Appalachian State 6, UNC Asheville 3
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – After going down early, Appalachian State rallied from a 3-0 deficit to score five unanswered runs and propel the Mountaineers to a 6-3 victory over UNC Asheville on Tuesday night at historic McCormick Field.
Six of the nine Mountaineers in the lineup tallied a multi-hit game, highlighted by Dillon Dobson’s 3-for-5 day and Noah Holmes’ 2-for-4 day, which included two RBIs.
Right-hander Taylor Thurber picked up his second victory of the season, entering the game in the fifth inning after starter Chad Farmer went 4 1/3 innings and struck out five UNC Asheville batters. Thurber gave up just two hits in 1 2/3 innings of work, while striking out one. Right-hander Josh Wilson closed out the game, coming on with two outs in the ninth inning.
Appalachian (18-10) went down early, as UNC Asheville’s Phillip Treadway blasted a three-run home run in the bottom of the second, giving the Bulldogs (10-24) the early advantage.
After leaving eight runners on base in the first three innings, the Mountaineers capitalized in the fourth inning, recording four singles in the inning to plate three to tie the score. Holmes’ single, which came with two outs, scored Jaylin Davis and Dobson, who both tallied singles for the inning.
Preston Troutman, one of the six Mountaineers to have multiple hits for the game, lead off the fifth inning with a double to the center field wall. The outfielder was eventually driven in by a groundout by catcher Gabe Dimock to give Appalachian its first lead of the game.
Appalachian State plated two more insurance runs in the seventh and ninth innings, highlighted by Troutman’s RBI single in the final inning, scoring Will Callaway.
UNC Asheville was paced by Todd Joyner and Kyle Towles, who each posted two hits for the game. Reliever Brian Connolly was hit with the loss, but starter Tommy Houmard surrendered three runs and nine hits to Appalachian batters.
The Mountaineers return to Southern Conference play with a three-game series with UNCG beginning on Friday. First pitch from Greensboro, N.C., is set for 6 p.m.
Georgia Southern 3, Charleston Southern 2
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Josh Stevenson allowed one run over six innings to help the Georgia Southern Eagles cap off an eight-game road trip with a 3-2 win over the Charleston Southern Buccaneers.
Matt McCall (S, 4) bounced back after allowing a ninth-inning homer to Harrison Wilkins to record the save. Stevenson (1-2) allowed five hits, three walks and struck out six over 80 pitches. The right-hander stranded eight base runners, including two in the first inning. The win was his first of the season.
Georgia Southern (21-11) recorded 10 hits and walked 13 times but left 18 runners stranded. Ben Morgan walked four times and reached base in all seven plate appearances. Robbie Dodds led the team with three hits. Zac Lenns and Scooter Williams tallied two hits each.
Charleston Southern starter Chase Shelton (0-1) surrendered two runs on four hits and was tagged with his first loss of the season. Shelton allowed four hits and two walks over 1 2/3 innings. Stephen Leopard followed with 3 1/3 scoreless frames and left the bases loaded in the second inning.
The Eagles scored a first inning run on a bases loaded walk by Dodds. Williams started the inning with an infield single and scored after Shelton allowed his third walk of the frame.
GSU added a second run in the second inning with a sacrifice fly by Brent Pugh. Lenns led off the inning with a double and reached third base on a groundout before scoring on the fly ball to right field.
The two teams traded runs in the sixth inning. Morgan scored from first base after stealing second base and a throwing error by the catcher trickled into left field. Stevenson allowed a leadoff walk to Zack Hagaman in the bottom half of the frame, and John Faircloth plated the run for the Bucs (11-21) with a double.
Georgia Southern returns home for a three-game series this weekend. The Eagles will face The Citadel Bulldogs at 6 p.m. Friday, 5 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
Samford 11, UAB 4
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford baseball team scored a combined seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings to break open a close game on its way to an 11-4 win over crosstown rival UAB Tuesday evening at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
The win was Samford’s seventh straight in the series with the Blazers. Samford improved to 19-14 with the win, while UAB dropped to 15-17.
Samford pitcher Eric Wright (3-1) bounced back from a rocky start to earn the win. Wright surrendered four runs in the first three innings. In those first three innings, Samford committed five errors, with three of those charged to Wright. After the third inning, however, Wright settled down and wound up pitching eight innings, allowing four runs, just two earned, on eight hits and striking out six batters to earn the win.
C.K. Irby went 2-for-3 with two home runs and four RBIs to lead Samford at the plate. Phillip Ervin also homered, going 1-for-4 with an RBI. Tommy Corbin drove in two runs in a 1-for-3 performance, while Zeth Stone went 2-for-4 at the plate for the Bulldogs.
Chase Davis went 3-for-5 to lead the Blazers at the plate. Tanner Bryant, Tyler Mims and Jacob German drove in one run each for UAB. Chase Mallard (1-3) pitched two innings in relief, giving up three runs on three hits to take the loss on the mound for the Blazers.
UAB jumped on top first with two runs in the top of the second inning. Bryant reached base on a Samford error and later scored on another Bulldog error for the first run of the game. German reached base on a bunt single, driving in Adam Lau for a 2-0 Blazer lead.
Samford came back with three runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 3-2 lead. Ervin led the inning off with his ninth home run of the season to cut the UAB lead to 2-1. Durdaller then doubled to right-center field. Caleb Bryson then singled to center field, and Durdaller scored on a UAB error to tie the score. Austin Allison later singled to drive in Bryson to give Samford a one-run lead.
UAB came back to take the lead again with two runs in the third inning. Bryant was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to drive in Davis to tie the score at 3-3. Mims later hit a sacrifice fly to center field to drive in John Frost for a 4-3 Blazer lead.
Samford tied the score with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Irby led the inning off with a solo home run to knot the score at 4-4.
The score remained tied until Samford plated three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Stone doubled to left-center field to lead off the inning. Corbin then singled through the right side of the infield to drive in Stone for a 5-4 Samford lead. Irby then hit his second homer of the game and his seventh of the season to push Samford’s lead to 7-4.
The Bulldogs put the game away with four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Corbin walked with the bases loaded to drive in Damon Waller for the first run of the inning. Jared Watson then scored on a wild pitch to make the score 9-4. Irby then hit a sacrifice fly to center field to drive in Stone for a 10-4 Samford lead. Brandon Powell then singled to left field to drive in Corbin to make the final score 11-4.
Samford will play again Wednesday evening, playing host to Troy at 6 p.m. (CT) at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
Duke 17, UNCG 2
DURHAM, N.C. – The UNCG baseball team took a 2-0 lead after two innings Tuesday evening against Duke, but the Blue Devils netted 17 unanswered runs in the third through fifth frames to cruise to a 17-2 victory at Jack Coombs Field.
The Spartans saw senior outfielder Christian Wolfe extend his hitting streak to 10 games with a single in the first inning, while classmate and infielder Trevor Edwards recorded a hit and a run scored to reach base safely for the 17th straight contest.
Junior LHP Dylan Hathcock took the loss and fell to 2-3 on the season, giving up six runs on five hits while walking three and striking out two.
The Spartans touched up starter Michael Matuella for two runs on three hits in the top of the first as Cambric Moye delivered a one-out RBI single and Edwards scored on a wild pitch. UNCG sent seven men to the plate in the half inning.
Hathcock worked into some trouble in the bottom of the third as he walked the bases loaded with two outs. Chris Marconcini came through with a triple to the wall before Mark Lumpa followed with a double to score Marconcini from third and make the score 4-2. With runners on second and third, senior RHP Dominique Vattuone replaced Hathcock on the bump, but Duke plated two more runs on a single to center by Ryan Munger.
The Blue Devils continued to pour it on in the fourth, scoring four more runs to extend their lead to 10-2. The big blow was a two-run home run to deep right field by Marconcini.
More two-out trouble occurred in the fifth as Duke was able to load the bases again with two away. Sophomore RHP Adam Boghosian and classmate RHP Brennen James could not record the final out as the Blue Devils pushed across seven more runs before the inning came to a close.
The Spartans attempted to put some runs on the board in the seventh, but after Duke relief pitcher Remy Janco walked the bases loaded with two outs, redshirt sophomore infielder Ray Crawford struck out swinging to terminate the threat. UNCG also failed to push a run across in the eighth, despite getting freshman catcher Jake Hall to third after he doubled with one out in the inning.
Despite keeping Duke scoreless for the final three innings, the Spartans could not muster up any runs themselves.
The Blue and Gold returns to Southern Conference play this weekend, hosting Appalachian State for a weekend series. The Spartans and Mountaineers will begin the set Friday at 6 p.m. inside the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
USC Upstate 8, Davidson 3
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Trey Richardson went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs to lead USC Upstate past Davidson, 8-3, in nonconference baseball action Tuesday in Harley Park.
Right fielder Nathan Becker and third baseman David Daniels led Davidson (9-22) at the plate, with both going 2-for-4 and combining to score the Wildcats’ three runs. Both of Becker’s hits were for extra bases, as he doubled and tripled. Shortstop Michael Zeblo went 1-for-3 with a walk to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.
Aiding Richardson for USC Upstate (20-12) were catcher Brandon Patterson (2-for-4) and second baseman Daniel Seeba (1-for-3), who had two RBIs each. RHP Ben Augenstein (2-2) finished with a line of two runs (one earned) on four hits and three walks in 6 2/3 innings.
Left fielder Tyler Lesch (1-for-2, three runs) homered to right field in the first inning, and then USC Upstate scored four runs in the bottom of the third for an early 5-0 advantage. Patterson singled through the left side with the bases loaded to drive in the first run of the third, and Seeba followed with a sacrifice fly to right field for a 3-0 advantage. Shortstop Brody Greer (1-for-3) drew a walk to load the bases once again and Richardson came through with a single to center to drive in two more runs.
Richardson drove in another run in the fifth inning on another base hit to center, and then Lesch and Seeba hit back-to-back RBI singles in the sixth.
Augenstein held the Wildcats to just two hits before they got on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh inning. Daniels singled to right, Becker doubled down the left-field line and catcher Chris Dyer walked to load the bases, and then Daniels scored when left fielder Ty Middlebrooks reached on a throwing error. Second baseman Sam Foy then drew a walk to bring home Becker and chase Augenstein. LHP Jordan Rusk retired the first two batters he faced though to end the inning.
Becker tripled in the ninth and scored on a groundout by pinch-hitter Ben Arkin for the final margin.
RHP Nick Neitzel (0-2), making his first career start, worked a career high 2 2/3 innings and allowed five runs on four hits and three walks.
After playing 11 of its last 12 games on the road, Davidson’s next seven games will be at Wilson Field, beginning with a three-game Southern Conference series against College of Charleston opening Friday at 6 p.m.
No. 1 North Carolina 15, Elon3
ELON, N.C. – Late runs against a young Elon bullpen by the No. 1 team in the country opened up a tight game as the Phoenix dropped a 15-3 decision to North Carolina in front of 1,422 fans at Latham Park on Tuesday night.
The Tar Heels (30-2) got on the board thanks to a RBI groundout in the top of the first. That was the only run until the bottom of the fourth, when Ryan Kinsella began an Elon rally with a single to right. Antonio Alvarez followed with a double into the right-field corner to plate Kinsella and knot the game at 1 before scoring the go-ahead run on a one-out double down the right-field line from Chris King.
It remained a 2-1 Elon lead until the sixth, when Carolina got to starter Kyle Webb for four runs. The inning began with back-to-back singles from Colin Moran and Skye Bolt before Cody Stubbs drew a walk to load the bases. Michael Russell tied the game at 2 with a single through the right side before Mike Zolk dropped a double down the right-field line to plate two. The fourth run came on a sacrifice fly.
The Phoenix (20-14) quickly cut its deficit to 5-3 when Kinsella belted his 12th home run of the season over the wall in left to lead off the bottom of the fourth, only to see UNC get that run back on a single to right in the top of the seventh.
North Carolina had nine hits through the first seven innings, but against a young Phoenix bullpen, recorded eight hits in the final two innings. The Tar Heels added five runs in the eighth before pushing across four in the ninth.
Webb (3-1) was charged with the loss after allowing five runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out two.
The win went to Chris Munnelly (3-0), who gave up three runs after allowing just two runs in his previous 22 1/3 innings this season. Elon recorded five hits off the starter.
Kinsella, the reigning SoCon Player of the Week, went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a RBI to run his hitting streak to 11 games. He has homered in three of the last four Elon games.
Elon will be right back in action on Wednesday night when the Phoenix hosts UNCW in a 6:30 p.m. game.
No. 8 South Carolina 6, The Citadel 5
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Joey Pankake hit the second pitch of the bottom of the ninth into The Citadel bullpen to offset a dramatic Bulldog rally in the top of the inning and give the Gamecocks a 6-5 victory Tuesday night at Carolina Stadium.
South Carolina, ranked eighth in the nation, won for the ninth time in its past 10 games to improve to 27-7, while the Bulldogs dropped to 17-17. The Gamecocks swept the home-and-home series, having also won 9-5 in Charleston, S.C., on March 19.
Beginning with that home defeat to South Carolina, The Citadel has lost 10 of its last 13 games, with five of the losses coming by one run. Tuesday’s loss was the second time the Bulldogs lost to a nationally ranked team in walk-off fashion, as the Bulldogs suffered a 5-4 setback against No. 16 Georgia Tech on March 26 on a two-run homer by Daniel Spingola.
The Bulldogs were without closer Skylar Hunter on Tuesday after he worked 4 2/3 innings of relief in Sunday's game against Elon.
The Citadel stormed back from a 5-2 deficit with three runs in the top of the ninth to stun the crowd of 7,721. Hughston Armstrong bunted for a single with one out, and Joe Jackson followed with a single off the fence in right field.
After Bo Thompson popped out to second, Jason Smith singled into the hole at short to load the bases. Drew DeKerlegand drew a walk to force in the first run of the inning, and Johnathan Stokes greeted Curt Britt with a base hit into left just past the diving Pankake to plate Jackson and Smith with the tying runs.
The excitement in The Citadel's third-base dugout was short lived, however, as Pankake drove a 1-0 pitch off of David Rivera (4-1) deep into left center for his sixth home run of the season and second against the Bulldogs. The round-tripper gave the Gamecocks their fourth straight win in the series.
The Citadel comeback became necessary when South Carolina scored three times against three Bulldog pitchers in the seventh to take its first lead of the game at 5-2.
Brison Celek, pinch-hitting to create a lefty-righty matchup, singled up the middle to score Chase Vergason and give the Gamecocks a 3-2 lead. Connor Bright followed with another single to put runners at the corners and bring Rivera into the game.
Grayson Greiner hit a line drive to center that fell just in front of the diving Smith that scored two and upped South Carolina's margin to three runs. Greiner homered and drove in three runs in the Gamecocks' victory in Charleston, giving him five RBIs in the two games.
Both teams went down in order in the eighth to set the stage for the ninth-inning dramatics.
The Citadel jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first against South Carolina starter Joel Seddon. Mason Davis singled and stole his 14th base of the year. Jackson walked with one out, and Thompson grounded a double inside the line at third to score both runners.
Thompson walked three times in addition to his first-inning hit and extended his streak of reaching base to 33 consecutive games. The two RBIs give him 30 on the year, making him the third Bulldog after Jackson (34) and Tyler Griffin (30) to reach that mark.
Citadel starter Austin Livingston made the lead hold up through four innings, pitching out of a bases-loaded jam in the third and retiring the side in order in the fourth before losing his shutout an inning later. Dante Rosenberg hit his first career home run, and the Gamecocks tied it on a shallow sacrifice fly to center by Vergason that scored the speedy Tanner English.
Livingston went 4 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and two runs (one earned) with one walk and three strikeouts.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs had several scoring opportunities of their own. The Citadel had two hits in the second and then had a golden chance to expand its lead in the third, loading the bases with nobody out. But DeKerlegand popped out to second and Stokes hit a double play grounder to short to keep it just a two-run lead.
The Citadel finished the game with 11 hits but left 12 runners on base.
During the third inning, Griffin reached on a sacrifice bunt and collided with South Carolina second baseman Max Schrock on a close play at first. Schrock was down for several minutes with a neck injury but was able to walk off the field under his own power. Griffin stayed in for another inning before leaving with a sore foot that resulted from the play.
The Citadel stays on the road for a Southern Conference series against Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Ga., beginning Friday at 6 p.m. The Bulldogs enter the weekend with a 6-6 record in the conference.
No. 17 Clemson 12, Western Carolina 9
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina rallied to erase a six-run deficit with a six-run explosion in the bottom of the seventh inning on Tuesday night. However, the 17th-ranked Clemson Tigers plated three runs in the top of the ninth inning to upend the Catamounts, 12-9, in front of 1,373 fans at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
Clemson claimed its sixth straight win on the season while also halting a two-game slide to WCU as the Catamounts took both meetings a season ago for the first time in series history. The two teams will play the back-end of the nonconference home-and-home at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on April 24.
The visiting Tigers (22-11) scored runs in the first four frames including four in the top of the third inning to build a 9-3 advantage through four complete. Clemson carried its six-run lead until the home half of the seventh inning, when WCU rallied for six runs on five hits.
Junior Aaron Attaway got the Catamounts started with a double to right-center field before Tyler White squeezed a one-out, run-scoring double down the third-base line driving in Attaway. Consecutive walks to Jacob Hoyle and Dykota Spiess loaded the bases ahead of Bryant Noteboom. The senior bounced a grounder to second, reaching on a fielder’s choice, with Spiess advancing to second base on an error to keep the inning alive, scoring White.
With two outs, sophomore Bradley Strong singled home two runs with Adam Martin delivering the game-tying markers on a sharp single up the middle, scoring both Strong and Austin Neary to knot the game at 9.
Reliever Jon Nadale sat the Tigers down in order in the eighth with the Catamounts likewise going in order in their half of the frame, setting up the ninth.
Steven Duggar drove a one-out double to left-center to put the winning run aboard for Clemson, chasing Nadale in favor of set-up man Tyler Powell. After a five-pitch walk to Tyler Krieger, first baseman Jon McGibbon dropped a single into right field to plate the go-ahead run. The Tigers added two insurance runs as Krieger stole home in the back-end of a double-steal with Tyler Slaton driving in the third run on a single to left field.
Neary drove a one-out double down the left-field line in WCU’s portion of the ninth inning but was stranded at second as the Tigers closed out the ninth with a strikeout and a fly ball to deep left to end the game.
Attaway led three Catamounts with multiple hit games, recording his second straight four-hit outing. The Morganton, N.C., native reached on three singles and a double, while Julian Ridings and Strong collecting two hits apiece. All told, six of WCU’s 12 hits were doubles, with Ridings, White, Hoyle, Neary and Strong joining Attaway with a two-base hit.
Nadale (0-2) was the tough-luck loser on Tuesday evening for the Catamounts. The fourth reliever used by the Catamounts on the night, Nadale settled things after the home squad had surrendered nine runs to the Tigers through the first 3 1/3. With his parents in town from California, the Petaloma native tossed a season-long five innings in relief, scattering three hits with four strikeouts and the one run he allowed scored after he was lifted.
Senior starter Adam Curtis tossed the first two frames, surrendering six runs – only four of which were earned – on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts. He gave way to freshman Colton Davis for a third of an inning, while classmate Alex Barr tossed an inning of relief, allowing two runs on a hit with a strikeout. In the ninth, Powell struck out one in a third of an inning, with freshman Jonathan Waszak throwing one pitch to induce a ground out to end the frame.
Clemson reliever Patrick Andrews (1-1) picked up the win in relief, tossing an inning and a third out of the bullpen. He struck out the first batter he faced to end WCU’s six-run seventh inning. Scott Firth came on in the ninth to record his first save of the season, allowing the double to Neary before closing the game.
All nine Clemson starters recorded a base hit on Tuesday night as the Tigers hung 14 base knocks on the scoreboard. McGibbon led the way for Clemson with a 3-for-4 outing, driving in four runs while also scoring three times. Krieger went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Duggar doubled, also scoring three runs.
Tuesday’s game opened a nine-game homestand for Western Carolina as the Catamounts return to Childress Field / Hennon Stadium for a three-game Southern Conference series this weekend against the Samford Bulldogs. WCU looks to snap a five-game slide against the Bulldogs after falling in the SoCon tournament and being swept in Birmingham, Ala., a year ago. The Catamounts have won both series with Samford in Cullowhee since it joined the SoCon, taking both by 2-to-1 counts in 2009 and 2011.