Georgia Southern 13, North Florida 1
STATESBORO, Ga. – Aaron Mizell hit two home runs as the Georgia Southern Eagles wrapped up a 14-game home stand with a 13-1 win over the North Florida Ospreys on Tuesday at J.I. Clements Stadium.
Eric Alonzo tossed four scoreless frames in his second start of the season. Alonzo (2-0) left a leadoff double stranded in the first inning and worked around a pair of singles in the second inning to pick up the victory. The junior right-hander retired the final seven batters he faced.
Georgia Southern improved to 15-2 on the season after a going 13-1 over the homestand. The Eagles tallied 10 or more hits for the fourth consecutive game and hit three home runs in the contest. Mizell, who has hit in nine straight games, went 2-for-5 with four RBIs and hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning and hit another two-run shot in the eighth.
Eight of the nine starters finished with a hit and three Eagles tallied multi-hit games. Garrett Chapman also homered in the third inning to put GSU up 6-0.
Bryan Baker was tagged with the loss for North Florida (6-8). Baker allowed six runs on six hits and three walks. Baker walked the first batter he faced in Dalton Busby and would give up four runs in the first inning. Chase Griffin and Stryker Brown recorded RBI singles before Aaron Palmer plated two runs with a base hit.
The Ospreys scored their lone run in the seventh inning on a bases-loaded single by Ty Kelly. Matt McCall came on in relief of Avery Fagan and struck out Ryan Roberson to end the frame. McCall tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out three, including Kelly to end the ball game.
UNF tallied seven hits with two coming from the eight-hole hitter Garrick Ferguson. Drew Weeks singled in the sixth inning to extend his hitting streak to 22 games.
GSU opens conference play this weekend against the defending Southern Conference tournament champion Elon. The Phoenix hosts the Eagles for three games at Latham Park starting on Friday at 6 p.m.
UNCG 6, East Carolina 5
GREENVILLE, N.C. – UNCG jumped out to a 4-0 lead Tuesday at East Carolina and held on to down the Pirates 6-5 in a nonconference contest in front of 1,990 fans at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
The Spartans improved to 7-8 overall and 2-2 on their current five-game road swing, while the Pirates dropped to an even 8-8.
Junior LHP Caleb Henley (2-1) earned the win after throwing just 2/3 innings in relief of starter and junior LHP Tyler Long. Long hurled four innings, allowing just one earned run on two hits. Henley gave up two runs while walking three ECU batters. Earning his first career save was freshman RHP Adam Swim, who threw the final two innings and walked three while allowing two runs (one earned). David Lucroy (0-3) took the loss for East Carolina, giving up four runs on seven hits and two walks over four innings pitched.
Junior outfielder Nick Chapman posted three hits in four at-bats to lead the UNCG offense, while sophomore catcher Jake Hall and Long rapped out two hits each. Long also tallied an RBI to help his own cause on the mound. Junior outfielder Zac MacAneney and senior infielder Sean Guite recorded the other two RBIs for the Spartans. Additionally, Guite and junior infielder Jordan McDonald extended their hitting streaks to eight games each.
The Spartans had an opportunity to jump on top in the first inning, but after consecutive singles by MacAneney and Guite and a sacrifice bunt by junior outfielder L.J. Kalawaia to move the runners to second and third, junior infielder Hunter King popped out and McDonald grounded out to terminate the threat.
UNCG broke through in the top of the second as Chapman and Hall singled to begin the frame and redshirt freshman infielder Julian Abreu moved them to second and third on a sacrifice bunt. Long helped himself with an RBI single to center for the first run of the contest before MacAneney lifted an RBI single to right field for a 2-0 Spartan lead. Guite then flew out to end the half inning.
ECU put up its first threat in the bottom of the second, loading the bases with two outs, but Long induced a ground ball out to escape any damage. The Blue and Gold did the same in the top of the third, but could not score with the bases juiced and just one out.
The Spartans were able to extend their cushion in the top of the fourth without the benefit of a base hit. Lucroy walked the first two batters he faced, Long and MacAneney, and a wild pitch advanced the runners up a base. The Pirates brought in Nick Durazo to relieve Lucroy, but he uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Long to score from third. Guite followed with a sacrifice fly to center, plating MacAneney and staking UNCG to a 4-0 lead through three and a half innings.
The Pirates scored their first run in the bottom of the fourth on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Kirk Morgan, but Long was able to close out the inning allowing just the one tally for ECU. East Carolina would cut further into the deficit in the bottom of the fifth, scoring two runs off of Henley to make it a 4-3 contest. Henley walked Zach Houchins then threw a wild pitch to allow the runner to move to second. A pair of infield singles and a sacrifice fly accounted for the Pirate runs before junior LHP Blair Betts came on to record the final out of the inning.
UNCG tallied what turned out to be the winning run in the top of the sixth. After a groundout by Abreu, Long singled to left center before MacAneney was hit by a pitch. Guite then walked to load the bases and Kalawaia hit into a fielder’s choice play, beating out the throw to first to allow Long to score. King drew a walk in the next at bat, but the fourth ball turned out to be a wild pitch that brought MacAneney home for a 6-3 Spartan cushion.
East Carolina threatened in the bottom of the seventh, getting runners to second and third with two outs, but junior RHP Brennen James induced a ground out from preseason All-America selection Drew Reynolds to hold ECU off of the scoreboard.
After the Spartans went down in order in the top of the eighth, Houchins led off the bottom of the stanza with a double to deep right center. Fultz drew a walk before Reid Love scored Houchins with an RBI single to right field. Garrett Brooks brought home the Pirates’ second run of the inning on an RBI ground out to slice the UNCG lead to 6-5 before Swim got Bryce Harmon to ground out for the final out.
Eric Tyler drew a leadoff walk from Swim to begin the bottom of the ninth with the Blue and Gold clinging to its one-run advantage. A sacrifice bunt by Morgan moved Tyler to second and Reynolds flied out for the second out. UNCG gave Houchins a free pass on an intentional walk to bring up Dylan Brown. Swim would close out the save by inducing a groundout to first.
The Spartans close their Spring Break road trip Wednesday with a contest at UNCW. First pitch inside Brooks Field is scheduled for 4 p.m.
No. 1 South Carolina 5, Furman 0
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Elliott Caldwell went 3-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs and six pitchers combined for a five-hit shutout to lead No. 1 ranked South Carolina to a 5-0 win over visiting Furman on Tuesday evening at Carolina Stadium.
The shutout was the ninth of the season for South Carolina, which improved to 16-0 on the season, while the loss was the fourth straight for Furman, which slid to 6-10 on the campaign.
The Gamecocks got the only run they would need in the first inning when Caldwell stroked a two-out RBI single off Paladin starter Billy Greenfield to drive home Connor Bright.
South Carolina added two more runs in the second off Greenfield, getting a two-out RBI single by Tanner English and run-scoring double by Bright to stretch the lead to 3-0.
Caldwell’s single in the fifth inning off Paladin reliever Tyler Wood plated Grayson Greiner, and South Carolina tacked on another run in the seventh on Kyle Martin’s third home run of season, a solo shot that cleared the wall in right field.
Furman failed to capitalize on several scoring opportunities, stranding 11 runners on base in the game, including a pair in the first, sixth, seventh and ninth innings. In the sixth, Chris Ohmstede and Alex Abrams led off with consecutive singles off South Carolina’s third pitcher of the game, Josh Reagan, but the freshman recovered by striking out Andrew MacLatchie and Griffin Davis and getting Jordan Simpson on a fielder’s choice to end the threat.
In the ninth, Paladin pinch-hitter Sky Overton drew a leadoff walk and Simpson followed with a single, but Furman couldn’t capitalize as Cody Mincey came in from the bullpen to retire the next three hitters to strand runners at first and third to end the contest.
Bright joined Caldwell in the multi-hit column with a pair of hits, an RBI and a run scored.
Simpson had two of Furman’s five hits.
The win went to Gamecock freshman starter Taylor Widener (1-0), who allowed a hit and surrendered two walks over 3 1/3 innings.
Greenfield (1-1) took the loss in his collegiate starting debut, yielding three runs, only one of which was earned, on four hits over 3 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out two.
Furman plays at Duke on Wednesday in a 4 p.m. game. Freshman Matthew Quarles (1-1, 2.70 ERA) is expected to get the start for the Paladins.
Alabama 12, Samford 1
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Samford baseball team suffered a 12-1 setback at the University of Alabama on Tuesday evening at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
The loss ended a nine-game win streak for Samford. The Bulldogs fell to 11-5 with the loss, while Alabama improved to 10-5 with the win.
Alabama freshman pitcher Nick Eicholtz (1-0) pitched seven innings, giving up one run on three hits to earn the win. Eicholtz struck out 12 batters without allowing a walk.
For Samford, Brandon Powell, Drew McWhorter and Brandon Haarer had one hit each. Parker Curry drove in the Bulldogs’ lone run of the game. Cody Pugh (2-1) pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on six hits to take the loss on the mound for Samford.
Alabama was led at the plate by Will Haynie, who went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and four RBIs. Casey Hughston went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Kyle Overstreet had three hits and Austen Smith finished with two hits for the Crimson Tide.
Alabama jumped on top first with three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Hughston singled to right field to drive in Overstreet for the first run of the game. Chance Vincent later singled to right field to drive in Hughston and Smith for a 3-0 Alabama lead.
The Crimson Tide added two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Haynie hit a two-run home run to left field to make the score 5-0.
Alabama broke the game open with six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Haynie and Mikey White drove in two runs each in the inning. Salem and Hughston drove in a run each in the inning, as well, as the Crimson Tide took an 11-0 lead.
Samford plated a run in the top of the seventh inning to cut the Alabama lead to 11-1. Haarer tripled to right field to lead off the inning. Curry then hit a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in Haarer.
Alabama added one final run in the eighth inning to make the final score 12-1. Steven Cole singled to drive in Daniel Cucjen for the game’s final run.
Samford will return to action on Friday, when the Bulldogs open a three-game series at 11th-ranked Louisville. The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. (CT) start from Louisville, Ky.
Savannah State 8, Wofford 4
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – On Tuesday night, the Wofford College baseball team was defeated 8-4 by Savannah State at Russell C. King Field. The Tigers had a 5-1 lead after three innings on the way to the win.
Wofford moved to 9-7 on the season and Savannah State went to 6-10 overall. The Terriers were led by Josh Hyman with three hits and three RBIs, while Demetrius Jennings added two hits. Mendez Elder had four hits and two RBIs for the Tigers.
The Tigers opened the game with three straight singles to load the bases. A single to left-center scored two runs. Another single drove in a run to make it 3-0 before a double play ended the top of the first.
In the bottom of the second with two outs, Dylan May hit a home run over the left-center fence to make it a 3-1 game. The Tigers added a two-run homer in the top of the third by Aaron Hoffer to take a 5-1 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Terriers loaded the bases. A double to the wall by Hyman cleared the bases to make it a 5-4 score.
Savannah State added a run in the top of the fifth on an RBI triple by Elder for a 6-4 lead.
In the top of the eighth, the Tigers had three straight hits to add two runs for an 8-4 lead. Wofford had two runners reach base in the bottom of the eighth on a single by Jennings and a walk, but two strikeouts ended the scoring chance. The Tigers were retired in order in the top of the ninth. Wofford had one runner reach base on a walk in the bottom of the ninth, but the Terriers were unable to score.
Wofford pitcher Jordan Accetta (1-1) started the first three innings and gave up five runs on eight hits along with three strikeouts. Chris Sheehan went three innings with one run allowed on two hits and one strikeout. Jacob Condra-Bogan threw an inning and allowed two runs on four hits with two strikeouts. Elliot Lance added an inning on the mound with one strikeout. Spencer Kulman threw the ninth and recorded two strikeouts.
Savannah State starter Ryan Doyle (1-0) worked two innings and allowed one run on three hits with two strikeouts.
The Terriers will be on the road on Wednesday night at Winthrop before beginning a three-game series with Alcorn State on Friday.
Liberty 4, Elon 2
ELON, N.C. – For the second day in a row, the Elon baseball team trailed heading in to its final at-bat of the day and got a rally going. Unfortunately for the Phoenix, the result against Liberty on Tuesday was not the same as it had been 24 hours earlier as the maroon and gold dropped a 4-2 decision to the Flames at Latham Park.
Down by two runs entering the last of the ninth, Elon (11-6) got back-to-back singles from Sebastian Gomez and Danny Lynch to start the inning. With one out, Chris King belted a ball to deep right-center field that took the Liberty center fielder to the warning track, where he dropped the shot to allow the Phoenix to load the bases. From there, Ashton Perritt bore down and struck out the next two Elon hitters to snuff out the comeback attempt.
Elon was the first to get on the board, as Danny Crowe scored on a Casey Jones single in the bottom of the third.
Liberty (12-6) came back in the top of the fourth to grab a 2-1 lead. With runners on second and third, a ground out by Will Shepherd scored the tying run. The next hitter grounded to third, but the throw to first was off the mark, allowing the Flames to move in front.
In the seventh, Liberty extended its lead to 4-1 thanks to two unearned run that scored on a Danny Grauer double.
Elon closed back to within two, 4-2, in the bottom of the seventh when Crowe singled home Chris Hall.
Starter Tyler Manez (0-3) suffered the loss. He allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits in 3 2/3 innings of work. Three Phoenix relievers combined to allow two unearned runs on two hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Jared Lyons (2-0) was the winning pitcher for Liberty. Lyons gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits in seven frames. Perritt earned his sixth save of the season.
Both teams ended the game with seven hits. For Elon, Lynch and Crowe both had two-hit outings.
Elon will be back on the diamond at Latham Park to begin Southern Conference play this weekend against the Eagles of Georgia Southern. Friday's first pitch is slated for 6 p.m.
Notre Dame 13, Appalachian State 9 (10 innings)
BOONE, N.C. – For the second time in nine days, Appalachian State was one out away from an impressive win over Notre Dame on Tuesday evening. However, just like it did on March 2 in Cary, N.C., Notre Dame rallied for two runs in the ninth inning and went on to defeat Appalachian State, 13-9, in 10 innings at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
With Appalachian State holding a 9-7 lead, relief pitcher Taylor Thurber easily retired Notre Dame’s first two batters in the top of the ninth. ND’s Ryan Lidge kept the game going with a double to left-center field and pinch-hitter Ryan Bull drew a four-pitch walk to put the tying run on base for leadoff hitter Zak Kutsulis. Kutsulis lined the first offering from Thurber to deep left field and pinch-runners Jack Flaherty and Conor Biggio both scored on the double to knot the score at 9-9.
The game went to extra innings after Appalachian went down in order in the ninth.
In the top of the 10th, an infield single and a costly error gave the Fighting Irish two base-runners with only one out, but App State’s Robert Whaley nearly escaped the jam unscathed when Notre Dame attempted a double steal on a 3-2 pitch to Robert Youngdahl. Youngdahl struck out swinging and catcher Ozzy Gonzalez’s throw to third base arrived in plenty of time to gun down pinch-runner Kevin DeFillippis for the third out. However, DeFillippis’ slide jarred the ball loose from Appalachian third baseman William Head and the inning continued.
After nearly getting out of the 10th with a strike-him-out, throw-him-out double play, Whaley (0-1) was within a strike of ending the inning against the next batter, Lane Richards. However, Richards blasted Whaley’s 1-2 pitch over the head of Mountaineer center fielder Jaylin Davis for a two-run triple that gave Notre Dame an 11-9 lead. One pitch later, ND catcher Forrest Johnson, who entered the game as a defensive replacement in the bottom of the ninth, hit a mammoth home run over the left-center field wall to extend the Irish’s advantage to 13-9. All four of Notre Dame’s runs in the 10th inning were unearned.
Cristian Torres (2-1), ND’s sixth pitcher of the night, struck out the side in the bottom of the 10th to cap three innings of scoreless relief and end the ballgame.
Appalachian (4-12) fell into an early hole when starting pitcher Blake Burkett walked three of the seven batters he faced and two came around to score to give the Irish a 2-0 lead.
The Mountaineers took their first lead with a four-run fourth inning but ND answered with a four-spot of its own in the top of the fifth to regain a 6-4 advantage. The Irish’s second lead was short-lived, as App State plated five runs in the sixth to take back the advantage at 9-6. Notre Dame (6-9) cut the deficit to 9-7 with a single run in the eighth, setting up the ninth-inning rally.
Davis and MIchael Pierson led Appalachian State’s nine-hit attack with two apiece while Davis, Tyler Stroup and Preston Troutman each had two RBIs.
Blaise Lezynski had three of Notre Dame’s season-high 15 hits.
Tuesday night’s scenario was nearly identical to ND’s 4-3, 11-inning win over Appalachian in the final game of the USA Baseball-Irish Classic on March 2. In that ballgame, the Mountaineers took a 3-1 lead into the ninth inning and were one strike away from victory before the Fighting Irish tied the game and won on an unearned run in extra innings.
After a four-game homestand, Appalachian State (4-12) returns to the road on Wednesday with another tough challenge at No. 14 Clemson. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. at Don Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, S.C.
Georgia Tech 7, Western Carolina 5
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech used a five-run second inning to erase Western Carolina’s 4-0 start as the Yellow Jackets held off the Catamounts, 7-5, Tuesday in nonconference baseball action at Russ Chandler Stadium.
Both teams finished the game on Tuesday with 10 hits apiece. However, the Catamounts left 12 runners on base in the loss, while Georgia Tech stranded eight.
Three Catamounts finished with two-hit games with Cody Jones singling twice as a part of a 2-for-4 showing. Bradley Strong and Jacob Hoyle both finished 2-for-5 with Hoyle doubling in the loss. Freshman Matt Smith drove in a team-high two runs on a bases-loaded single to right field early in Tuesday’s game.
WCU freshman LHP Bryan Sammons (3-1) took the loss for the Catamounts, lasting just an inning-plus with six earned runs allowed on six hits, walking two with a strikeout. He was the first of four pitchers to throw for the Purple & Gold, with Jonathan Waszak tossing a team-long five innings. Bryce Danielson walked one in an inning and a third of relief while Colton Davis struck out the two batters he faced.
Western Carolina used a leadoff double by Aaron Attaway and an RBI single by Strong in the first two batters of the game to jump on top of the ACC foe, 1-0, in the first series meeting between the two since 2009. Adam Martin drove Strong home on a deep fly ball sacrifice to center field to make it 2-0.
The opening frame continued as Hoyle doubled to right-center field and Dykota Spiess put two aboard with a 10-pitch walk, chasing Georgia Tech starter Tanner Shelton. With the bases eventually loaded, Smith delivered a two-run scoring single to provide the four-run advantage.
The Yellow Jackets responded in the bottom of the first as Mott Hyde drew his first of three walks before Thomas Smith lifted a two-out double to right center to push home the run, trimming the deficit to three, 4-1.
Georgia Tech (9-7) then scored five runs on five hits in the bottom of the second inning to seize control of the game. A.J. Murray opened the frame with a solo homer over the fence in left as a part of four consecutive base hits. Catcher Arden Pabst drove in a runner on a single to right field ahead of Ryan Peurifoy, who scored on a passed ball. Matt Gonzales drove home his lone marker of the day on a sacrifice fly to right field, with another run scoring on a fielder’s choice play to the plate that did not record an out.
The home squad tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning on a one-out homer over the fence in left by Hyde, stretching the lead to three, 7-4.
WCU managed to get a run back in the eighth inning as a walk, HBP and single loaded the bases with only one out. Attaway then drew a walk to drive in a run, his 11th of the season.
Down to its final out in the top of the ninth, WCU mounted one final push to try to scratch the board for the game-tying markers. Dale Urquhart Jr. singled through the left side before taking second on a wild pitch. The next batter, Cody Jones, singled to right-center field with Urquhart held at third to put runners at the corners for Danny Bermudez. However, the threat was squelched when the back-up catcher was rung up on a strike off the outer edge of the plate for the strikeout.
Yellow Jacket reliever Devin Stanton (1-0) did a masterful job of stemming the tide as the third reliever out of Georgia Tech’s bullpen. Stanton tossed four scoreless innings with just one hit allowed while striking out five. Sam Clay was called upon to close the game, likewise fanning five in an inning and two thirds.
Tech likewise had three players with two-hits in the winning effort. Thomas Smith was 2-for-3 with his fourth double of the season, while Peurifoy was 2-for-2 before being lifted from the lineup after being picked off at first base. Connor Justus was 2-for-5, while Hyde scored three runs on three walks and one base hit.
Western Carolina (8-6) returns to action in its fifth straight game away from home on Tuesday evening, visiting Atlantic Sun foe Kennesaw State in the front end of a seasonal home-and-home. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.