Appalachian State 15, UNCG 4
BOONE, N.C. – Tyler Moore threw Appalachian State’s second straight complete game and every member of the Mountaineers’ lineup had at least one hit in a 15-4 rout over UNCG on Saturday afternoon at rainy Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
Moore followed up Jamie Nunn’s complete game in Friday’s 4-2 Appalachian State win by going the distance himself on Saturday. Moore needed just 98 pitches to twirl the nine-inning gem, allowing four runs on nine hits en route to his fifth straight win. The right-handed sixth-year senior, who moved to 5-2 on the season, went 5-0 with a 1.85 ERA in the month of March.
Appalachian State (8-16, 3-2 SoCon) trailed 1-0 after one inning and 3-1 after 2 1/2 but scored 14 runs over its final six at-bats to pull away for its second straight victory. The Mountaineers’ 15 runs and 14 hits were both season highs.
A bit of good fortune in the bottom of the third helped Appalachian grab a lead that it would never relinquish. Trailing 3-1 with two runners on base and two outs, Michael Pierson lofted what looked to be an inning-ending fly out to right-center field. However, perhaps distracted by the steady mist that fell throughout the game, UNCG center fielder Zac MacAneney dropped the fly ball and both runners scored easily to tie the ballgame at 3-3. Two pitches later, Jaylin Davis brought Pierson home from second with an RBI single and the Mountaineers led, 4-3.
App State took a slim 5-4 lead into the bottom of the sixth but batted around and plated five runs to take a commanding 10-4 advantage. The Mountaineers added another run in the seventh and four more in the eighth to complete the romp.
Davis, Tyler Zupcic, Dillon Dobson, Alex Leach and William Head each had two hits to pace Appalachian State’s 14-hit attack. Leach added a season-high three RBIs, while Zupcic scored a season-best four runs.
UNCG (13-13, 2-3 SoCon) was hampered by four errors in the defeat. Starting pitcher Max Povse (4-2) took the loss, allowing nine runs (five earned) on 10 hits over just 5 1/3 innings of work. Jordan McDonald led the Spartans offensively by going 2-for-3 with an RBI. All nine of UNCG’s hits were singles.
Appalachian State goes for the three-game Southern Conference series sweep on Sunday. The weekend finale is set for 1 p.m. at Smith Stadium.
Furman 11, Samford 9
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alex Abrams doubled, homered, drove in three runs and earned the victory with three innings of effective relief pitching in Furman’s 11-9 Southern Conference baseball win over Samford on Saturday afternoon at J.L. Griffin Field.
Abrams, a senior designated hitter/first baseman/pitcher from Charleston, S.C., belted his first home run of the season, a solo shot to right field in the third inning, stroked a two-run single in a four-run fourth and doubled and scored what proved to be the winning run in the eighth inning to help Furman (11-16, 2-3 SoCon) even the three-game series with Samford (15-11, 3-2 SoCon) heading into Sunday’s 3 p.m. ET series finale.
The Paladins trailed 5-1 after three frames before scoring 10 unanswered runs to take an 11-5 lead in the eighth. That proved just enough to hold off the Bulldogs, who tallied four runs in the eighth to make it 11-9 and then loaded the bases in the ninth before Furman reliever Tyler Wood induced a fielder’s choice grounder off the bat of Frankie Navarette to end the game.
Abrams (4-1) went 3-for-6 at the plate and also scored twice in his role as designated hitter. He took over for starting pitcher Elliott Warford in the fifth with the game tied 5-5 and pitched three scoreless innings of relief before yielding back-to-back singles to lead off the eighth and giving way to Wood.
Greg Harrison matched Abrams’ three-hit performance by going 3-for-4 and scoring two runs, and Sky Overton went 2-for-5 with three RBIs, including a two-out, two-run double that capped the Paladins’ four-run seventh.
Heath Burton also had two hits, including an RBI double, in Furman’s 14-hit attack.
Drew McWhorter led Samford, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs.
The Bulldogs combined two hits with three walks to plate two runs in the first inning against Warford.
Abrams’ solo blast off Samford starter Jared Brasher in the third made it 2-1, but the Bulldogs quickly answered with a three spot in the bottom of the frame, highlighted by a McWhorter two-run double into the left-field corner.
Furman began its comeback with four runs in the fourth, made possible by four walks, two hits and a wild pitch. Abrams’ two-run single off the wall in deep left-center field highlighted the rally that tied the game at 5-5.
Abrams took over on the mound the fifth and blanked the Bulldogs for three innings, during which time the Paladins took the lead for good with a four-run seventh against Bulldog reliever Parker Curry (2-1). Overton’s two-run double into right-center field scored Heath Burton and Jake Jones to give Furman a 9-5 lead.
In the eighth, Jordan Simpson made it 10-5 with an RBI single, and Chris Ohmstede sprinted home on a wild pitch for Furman’s 10th consecutive run and an 11-5 advantage.
The loss was charged to Curry, who allowed four runs, only one of which was earned, on four hits over 1 1/3 innings of relief.
Georgia Southern 7, Davidson 5
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Josh Wirsu tossed a season-high seven innings and struck out a team-best 13 batters as the Georgia Southern Eagles evened the three-game series with a 7-5 win over the Davidson Wildcats at Wilson Field on Saturday.
Georgia Southern (20-8, 4-4 SoCon) picked up its 20th victory of the season and bounced back from a series-opening 5-2 loss on Friday night. Kody Adams, who extended his reached-base streak to 10 games, led GSU with three hits. Five different Eagles tallied multi-hit games and seven of the nine starts recorded at least one base hit.
Wirsu settled in after allowing three runs over the first three innings and retired 10 straight batters, starting in the fourth inning. Wirsu (5-2) picked up the win en route to becoming just the second Eagle to strike out 10 or more batters this season. The junior right-hander bested the previous team high of 12 punchouts set by Sam Howard against Maryland Eastern Shore on Feb. 21. Wirsu allowed three runs – two earned – on four hits and three walks.
Ryan Cleveland broke open a 3-3 tie in the fifth inning with an RBI double. Cleveland dropped a ball into the left-center field gap to score Aaron Mizell, who was hit by a pitch before stealing second base.
Cleveland, who extended his hit streak to six games, later capped off the Eagles' scoring with his fourth home run of the season in the eighth inning. The freshman first baseman hit a solo shot that bounced off of a pine tree in right field to put the Eagles ahead 7-3.
Davidson (15-8, 6-2 SoCon) got the run back in the bottom of the eighth inning on a solo home run from Forrest Brandt.
The Wildcats pulled within two runs in the ninth inning on a pinch-hit single from Brian Fortier and threatened to tie the game with runners on first and second base.
Jason Richman struck out Andrew Pope and coaxed a ground ball to third base to end the threat and the game. Richman worked a full inning and allowed one unearned run on two hits to earn his first career save.
Danny Mooney suffered the loss after allowing four runs on nine hits. Mooney (3-3) struck out eight batters and walked two over 5 2/3 innings.
The Wildcats jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning after a pair of walks scored on a Ryan Lowe single and a Sam Foy sacrifice fly.
GSU tied the game at 2-2 in the second inning on Garrett Chapman's two-RBI double off the wall in left field.
Chase Griffin put the Eagles ahead 3-2 in the third inning with an RBI single that dropped in right field. Davidson quickly tied the game in the bottom half of the frame on an error by shortstop Dalton Busby.
The same two teams will meet Sunday at 1 p.m. in the deciding game of the series. Eric Alonzo is scheduled to make his first weekend start for the Eagles. Davidson will counter with Nick Neitzel.
Western Carolina 11, Wofford 4
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – On a cold and wet Saturday night, the Wofford baseball team was defeated 11-4 by Western Carolina at Hennon Stadium. The Catamounts took advantage of the wind blowing out and hit four home runs to win the second game of the weekend series.
Wofford is 16-11 on the season and 1-4 in the Southern Conference. Western Carolina is 15-9 overall and 4-1 in the league. The Terriers were led by Josh Hyman with two hits and two runs scored, while James Plaisted had a home run. Adam Martin led the Catamounts with two home runs and four RBIs.
The Terriers opened the game with a single by Hyman and he moved to second on a passed ball. A two-out single by Conor Clancey scored Hyman to take a 1-0 lead. The Catamounts tied the game with a lead-off home run by Aaron Attaway but left a runner on third base to end the first.
In the top of the second, Plaisted opened the inning with a solo home run to left field to take a 2-1 lead. It was his third home run of the season. In the bottom of the second, the Catamounts had the bases loaded with two outs. A single by Bradley Strong plated two runs for a 3-2 lead.
After Wofford was retired in order in the top of the third, the Catamounts led off with a double in the bottom half of the inning. With runners on the corners, Western Carolina hit into a double play but the runner from third scored for a 4-2 lead.
In the fourth, the Catamounts had two runners on base with two outs when Martin blasted a ball over the left-field fence for a 7-2 advantage.
Luke Gragg led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run over the right field fence to make it an 8-2 game. Three straight walks loaded the bases with nobody out, but two strikeouts and a fly ball ended the scoring chance.
The Catamounts had runners on the corners in the bottom of the sixth when a fielder’s choice allowed a run to cross the plate for a 9-2 lead. A runner was thrown out at home for the third out in the sixth inning. In the top of the seventh, Eric Brenk led off with a walk and walks were issued to Plaisted and Matt Kaskow to load the bases. A sacrifice fly by Matt Ramsay drove in Brenk to make it 9-3 at the stretch. Western Carolina was retired in order for the first time in the bottom of the seventh.
Hyman led off the top of the eighth with a double down the left line. Seth Neely reached on an error that scored Hyman to cut the lead to 9-4. The Terriers loaded the bases, but a strikeout ended the scoring chance.
The Catamounts opened the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run by Martin, his second of the game, for a 10-4 score. Western Carolina loaded the bases with one out and a wild pitch allowed a run to score to make it 11-4 at the end of eight innings.
In the top of the ninth, Luke Feisal led off with a walk. With two outs, a single by Alec Paradowski gave the Terriers runners on the corners. A strikeout looking ended the game with an 11-4 score.
Wofford pitcher Luke Leftwich (3-2) went four innings and allowed seven runs on eight hits with three strikeouts.
Western Carolina starter T.J. Fussell (1-2) threw seven innings with five hits and three runs allowed along with nine strikeouts. Colton Davis earned the save with 1 1/3 innings on the mound and one hit allowed plus three strikeouts.
The Terriers will complete the Southern Conference series at Western Carolina on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Elon vs. The Citadel postponed
ELON, N.C. – Due to rain, Saturday's scheduled Elon baseball game against The Citadel has been postponed. The two teams will finish off their three-game Southern Conference series with a doubleheader on Sunday. First pitch is slated for noon at Latham Park. Gates will open at 11 a.m.