The Citadel 12, Coastal Carolina 4
CHARLESTON, S.C. – A six-run first inning and The Citadel's first triple play in more than a decade highlighted a 12-4 victory over Coastal Carolina on Tuesday afternoon at Riley Park.
The Bulldogs (11-14) jumped all over Chanticleer starter Cole Schaefer for six hits in the opening frame, including a two-run single by Tyler Griffin that got the scoring started. Coastal had taken a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a bases-loaded single by Tyler Chadwick off Nate Brecklin.
Connor Walsh, making his third straight start as the designated hitter, followed Griffin with an RBI single, Johnathan Stokes plated two more with a double and Ryan Kilgallen capped the inning with another run-scoring single. The six-run inning tied the biggest of the year for The Citadel.
Brecklin settled down after the rough start, allowing only one base-runner over the next two innings. He took an 8-2 lead into the fourth courtesy of RBI singles by Drew DeKerlegand and Bo Thompson before running into trouble.
The Chanticleers (10-14) scored twice on three hits before Ross White was summoned from the bullpen. Kilgallen finished the inning when he threw out Reid Moman trying to steal, and White cruised through the next two innings, facing the minimum six batters in the fifth and sixth.
White allowed only one walk in his 2 1/3 innings on the mound and was credited with the win. Walsh, Paul Joseph Krouse and Zach Lavery followed White with one shutout inning each.
An RBI double by Mason Davis and a two-run single by Hughston Armstrong upped The Citadel's lead to 11-4 before Coastal threatened in the seventh. Pinch-hitter G.K. Young and Moman singled to start the inning and bring up leadoff hitter Michael Paez.
Paez hit a grounder right at third baseman Calvin Orth, who stepped on the bag for the first out and fired to Davis for a force on Moman at second. Davis' throw then easily beat Paez at first as The Citadel turned its first triple play since accomplishing the feat against Charleston Southern on March 19, 2003.
The Bulldogs racked up 15 hits, their second-highest output of the season, and every member of the starting lineup made his way into the hit column, including two each by Davis, Armstrong, Thompson, Walsh and DeKerlegand.
The win was just the second for The Citadel in its last 13 games against Coastal. The teams will meet again next Tuesday at Ticketreturn.com Field at Pelicans Park in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
The Citadel wraps up its five-game homestand Wednesday at 4 p.m. against Charleston Southern before hitting the road for a Southern Conference series at Elon beginning Friday at 6 p.m.
Furman 9, Presbyterian 3
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Heath and Hunter Burton combined for four hits and five RBIs to propel Furman to a 9-3 victory over Presbyterian in baseball action Tuesday afternoon at Latham Stadium.
The victory marked only the third triumph in 10 games in Latham Stadium this year for Furman (10-15), which owns a pair of victories at Fluor Field in downtown Greenville.
Heath Burton went 2-for-4 and drove in three runs while twin brother Hunter registered a 2-for-3 performance with two RBIs, two runs and three stolen bases, which pushed his SoCon-leading stolen base tally to 22.
Furman took a 3-1 lead in a first inning walk-fest that featured a combined nine bases on balls by Paladin and Blue Hose starting pitchers.
Furman starter Ryan Morse retired the first two batters he faced before walking the next four Blue Hose hitters to force in the game’s first run. In the bottom of the inning, PC starter Billy Montroni issued five walks and surrendered a hit and three runs before getting pulled.
PC used two more Morse walks in the third to tie the game at 3-3, scoring Weston Jackson on a double-play grounder and Brad Zebedis on a Jacob Midkiff single to center field.
Furman took the lead for good in the fifth, taking advantage of a Blue Hose error to plate a pair of unearned runs on Heath Burton’s two-run single to left field.
The Paladins made it 6-3 with another unearned run in the sixth and tacked on three more runs in the seventh on Hunter Burton’s sharp single past a drawn-in PC infield that scored Sky Overton and Heath Burton.
Tyler Wood (2-0), who came on in relief of Morse in the fourth, tossed three innings of one-hit, shutout ball to earn the victory, striking out four in the process.
The Paladins finished with seven hits while the Blue Hose managed just four safeties – three singles and a ninth inning, pinch-hit triple by Brandon Martin.
Trey Hayes (0-2) was charged with the loss in relief, allowing two runs, only one of which was earned, on two hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings. He struck out four.
Furman opens a three-game Southern Conference series on Friday with a 7 p.m. game at Samford.
Davidson 3, Duke 2
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Five Davidson relievers held Duke to one hit over the final seven innings, as the Wildcats defeated the Blue Devils, 3-2, in nonconference baseball action Tuesday night at Wilson Field.
Davidson (14-7) has now won 11 of its last 12 games and is 2-3 against ACC opponents this season. Duke fell to 14-12 overall and 0-3 against Southern Conference opponents.
Sophomore RHP Durin O’Linger (1-0) earned his first career win, yielding just one walk in 2 1/3 innings while striking out three after entering in the third inning. RHP Michael Goldberg (3) pitched the ninth inning and overcame a leadoff walk and an error to earn the save, striking out a batter looking in a full count with runners on first and second base for the final out.
The bottom of Davidson’s lineup drove in all three runs, with eight-hole hitter Ty Middlebrooks (1-for-3) driving in the go-ahead run in the fourth inning with a single through the right side. First baseman Ben Arkin (2-for-4), the seventh batter, had singled with one out and advanced to second on a wild pitch, from where he scored on Middlebrooks’ single.
The Wildcats also extended their longest hitting and on-base streaks. Designated hitter Ryan Lowe did not factor in the scoring but went 2-for-4 with a double and has reached base in all 21 games this season. Center fielder Forrest Brandt and shortstop Sam Foy both singled and scored a run each, allowing Brandt to extend his reached base streak to 15 games and Foy to extend his hitting streak to 15.
Davidson trailed 1-0 entering the second inning, but Brandt and Foy both singled to lead off and chase starting RHP Karl Blum from the game. LHP Kevin Lewallyn (2-1) entered for Duke but surrendered a sacrifice bunt to allow Brandt and Foy to advance into scoring position, and then Arkin plated Brandt with a ground out to second. Catcher Daniel Gerow (1-for-3) then doubled down the left-field line, following a walk by Middlebrooks, to drive in Foy for a 2-1 advantage.
Duke took advantage of a missed double-play opportunity for Davidson in the first inning, as right fielder Chris Marconcini drove in one with a sacrifice fly for the first run of the game. RHP Clark Beeker yielded just one hit in the second inning but allowed the first three batters to reach in the third inning, including an RBI single by catcher Mike Rosenfeld (1-for-3) that tied the game at 2-2.
Head coach Dick Cooke turned to his bullpen, which proved very effective, as O’Linger did not allow any of his inherited runners to score. LHP Justin Charles followed with a scoreless inning, yielding just a walk. RHP Westin Whitmire surrendered one hit in the sixth inning, but no runs, before turning it over to RHP Matt Saeta, who was perfect in the seventh and eighth innings while striking out two.
The Blue Devils totaled just six hits, led by third baseman Matt Berezo and first baseman Aaron Cohn with two each, but neither factored in the scoring.
Davidson will open a three-game Southern Conference baseball series against Georgia Southern on Friday at 6 p.m. at Wilson Field.
North Florida 8, Georgia Southern 7
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Georgia Southern Eagles scored five unanswered runs to rally within a run, but the North Florida Ospreys prevented the equalizer and won 8-7 at Harmon Stadium on Tuesday.
Chase Griffin pulled Georgia Southern (19-7) to within two runs with a three-run home run in the seventh inning. Aaron Mizell put the Eagles down just one run headed into the ninth inning after plating a leadoff hit in Garren Palmer with a RBI single.
Will Jackson held North Florida (13-11) scoreless over the final four frames and retired the last seven batters he faced in order. Jackson struck out four and allowed just two hits after entering in the fifth inning.
Dan VanSickle retired the eighth inning with a double play and tossed a scoreless ninth inning to record his second save of the season. VanSickle allowed four hits but no runs over two innings.
The Ospreys jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the fourth inning. Jordan Nolan held GSU to three runs over the first six innings to earn his first victory of the season. Nolan (1-1) allowed eight hits and struck out three batters.
Tripp Sheppard was tagged with the loss after allowing a three-run homer to James Abbatinozzi in the third inning. Sheppard (0-1) surrendered four hits and struck out two batters over one inning.
The Eagles finish with 17 hits, the most in 14 games and fourth-largest total of the season. Mizell was one of three Eagles with three hits, while Griffin plated four runs on his third long ball of the year and a third-inning single.
Corbin Olmstead led the Ospreys, who recorded 13 hits, with three hits, including his fourth home run of the season in the first inning. Abbatinozzi finished with three hits, as well, and plated five runs.
GSU remains on the road at Davidson this weekend. The three-game set against the first-place Wildcats starts Friday at 6 p.m.
Samford 7, Jacksonville State 6
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Samford sophomore Parker Curry drove in the game-winning run in the top of the ninth inning and earned the win on the mound as the Bulldog baseball team won at in-state rival Jacksonville State, 7-6, Tuesday evening at Rudy Abbott Field.
Curry singled to left field with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to drive in Heath Quinn to put Samford up 7-6. Curry had come in to pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning for the Bulldogs, giving him the win and improving his record to 2-0. Andres Gracia pitched the bottom of the ninth inning to pick up his seventh save of the season.
Curry was the seventh pitcher used by Samford, with the first three all pitching in the first inning. Cole Limbaugh, the third first-inning pitcher, came in with Samford down 4-0. Limbaugh tossed four innings, allowing no runs on three hits to keep Samford in the game.
For Samford at the plate, Caleb Bryson went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Quinn went 2-for-4 with one RBI. Tyler Filliben, Drew McWhorter, Brandon Powell and Curry also drove in a run each for the Bulldogs.
Jacksonville State was led at the plate by Paschal Petrongolo, with a home run and two RBIs. Chase Silvani went 2-for-5 at the plate for JSU. Tony Urban pitched one inning, giving up one run on three hits to take the loss and drop his record to 0-1 on the season.
Jacksonville State jumped on top first with four runs in the top of the first inning on just one hit. Griff Gordon singled to drive in Michael Bishop for the first run of the game. Andrew Bishop and Joe McGuire both walked with the bases loaded to drive in a run each for a 3-0 JSU lead. Daniel Gaither hit a sacrifice fly to center field to drive in Petrongolo for a 4-0 Gamecock lead.
Samford came back with three runs in the top of the third inning to cut the JSU lead to 4-3. Filliben singled to drive in Danny Rodriguez for Samford’s first run of the game. Quinn hit a sacrifice fly to center field to drive in T.J. Dixon for the second run of the inning. Powell later singled to left field to drive in Filliben to bring Samford to within one run.
The Gamecocks added a run in the bottom of the fifth inning to push their lead to 5-3. Petrongolo led off the inning with a home run to center field for a two-run JSU lead.
Samford took the lead with three runs in the top of the seventh inning. McWhorter singled to drive in Tripp Martin for the first run of the inning. With the bases loaded, Bryson singled to drive in Quinn and Powell to give Samford a 6-5 lead.
Jacksonville State tied the game with a run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Petrongolo walked with the bases loaded to score Peyton Williams to make the score 6-6.
In the top of the ninth inning, Quinn singled up the middle to lead off the inning. With two outs, Frankie Navarrete doubled to right-center field, moving Quinn to third base. Bryson was then intentionally walked to load the bases. Curry then singled to left field to drive in Quinn for a 7-6 Samford lead.
Samford will return to action on Friday, when the Bulldogs open a three-game home Southern Conference series with Furman. The first pitch for Friday’s series opener is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
Appalachian State at High Point canceled
HIGH POINT, N.C. – Appalachian State University's baseball game at High Point on Tuesday night has been canceled due to inclement weather. The game will not be made up.
Appalachian State returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts ETSU at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
Elon at Wake Forest postponed
ELON, N.C. – Rain has continued to force changes to the Elon baseball schedule. Thanks to wet weather, Tuesday's Phoenix contest at Wake Forest has been postponed. The two programs are trying to find a date to make up the game.
Elon will play host to Wake Forest on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
UNCG vs. North Carolina A&T postponed
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Due to inclement weather in the Triad area, the UNCG baseball team’s contest with North Carolina A&T originally scheduled for Tuesday at 6 p.m. inside NewBridge Bank Park in downtown Greensboro has been postponed.
The Spartans and Aggies will now play Wednesday at the UNCG Baseball Stadium, with first pitch slated for 4 p.m.
Western Carolina at East Tennessee State canceled
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina’s nonconference road game scheduled for Tuesday evening against East Tennessee State at Thomas Stadium in Johnson City, Tenn., has been canceled by officials at ETSU.
No makeup date for the game has been announced.
The early spring clipper system that is bringing snow to the Eastern Seaboard brought a return of cold temperatures and winter precipitation to eastern Tennessee overnight and early Tuesday morning. Forecasts included the chance of inclement weather including rain and snow showers throughout the day on Tuesday in the Tri-Cities area, prompting school and baseball officials to cancel Tuesday’s game.
Western Carolina (13-9, 2-1 SoCon) returns to the diamond in league play this weekend as it hosts Wofford in a three-game Southern Conference series at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. The Terriers (15-9, 1-2 SoCon) come to Cullowhee for a second consecutive season after dropping all three games to the Catamounts in last year’s scheduled meeting. Wofford lost two of its three games of its SoCon-opening series at Davidson last weekend.
First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 6 p.m. with a 2 p.m. start on Saturday and 1 p.m. series finale on Sunday.