UNCG 14, Furman 8
UNCG 8, Furman 6

GREENSBORO, N.C. – After a tough extra-inning loss Friday night, UNCG came back Saturday and swept a doubleheader from Furman by scores of 14-8 and 8-6 to claim the Southern Conference series two games to one at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.

The Spartans improved to 12-11 overall and 2-1 in SoCon play, while the Paladins dropped to 9-15 and 1-2.

The series win was the first for UNCG over Furman since 2009, when the Blue and Gold took two out of three at Latham Stadium in Greenville, S.C.

The Spartans pounded out 22 runs on 26 hits in the doubleheader sweep and tallied eight extra-base hits, including a three-run home run and a grand slam. With a three-run round-tripper in the first game and a double in the second contest, junior infielder Jordan McDonald extended his career-best hitting streak to 16 games.

With junior RHP Max Povse toeing the rubber in the first contest, UNCG gave him three runs of support in the first inning on an RBI single by junior outfielder L.J. Kalawaia and a two-run single by McDonald. The Paladins answered right back with three runs on two hits in the top of the second to knot the score at 3 before taking a 5-3 advantage with a pair of tallies in the top of the third.

The Spartans used a sacrifice fly from McDonald to pull within 5-4 in the bottom of the third and Povse settled down after that, holding Furman scoreless over the next three innings.

The bottom of the fifth started out innocently enough, as senior infielder Sean Guite struck out looking and junior designated hitter Eric Kalbfleisch grounded out to short. However, junior infielder Hunter King started a big rally with a single up the middle and Kalawaia followed with a base knock of his own. McDonald stepped up next and drilled a pitch over the wall in left to give the Spartans a 7-5 advantage. After another pair of singles by redshirt freshman infielder Julian Abreu and freshman catcher Jake Kusz, redshirt sophomore outfielder Nin Marrero drove a ball to the gap in left-center for a two-run triple, leaving UNCG with a 9-5 lead after five complete innings.

The Blue and Gold added to the advantage in the bottom of the sixth, as Guite drew a leadoff walk and Kalbfleisch was hit by a pitch before King doubled to left to plate Guite and Kalawaia scored Kalbfleisch on a sac fly to make the score 11-5. King would score on a wild pitch later in the inning to cap the frame’s scoring and push the lead to seven runs.

Despite a three-run outburst in the top of the seventh for Furman, UNCG added single tallies in the seventh and eighth innings to account for the final six-run margin. The Spartan bullpen silenced the Paladin bats in the eighth and ninth innings to seal the win.

McDonald had a monster contest in the opener, going 4-for-4 with seven RBIs and a run scored. King and Kalawaia rapped out three hits apiece, with the latter driving in two runs of his own. King also scored four runs in the game.

Povse earned the win to improve to 4-1 on the season, as he threw five innings, allowing five runs on five hits with five walks and seven strikeouts.

Furman jumped on top in the nightcap, scoring a run via an RBI single by Chris Ohmstede. Redshirt junior outfielder Zac MacAneney and Guite singled to lead off the bottom of the frame and Kalbfleisch quickly knotted the score with a single to right field that plated MacAneney.

After starter and senior RHP Dylan Thompson struck out two Paladin hitters as part of a scoreless top of the second, Furman starter Matthew Quarles recorded two quick outs. That’s when the Spartan offense went to work once more. After Quarles walked the bases loaded, Kalbfleisch left no doubt and crushed a pitch over the right-field wall for his second grand slam against the Paladins in as many seasons, stretching the UNCG lead to 5-1.

Furman attempted to rally, scoring three runs on four hits and a Spartan error in the top of the third, but a McDonald double, Abreu triple and sophomore catcher Jake Hall sac fly accounted for two Blue and Gold runs, making the score 7-4 after three innings.

An RBI double by Kalawaia with two outs in the bottom of the fourth allowed UNCG to take an 8-4 advantage and Thompson worked out of jams in the fifth and sixth innings to leave the contest with a four-run lead. Junior RHP Brennen James came on to pitch the top of the seventh and worked a scoreless inning before giving way to redshirt junior LHP Blair Betts in the eighth. Betts was able to record two outs without any runners on base, but Jordan Simpson was able to reach on a fielding error and Ohmstede singled up the middle, bringing on another pitching change. Freshman RHP Adam Swim allowed a two-run double to Harrison before striking out Griffin Davis looking to leave the Blue and Gold with an 8-6 edge.

UNCG failed to build on its advantage in the bottom of the eighth, leaving Swim to vie for his second save of the season. After allowing a leadoff walk to pinch hitter Cameron Whitehead, Swim struck out the next two batters and induced a foul ball out by pinch-hitter Jake Kinsley to end the game.

Thompson (1-2) turned in a very solid six-inning effort to earn his first win of the season, striking out eight batters for his UNCG career high. He gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits.

Kalbfleisch was the offensive hero in the series finale, going 3-for-4 with five RBIs and two runs scored. MacAneney also crossed the plate twice in the affair.

The Blue and Gold returns to action Tuesday as the Spartans take on crosstown neighbor North Carolina A&T at 6 p.m. The game will be played in downtown Greensboro at NewBridge Bank Park – the home of the Greensboro Grasshoppers.

Furman returns to action Tuesday when it hosts Presbyterian at 6 p.m.

 

Appalachian State 3, Georgia Southern 2

STATESBORO, Ga. – Appalachian State scored all of its runs on two home runs and evened its three-game weekend series versus Georgia Southern with a 3-2 victory on Saturday at J.I. Clements Stadium.

Sophomore Alex Leach opened the scoring with a solo home run in the third inning and sophomore Dillon Dobson added a two-run shot in the fourth to give Appalachian State (6-15, 1-1 SoCon) a 3-0 lead.

Georgia Southern (18-6, 2-3 SoCon) plated two runs in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run double by Ben Morgan, but those would be the only runs the Eagles would muster against three Appalachian State pitchers.

Sixth-year senior Tyler Moore earned his fourth straight win by limiting Georgia Southern to two runs on five hits over seven innings of work. After the Eagles cut the Mountaineers' lead to 3-2 in the fourth, Moore did not allow a hit to the final nine batters that he faced.

Freshman Dallas DeVrieze worked a perfect eighth and junior Taylor Thurber retired three of the four batters he faced in the bottom of the ninth for his first save of the season. GSU made things interesting against Thurber in the ninth when Morgan reached on an error to lead off the inning, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and stole third to put the tying run 90 feet away from home plate with two outs. However, Thurber froze pinch-hitter Robbie Dodds on a 3-2 pitch – the eighth pitch of the at-bat – to end the ballgame with a strikeout.

Leach and Dobson highlighted Appalachian State's seven-hit attack with their home runs. Leach's was his first since Feb. 24 of last season versus Butler, while Dobson's was his team-leading third of the campaign. Matt Brill added two hits for the Mountaineers.

Ryan Cleveland led Georgia Southern with two hits. Josh Wirsu surrendered all three runs in 5 1/3 innings of work to fall to 4-2 on the season.

Sunday's series finale has been moved up one hour to 12:30 p.m. due to a forecast for afternoon rain in the Statesboro area. Appalachian State's Jeffrey Springs (1-0) is slated to square off against Georgia Southern's Will Middour (1-0) in the rubber match.

 

The Citadel 4, Samford 2

CHARLESTON, S.C. – James Reeves spotted Samford two runs in the first and then combined with two relievers to blank the Bulldogs the rest of the way, leading The Citadel to a 4-2 victory in the middle game of the Southern Conference series at Riley Park.

The Citadel is now 10-13 overall and 1-4 in the SoCon, while Samford is 12-11 and 1-2 in the league with the rubber game set for Sunday at noon. The game was moved up an hour due to the forecast of rain in the Charleston area later in the day.

Reeves (3-1) overcame the shaky start that included a home run by Tyler Filliben and a shot to the fence in left with two on that was hauled in by Drew DeKerlegand to prevent an even bigger inning. He allowed only four singles over the next five frames and finished with seven strikeouts and no walks.

The junior lefty threw a career-high 105 pitches to get through his six innings and has 22 strikeouts against only one walk in his last two starts.

Zach McKay followed Reeves on the mound with a 1-2-3 seventh including a strikeout, and Skylar Hunter finished up for his sixth save of the year. The sophomore closer went two innings and allowed one hit while fanning three to earn the 19th save of his career, moving him into a tie with Drew Mahaffey for sixth place in Citadel history.

The Bulldogs got a break in the third when DeKerlegand's two-out fly ball to left was dropped by Damon Waller. Connor Walsh followed with a single for his first career RBI, bringing in DeKerlegand to cut The Citadel's deficit in half.

The Bulldogs tied the game on a Hughston Armstrong RBI single in the fourth and appeared to take a 6-2 lead when Tyler Griffin's long fly ball down the right field line was initially ruled a grand slam. However, the call was reversed to a foul ball after an umpire's meeting, and Griffin settled for a sacrifice fly that plated Mason Davis with the eventual winning run.

The Citadel added another tally in the sixth on a leadoff double by Davis and an RBI two-base hit by Griffin. The Bulldogs loaded the bases in the inning, but Patrick McGavin kept Samford in the game when he got Bret Hines to roll into a double play.

Davis finished with two hits, giving him a team-leading 11 multiple hit games on the year, and scored twice.

Jared Brasher (0-2) started for Samford and surrendered three hits and three runs (two earned) with four walks and two strikeouts in taking the loss.

Samford had a final chance to break through against the tough Citadel pitching in the eighth. Tripp Martin greeted Hunter with a double, and Drew McWhorter and Caleb Bryson drew walks to fill the bags. But Hunter escaped the jam when he blew a third strike past Waller to end the threat.

DeKerlegand was hit by a pitch in the first to increase his career total to 44, moving him past associate head coach David Beckley and into sole possession of second place in school history. DeKerlegand is seven behind record-holder Daryl Byrd.

 

Wofford 20, Davidson 7

DAVIDSON, N.C. – On Saturday afternoon, the Wofford baseball team won 20-7 over Davidson at Wilson Field. The Terriers plated five runs in the sixth inning, four in the eighth and six in the ninth to even the weekend series with the Wildcats at one game each.

Wofford is 15-8 on the season and 1-1 in conference play. Davidson is 12-7 overall and 4-1 in the SoCon. The loss ended the Wildcat’s nine-game winning streak. The 20 runs by Wofford were the most in a game this season and the most since 2009. The 20 runs were the most for Wofford in a Southern Conference contest since scoring 25 against Davidson in 2006.

The Terriers were led by James Plaisted with the first two home runs of his career, including a grand slam in the top of the ninth inning, to record six RBIs. Conor Clancey added four hits and three RBIs and Eric Brenk scored four runs. The Wildcats had two hits and three RBIs by Ben Arkin to lead the team.

Conor Clancey led off the top of the second with a solo home run just inside the left-field foul pole for a 1-0 advantage. The home run was the first of his Wofford career. In the bottom of the second, the Wildcats tied the game with a solo home run by Forrest Brandt to right-center. Davidson added a single and a hit by pitch, but both runners were left on base.

In the top of the fourth, Clancey singled and Brenk doubled off the left-center wall. Demetrius Jennings reached on an error and Clancey scored for a 2-1 lead. Dylan May’s sacrifice fly brought home Brenk for a 3-1 advantage in the middle of the fourth inning.

Davidson led off the bottom of the fourth with a single. A single by Arkin with two outs drove in a run to make it a 3-2 game, but two runners were left on base. Josh Hyman walked with one out in the top of the fifth and a double by Seth Neely to right-center scored Hyman for a 4-2 game.

Brenk had a bunt single to lead off the top of the sixth and Jennings added a single up the middle. An error on a sacrifice bunt by May loaded the bases. Plaisted was hit by a pitch and Matt Ramsay earned a walk for a 6-2 advantage. A fly ball by Hyman added another run and a two-out double by Alec Paradowski pushed the lead to 8-2. A single to left field by Clancey scored Paradowski from third base to make it a 9-2 game in the middle of the sixth.

The Wildcats were retired in order in the bottom of the sixth, with the third out made on a diving catch by left fielder Jennings. In the top of the seventh with two out, Plaisted hit a solo home run just inside the left-field foul pole to make it a 10-2 game. It was Plaisted’s first career home run.

Paradowski was hit by a pitch to open the eighth inning. A double by Neely was followed by an RBI single from Clancey to make it an 11-2 lead. Brenk was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Jennings reached on a fielder’s choice and a throwing error allowed two runs to score. After a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases again, Luke Feisal was hit by a pitch to plate a run and Wofford had a 14-2 lead.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Wildcats added two singles. A fielding error with two outs allowed a run to score for a 14-3 game. A double down the left-line by Arkin drove in two runs to make it 14-5. A wild pitch and a balk scored Arkin for a 14-6 score. A single, walk and single loaded the bases before a hit batter plated a run. A strikeout with the bases loaded ended the eighth inning.

Wofford opened the top of the ninth with a walk to Paradowski. With one out, back-to-back hit batters loaded the bases. Derek Hirsch was hit by a pitch with two outs to bring in a run for a 15-6 lead. With the bases still loaded, Plaisted hit his second home run of the day to make it a 19-7 advantage. Feisal then added a solo home run inside the left-field foul pole to give the Terriers a 20-7 advantage. The Wildcats had a double in the bottom of the ninth, but a strikeout ended the game.

Wofford pitcher Luke Leftwich (3-1) went a career-long 7 2/3 innings and allowed seven runs on eight hits. Only two of the runs were earned and he recorded eight strikeouts. Merritt Huber faced three batters and allowed one hit. Spencer Kulman worked 1 1/3 innings and allowed one hit with three strikeouts.

Davidson starter Danny Mooney (3-2) threw five innings and allowed eight runs (five earned) on seven hits with five strikeouts.

Davidson hit a school record eight batters in the game.

The Terriers and Wildcats will conclude the three-game series on Sunday at 11 a.m., moved up two hours due to the threat of inclement weather.

 

Western Carolina 6, Elon 5

ELON, N.C. – In a game that saw four ties four ties and three lead changes, the Western Carolina Catamounts delivered the final strike as they defeated the Elon Phoenix 6-5 in game two of a three-game Southern Conference baseball series at Latham Park on Saturday afternoon.

Elon (14-8, 3-2 SoCon) was the first to strike, turning back-to-back walks in to two runs in the bottom of the first. The first run scored on a Casey Jones double and the second came in on Sebastian Gomez's ground out.

In the top of the third, Western Carolina (12-9, 1-1 SoCon) knotted the game at 2. Dale Urquhart Jr. started things off with a solo homer to left before a passed ball later allowed the tying run.

The Phoenix went back in front, 3-2, in the last of the third when a Catamount error let Chris Hall score.

Western Carolina claimed its first lead in the fourth, scoring two more runs, including a solo homer off the bat of Taylor Sandefur. That lead did not last long, however, as the maroon and gold came right back with one in the bottom half when Hall was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it a 4-4 contest.

With the score still even at 4 in the last of the seventh, Elon loaded the bases thanks to an Andy Moore double, Chris King single and Quinn Bower being hit by a pitch. The Phoenix then reclaimed the advantage, 5-4, when Ryan Cooper drew a walk on the eighth pitch he saw from the Catamount pitcher.

The Elon edge was also short-lived as Jacob Hoyle belted a 2-1 pitch over the wall in right-center for a homer to start the eighth. With two outs in the ninth, Hoyle delivered again, driving a 1-1 pitch over the wall in right for what proved to be the game-winning run.

After the first two hitters in the bottom of the ninth were retired, the Phoenix tried to rally. Tucker Norton came through with a pinch-hit single to center ahead of a Cooper single through the left side of the infield. Unfortunately for Elon, the next hitter grounded to third to end the comeback attempt.

Jones extended his hitting streak to a career-best eight games.

Taking the loss for Elon was Brandon Kacer. Kacer (0-1) gave up one run on one hit – the first of either he has allowed this year.

The loss was the first for the Phoenix in 12 games when leading after seven innings this season.

Colton Davis (2-1) was the winning pitcher. He did not allow a run in 1 2/3 innings of work out of the Catamount bullpen. Tyler Powell allowed two hits, but no runs, to claim his second save of the year.

Western Carolina pitchers combined to issue 12 walks, but Elon was unable to cash in on most of those as the Phoenix stranded a season-high 16 runners.

The rubber match between these two squads will be played on Sunday at noon from Latham Park. The game was moved up from its scheduled 1:30 p.m. start due to the threat of rain.