Davidson 9, Wofford 7
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Davidson rallied past Wofford, 9-7, for its ninth consecutive victory – matching a 50-year-old record – Friday night in Southern Conference baseball action at Wilson Field.
Third baseman David Daniels went 4-for-6 with two doubles and the game-winning run, and sophomore second baseman Andrew Pope, who had just one career home run entering the night and none this season, homered twice to lead three Davidson batters with three-hit games. Pope also had a team-best three RBIs.
Designated hitter Ryan Lowe, who has reached base in all 17 games this season, reached base a game-high five times, going 3-for-4 with a double, two walks and two runs. Catcher Daniel Gerow was 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored.
With nine straight wins, Davidson's winning streak ties a single-season mark first set in 1904 and last matched in 1964. A win Saturday over Wofford (14-8, 0-1 SoCon) would tie the Wildcats' longest winning streak ever of 10, set across the 1906 and 1907 seasons.
At 12-0 overall and 4-0 in Southern Conference play, the win also ties Davidson's best start in its 64-season history in the league. The 'Cats last started 4-0 in the SoCon in 2000. Overall, Davidson is off to its best start since going 15-6 to kick off the 1992 season.
Friday night's game featured yet another close battle between the Wildcats and Terriers, as the last 11 meetings have now been determined by two runs or fewer. Nine of those have been by one run.
The winning runs came across in the bottom of the seventh inning on three consecutive bases on balls and a hit-by-pitch. Daniels doubled with one out, and then with two outs, center fielder Forrest Brandt (1-for-5, 2 RBIs) and shortstop Sam Foy (2-for-5, RBI) drew walks to load the bases before right fielder Lee Miller (0-for-3, 2 RBIs) drew a walk to bring across Daniels for the go-ahead run. First baseman Ben Arkin (0-for-4) was then hit by a pitch for an 8-6 advantage.
The Terriers added a run in the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Eric Brenk (1-for-3, 3 RBIs), but Pope added another insurance run in the bottom half with a solo home run just over the left-field fence.
Wofford led by as many as three after a four-run fourth inning, keyed by a two-RBI base hit by Brenk (1-for-3, 3 RBIs) and two unearned runs, which gave the Terriers a 5-2 advantage.
Pope answered with a two-run opposite-field home run to right field to pull Davidson back within one in the bottom half of the inning, and an RBI single by Brandt and a sacrifice fly by Miller in the sixth put the 'Cats back ahead, 6-5. Wofford tied the game again in the top of the seventh.
Davidson totaled 17 hits to Wofford's eight and drew six walks to Wofford's four, but Davidson stranded 17 base runners to Wofford's four and committed three errors that resulted in two unearned runs.
LHP Rob Bain started for Davidson and went 6 1/3 innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Freshman RHP Cody White (1-1) picked up his first win after retiring the lone two batters he faced in the seventh inning, and RHP Michael Goldberg (2) earned his second consecutive save after pitching the final two innings.
RHP Jesse Morris (5-2) took the loss after surrendering four runs on five hits and a walk with two strikeouts.
Davidson and Wofford will continue the three-game series Saturday at Wilson Field at 1 p.m.
Georgia Southern 7, Appalachian State 4
STATESBORO, Ga. – Chase Griffin capped off a four-run seventh inning with a two-RBI single as the Georgia Southern Eagles took the first game in a three-game Southern Conference series from the Appalachian State Mountaineers 7-4 on Friday night.
Jason Richman allowed a two-RBI triple in the sixth inning but settled in to hold Appalachian State (5-15, 0-1 SoCon) scoreless over 2 2/3 innings for his fourth win of the season. Richman (4-0) struck out four batters and allowed two hits.
Matt McCall recorded the final two outs of the ball game for his fifth save of the season.
Georgia Southern (18-5, 2-2 SoCon) trailed 4-2 after Preston Troutman's two-out triple in the top of the sixth inning plated a pair of runs. Stryker Brown tied the game with a two-out, bases-loaded single off of reliever Zach Joyce in the seventh inning, and Griffin plated two more with a line drive past the third baseman a batter later.
Joyce (0-1) faced two batters and failed to record a hit in relief of starter Jamie Nunn. Joyce surrendered two runs on a hit and a walk. Nunn struck out eight over 6 2/3 innings but received a no decision.
Eagle starter Sam Howard punched out five batters over 5 2/3 innings. He allowed four runs – two earned – on six hits and one walk. Howard walked William Head in a 12-pitch battle to start the ball game and allowed a single to Tyler Zupzic. He would have left both base runners stranded if not for a two-out error by first baseman Ryan Cleveland.
GSU tallied 10 hits and had three Eagles record multi-hit days. Garren Palmer joined Brown and Griffin with two hits on the day, including his second home run of the season in the third inning.
The three-game set continues Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Josh Wirsu will take the mound for the Eagles and will be countered by Tyler Moore.
Elon 5, Western Carolina 1
ELON, N.C. – Some quality pitching and timely hitting lifted the Elon Phoenix baseball squad to a 5-1 victory over the visiting Western Carolina Catamounts in a Southern Conference baseball tilt from Latham Park on Friday night.
After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the fourth inning on a Dykota Spiess sacrifice fly, Elon (14-7, 3-1 SoCon) scored three runs on three hits in the last of the fifth to take a lead that it would never surrender. With one out, Chris Hall lined a 2-1 pitch into right-center for a single. He then headed to third when Chris King lined a single to right. After a walk loaded the bases, Western's Jeremy Null uncorked his first wild pitch of the year to allow the tying run to score. A ground out by Quinn Bower plated King as the Phoenix grabbed a 2-1 lead. The final marker scored on Ryan Cooper's infield single.
Elon hung on to its two-run cushion until the last of the eighth, when the maroon and gold tacked on two insurance runs. Casey Jones ripped the first pitch he saw off the wall in left for a one-out double and scored on Sebastian Gomez's single up the middle. On the throw to the plate, Gomez raced to second. He then moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball.
The Catamounts (11-9, 0-1) threatened in the third and had runners on the corners with two outs when a ball got away from the Elon catcher, but the man from third got hung up between the bags and was tagged out at home. In the fifth, WCU had a runner on third with two down when another ball got away at the plate. This time, the runner was tagged out after a flip to the Phoenix pitcher covering home.
Lucas Bakker continued his impressive run, as the righty improved to 4-1 on the year. Bakker did not allow an earned run in 7 2/3 innings, running his streak to 25 2/3 innings without an earned run surrendered. He did not walk a hitter, struck out five and scattered five hits. Ryan Pennell retired the final four hitters, including striking out the side in the ninth, to earn his fifth save of the season.
The loss went to Null, who fell to 2-1. He was charged with three runs on four hits in seven innings. Null walked four and struck out five.
Jones (2-for-4) ran his hitting streak to seven games, matching his career-long, while Gomez (1-for-3) extended his hitting streak to nine games.
Elon and Western Carolina will play game two of this three-game series at 4 p.m. on Saturday from Elon's Latham Park.
Samford 5, The Citadel 3
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Samford pitcher Alex Ledford pitched eight-plus innings to earn the win as the Bulldogs opened Southern Conference play with a 5-3 win at The Citadel in the first game of a three-game series Friday night at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.
Ledford (4-1) allowed just three runs on four hits in earning the win. Andres Gracia came on in the ninth inning to get the final three outs and earn the save for the visiting Bulldogs.
Samford was led at the plate by Caleb Bryson, who went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Brandon Powell went 2-for-5 with an RBI, while Hunter Swilling went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
For The Citadel, Ryan Kilgallen went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Bo Thompson hit a solo home run in a 1-for-3 performance. Logan Cribb (1-3) pitched 6 1/3 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits to take the loss on the mound for The Citadel.
Samford jumped on top first with four runs in the top of the fourth inning. Singles by Powell, Tyler Filliben and Heath Quinn loaded the bases with one out. Drew McWhorter then hit a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in Powell for the game’s first run. Swilling then singled to drive in Filliben for a 2-0 Samford lead. Bryson then doubled to drive in Quinn and Swilling to make the score 4-0.
The Citadel came back with a run of its own in the bottom of the fourth inning. With two outs in the inning, Thompson hit a solo home run to left field to cut the Samford lead to 4-1.
Samford added a run in the top of the seventh inning to push its lead to 5-1. Swilling and Bryson had back-to-back hits to lead off the inning. Both runners then moved up a base on a passed ball. Swilling was then thrown out at home when Jordan Wren reached base on a fielder’s choice. Powell then singled to drive in Bryson for a four-run Samford lead.
The Citadel plated two final runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to make the final score 5-3. Tyler Griffin and Andrew DeKerlegand had back-to-back hits to lead off the inning. Calvin Orth then reached base on a Samford error to load the bases. Griffin scored the inning’s first run when Johnathan Stokes hit into a double play. Kilgallen then singled to drive in DeKerlegand to pull The Citadel to within two runs. Gracia, however, struck out Bailey Rush to end the threat and secure the 5-3 Samford win.
With the win, Samford improved to 12-9 overall and 1-0 in Southern Conference play. The Citadel fell to 9-13 overall and 0-4 in SoCon games.
The teams will continue their three-game series with a game Saturday at 2 p.m.
Furman 15, UNCG 7 (10 innings)
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Hunter Burton had a career high four hits and Furman erupted for eight runs in the top of the 10th inning to beat UNCG, 15-7, in the Southern Conference baseball season opener for both teams Friday evening at UNCG Stadium.
Furman (9-13, 1-0 SoCon) gave up three runs to UNCG (10-11, 0-1 SoCon) in the eighth inning to fall behind 7-5 but rallied to tie the game in the ninth on a Chris Ohmstede RBI double and Greg Harrison sacrifice fly.
After Alex Abrams pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth to send the 7-7 game into extra innings, the Paladins unloaded in the 10th, sending 13 batters to the plate and scoring eight runs on six hits with assistance from two Spartan errors and a pair of wild pitches.
In the decisive 10th, Heath Burton beat out a one-out infield single, stole second and came around to score the go-ahead run on a throwing error by UNCG third baseman Sean Guite. Jordan Simpson, Harrison and Heath Burton, who had two hits in the frame, all delivered RBI base hits, and Andrew MacLatchie knocked in a pair with a double to highlight the outburst, which marked the most productive frame for Furman since posting an eight-spot in the second inning of an eventual 14-10 Paladin victory over The Citadel last year in Greenville, S.C.
Abrams (3-1) closed out UNCG in its last turn at the plate to earn the victory in his first relief appearance on the campaign.
Furman banged out a season-high 18 hits, led by Hunter Burton, who doubled, singled three times, scored three runs and stole a base. Harrison went 3-for-4 and drove in four runs with a double, triple and two sacrifice flies. Abrams also had three hits in five at-bats and crossed home plate three runs.
Five players had two hits apiece for UNCG, which finished with 14 safeties.
Furman touched Spartan starter Ryan Clark for two runs in the first, but UNCG quickly tied it against Paladin starting pitcher Matt Solter in the bottom of the inning.
UNCG led 4-3 after six innings before the Paladins scored twice in the seventh to go up, 5-4. Hunter Burton tied it after he came home on a balk, and Abrams gave Furman the lead by scoring on a Harrison sacrifice fly.
The Spartans scored three runs with two outs in the eighth to grab a 7-5 advantage, getting an RBI single from Nin Marrero, a run-scoring double by Zac MacAneney and plating the final run on a wild pitch.
UNCG reliever Tyler Long was victimized by Furman in the ninth, yielding a leadoff double to Hunter Burton and single to Simpson – both of whom later scored to tie the game.
Adam Swim (1-1) was charged with the loss after coming on to get the final out in the ninth. He got the first out in the 10th before giving up the one-out single to Heath Burton, who scored the first of the eight runs, all of which were unearned.
Due to forecasted bad weather on Sunday, the Paladins and Spartans will play a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at UNCG Stadium.