lead off the bottom of the ninth for his career-high fifth hit of the game and scored on a Bo Thompson sacrifice fly to give The Citadel an 8-7 win over Appalachian State and a sweep of its Southern Conference series at Riley Park.
The Bulldogs (24-17, 12-6 SoCon) won their seventh in a row and have consecutive conference sweeps for the first time since taking three straight from UNCG and Georgia Southern in their final two SoCon series in 2010. The seven-game winning streak is the longest since taking 13 straight near the end of the 2010 campaign.
The Bulldogs and Western Carolina are the only two teams in the SoCon with just six losses. The Citadel also earned its ninth series sweep over Appalachian State in Charleston under head coach Fred Jordan.
The Mountaineers (21-15, 10-10) rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth to even the score at 7. Hector Crespo and Will Callaway had RBI doubles, and Crespo scored on a wild pitch by closer Skylar Hunter to set up The Citadel's game-winning heroics.
Armstrong singled up the middle off Taylor Thurber and was sacrificed to second by Joe Jackson. Thurber unleashed a wild pitch to move Armstrong to third, and he came across when Thompson's fly ball to right carried deep enough to prevent a potential play at the plate.
Armstrong eclipsed his previous career high of four hits set earlier this season against both Samford on March 10 and Georgia Southern on April 12. He added a walk to reach base all six times on Sunday, doubled twice and scored three runs. He went 8-for-12 in the series against the Mountaineers and is batting .536 (15-for-28) during The Citadel's winning streak.
Hunter earned his second win of the season, while Thurber was charged with his first loss in three decisions. Austin Mason started for the Bulldogs and went 4 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and three unearned runs, before James Reeves went the next two, giving up just one hit and striking out three.
Appalachian State scored a run in the first when Noah Holmes tripled past the diving Jason Smith in center and scored when Smith misplayed the ball on the warning track for an error. But the Bulldogs took control after that, scoring five runs in the opening three innings to build an early four-run cushion.
Mason Davis wasted little time extending his hitting streak to 10 games, one shy of his career high, with a leadoff single. He then stole second and third and scored when catcher Gabe Dimock threw the ball away on the second attempt. Davis has a team-leading 17 steals on the season, and Armstrong and Drew DeKerlegand also swiped a pair of bags, with Armstrong successful in 14 of 15 tries on the year.
The Citadel added three two-out runs in the second off Mountaineer starter Jeffrey Springs, including an RBI single by Armstrong followed by a two-run homer by Jackson. With his seventh roun- tripper of the season, the Bulldog catcher increased his RBI total to a team-high 38 on the year.
The Bulldogs utilized the running game to score another run in the third to make it 5-1. DeKerlegand singled and stole second and third, eventually scoring on a base hit by Johnathan Stokes that chased Springs.
The Mountaineers scored twice in the fifth, including an RBI single by Preston Troutman, but The Citadel matched those runs in the sixth when Armstrong singled and scored on a base hit by DeKerlegand and in the seventh on a bases-loaded walk to Thompson that made it a 7-3 game.
The Bulldogs had several opportunities to create a larger working margin but left 15 runners on base, including leaving the sacks full three times.
Thompson did not have a hit but walked three times and now has reached base safely in 40 straight games dating back to the end of the 2012 season.
The Citadel hosts Charleston Southern on Tuesday at 3 p.m. in a makeup of a game that was rained out earlier this season. The Bulldogs resume SoCon action next weekend with a series at Furman beginning on Friday at 6 p.m.
Appalachian returns to its nonconference schedule on Tuesday, as the Mountaineers host North Carolina A&T. First pitch from Beaver Field is set for 6 p.m.
Davidson 7, UNCG 5
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Senior Michael Zeblo hit a three-run home run and earned his second save in as many games to lead Davidson past UNCG, 7-5, in Southern Conference baseball action on Senior Day on Sunday afternoon at Wilson Field.
Davidson (12-26, 7-14 SoCon) built a 6-0 lead after scoring three runs in the fourth inning, two in the fifth and one in the sixth, but UNCG (18-22, 6-12 SoCon) got back in the game by scoring four runs in the seventh and a run in the eighth to pull within one.
For the game, UNCG out-hit Davidson 12-8, but the Wildcats drew six walks and three hit-by-pitches, and also took advantage of the Spartans’ lone error in the fifth inning for two unearned runs. Conversely, the ‘Cats issued just two walks, did not hit any batters and committed no errors.
All four members of Davidson’s Class of 2013 contributed in the game. Zeblo (at shortstop) and first baseman Andrew Barna both started for the Wildcats, while RHP Bryan DaCanal pitched an inning of relief and Jack McLindon entered the game in the ninth inning at second base. Zeblo fielded the final out, tossing it to Barna at first to end the game and earn his fourth save of the season.
Designated hitter Ryan Lowe and catcher Daniel Gerow both went 2-for-4 to also pace the ‘Cats at the plate, with Lowe hitting his fourth home run of the season and totaling two RBIs and Gerow also tallying an RBI. Sophomore LHP Rob Bain (1-4) enjoyed a career day, holding UNCG scoreless through six innings until allowing the first two batters of the seventh to score on a home run. He scattered seven hits without allowing a walk and struck out a career-high five in a career-high six-plus innings of work for his first career win.
Centerfielder Zach Leach led UNCG with a 4-for-4 day at the plate, hitting a double and scoring a run. Shortstop TJ Spina and right fielder Christain Wolfe (RBI) both went 2-for-4, while first baseman Trevor Edwards homered. RHP Lee Gilliam (2-3) took the loss, allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits and four walks while striking out four.
The game was scoreless until Zeblo’s three-run blast in the fourth inning. The shot brought home Gerow and third baseman David Daniels (1-for-3, 2 BB), who both reached on base hits. The ‘Cats added two more runs the next inning on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Lee Miller and an RBI single to the right gap by Gerow. In the sixth, Lowe hit a line-drive home run to right in a 1-2 count with two outs.
UNCG cut into the advantage in the seventh, as catcher Cambric Moye (1-for-4) led it off with a base hit and left fielder Eric Kalbfleisch (1-for-4) homered to right field for UNCG’s first two runs. A balk with the bases loaded and a sacrifice fly by Wolfe added two more runs, but DaCanal was able to end the inning by inducing a double play. RHP Matt Saeta took the mound for Davidson in the top of the eighth inning, and the Spartans made it a 6-5 game quickly when Edwards sent Saeta’s first pitch just over the fence in left field. It was the final run UNCG would score, though, as Saeta allowed just one hit over the rest of the frame.
Daniels scored from third base on a Lowe groundout in the bottom of the eighth for the final margin.
Davidson will hit the road for 10 of its final 11 regular season games, starting at No. 15 NC State on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The home finale will be May 7 at 6 p.m. against Duke.
UNCG returns to the diamond Wednesday with a contest at Campbell. First pitch at Pete Taylor Field is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Western Carolina 7, Georgia Southern 4
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Jordan Smith struck out six Georgia Southern hitters and Adam Martin posted a 3-for-3 outing at the dish that included a pair of doubles as Western Carolina completed the three-game Southern Conference series sweep, holding on for a 7-4 victory Sunday afternoon at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
WCU won its seventh straight game on the season – and eighth-straight SoCon matchup – while relegating GSU to its eighth consecutive defeat overall on the year. It was also WCU’s second consecutive three-game series sweep in as many weeks and its sixth SoCon series victory of the year.
Smith (3-3) collected his second straight Sunday win for WCU, scattering four runs – only three of which were earned – on nine hits through six solid innings, earning his 13th career win. The Liberty, N.C., product fanned six against one walk, moving into 15th in program history with 186 career strikeouts.
Senior reliever Jon Nadale tossed two hitless shutout innings out of the bullpen, working around a walk with three strikeouts to set up his classmate closer, Preston Hatcher. The fourth-year hurler from Atlanta, Ga., struck out one with a walk in tossing a hitless, scoreless ninth to earn his career-high tying 10th save of the season. Hatcher now ranks tied for second in both the WCU single-season (10) and career (20) record books for saves, just two shy of tying the career number and four short of the seasonal tally.
Western Carolina (26-16, 15-6 SoCon) manufactured a run in the second inning to grab a lead early on Sunday. Martin hit his first of two doubles on the day before Dykota Spiess put down a perfect bunt, reaching on an infield single and pushing Martin to third. Bryant Noteboom, a late addition to the WCU lineup in the designated hitter spot, grounded out to the right side of the infield to plate the first run, scoring Martin from third.
GSU responded in the top of the fifth inning as Kyle Streicher laced a one-out double off the bag at third that rolled down the left-field line. Scooter Williams singled deep in the hole at shortstop, holding Streicher at second but putting two aboard for the visitors with two gone. A passed ball allowed both runners to advance 90 feet with Robbie Dodds delivering a two-RBI single to center field that dropped just in front of Julian Ridings, plating two and giving the Eagles a 2-1 advantage.
Streicher (3-for-4) finished with three base hits, including the fifth-inning double, to lead the Eagles offensively.
The lead was short-lived, though, as the Catamounts responded half an inning later. Back-to-back hits by Attaway and Ridings – the second of which was a double down the left-field line – knotted the game as Attaway raced around and scored from first base. Tyler White then singled along the infield to put runners at the corners before Martin cranked his second double of the day, scoring two for a 4-2 edge.
With two outs, the Catamounts scored two more runs coming on three straight singles. Dale Urquhart Jr. punched one through the left side for a pinch-hit RBI single to score Martin, with Bradley Strong also singling through the left side. Luke Gragg came through as a pinch-hitter with a sharp single right back up the middle to cap the scoring with WCU leading, 6-2.
When the dust settled, WCU had plated five runs on seven hits in the decisive fifth frame.
Georgia Southern would not go away, though, cutting the Catamount lead back down to two with a pair of runs in the sixth inning. T.D. Davis doubled to start the frame, with Tyler Avera hitting a RBI single to right-center to score the first run. Avera later scored on an RBI single by Streicher, making it 6-4.
WCU capitalized on back-to-back two-out walks issued by reliever Matt McCall, with Spiess driving in one to push the margin back to three runs, 7-4.
The Catamount bullpen then took over, locking the game up behind Nadale and Hatcher.
In addition to Martin’s three hits, the Marietta, Ga., native walked twice to reach each time he was at the dish. White (2-for-3) collected two hits and two walks for WCU, with Spiess also hitting twice, including the RBI double.
Eagle starter Sam Howard (5-6) took the loss, surrendering six earned runs on eight hits with six strikeouts over three walks. Reliever Chris Myers was able to get GSU out of the fifth inning, surrendering one hit. Matt McCall tossed the final three frames, limiting WCU to a run on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
Avera and Davis had two hits apiece to go along with Streicher’s outing. Dodds drove in two of GSU’s four runs in the loss.
Western Carolina plays five games next week, including two midweek out-of-conference games. The Catamounts conclude their season-long nine-game homestand on Tuesday by hosting the Kennesaw State Owls (21-21) out of the Atlantic Sun with first pitch at 5 p.m.
On Wednesday, WCU opens a five-game road swing at nationally ranked Clemson in the back-end of a seasonal home-and-home, looking to avenge a 12-9 home defeat from April 9. First pitch from Doug Kingsmore Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m.
Georgia Southern will have the mid-week off and will return home to host Elon in a three-game set starting on Friday at 6 p.m.
Samford 17, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 9
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford baseball team completed the sweep of its three-game series with Arkansas-Pine Bluff with a 17-9 win over the Golden Lions on Sunday afternoon at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
Samford was led at the plate by C.K. Irby, who went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs, while Phillip Ervin went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. Christiaan Durdaller, Caleb Bryson and Damon Waller each homered in the game for the Bulldogs.
Charles Terry (1-0) pitched three innings in relief, giving up two runs on five hits to earn the win on the mound for Samford. Cole Limbaugh, Patrick McGavin and Arthur Strauss also saw time on the mound for Samford.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff was led at the plate by Mike Wieland, who went 2-for-5 with a double and four RBIs. Isias Alcantar went 3-for-5 with an RBI, while Dylan Calhoun drove in two runs in a 1-for-3 performance.
Andrew Buehler (0-1) tossed a third of an inning in relief, allowing five runs on three hits to take the loss for the Golden Lions. Buehler was one of nine pitchers used in the game by Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Both teams were hot from the start, as Samford held a 7-5 lead after the first three innings of the game. After UAPB plated a run in the top of the first inning, Samford answered with five runs in the bottom of the first inning. UAPB tied the game with four runs in the top of the second inning, but Samford plated a run in each of the second and third innings for a two-run lead.
Samford pushed its lead to 8-5 with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Arkansas-Pine Bluff came back with two runs in the top of the fifth inning to cut the Samford lead to 8-7. After Samford scored one run in the bottom of the fifth, UAPB plated two in the top of the sixth inning to tie the score again at 9-9.
The Bulldogs took control of the game with six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Bryson, Tommy Corbin, Richard Greene, Zeth Stone and Ervin drove in a run each in the inning, and Austin Allison scored on a UAPB error for a 15-9 Samford lead.
Samford plated two final runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to make the final score 17-9. Bryson walked to lead off the inning, and Waller then homered to right field for an eight-run Samford advantage.
With the win, Samford improved to 22-19 on the season. Arkansas-Pine Bluff fell to 14-25 with the loss.
Samford will return to action on Tuesday, when the Bulldogs play at in-state rival Troy. The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. (CT) start from Troy’s Riddle-Pace Field.