Western Carolina 18, No. 15 Clemson 10
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Senior catcher Adam Martin collected a game-high four base hits, including his team-leading second home run of the season, while classmate Cody Jones matched a career high with five runs driven in as Western Carolina scored in bunches to upset No. 15 Clemson, 18-10, Tuesday night in nonconference action at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
WCU (8-2) scored all 18 runs before the fifth inning, producing all it would need in a four-inning stretch including a trio of big frames. The Catamounts lit the scoreboard for six runs in the second, a solo marker in the third, seven in the fourth and concluded their scoring with four in the fifth inning.
The Catamounts led 18-4 entering the top of the ninth inning before the Tigers tacked on six runs to provide the final tally.
Martin slugged out four hits, including two for extra bases, finishing just a triple shy of the cycle. The Marietta, Ga., product got the Catamounts rolling in the bottom of the second inning. With WCU trailing by a run after the top of the first, Martin belted the first pitch of his first at-bat over the fence in left-center for a two-run home run. He finished with three RBIs in the victory – his fourth multi-RBI game of the season and third consecutive.
Jones finished 2-for-4 in the win, driving in a run on a second-inning single, and helped break the game open with a three-run double to left-center as a part of WCU’s seven-run fourth, propelling the Catamounts to a 14-3 lead.
Including Martin and Jones, a combined five Catamounts recorded multi-hit games. Taylor Sandefur finished 2-for-3 with a pair of walks and three runs scored, while Dykota Spiess went 2-for-4 with an RBI, two walks and scored three times. Jacob Hoyle also collected two hits, including an RBI single in the fourth inning.
The offensive explosion was a welcomed sight for freshman starter Bryan Sammons (3-0), who scored his third victory of the season in his first career start. The Wilmington, N.C., native pitched around four walks with a career-high five strikeouts, surrendering four runs – only three of which were earned – on six hits in a career-long five innings.
Sammons was one of six Catamount hurlers to throw in the win. Senior Jordan Smith faced the minimum in two innings, aided by an Aaron Attaway-to-Hoyle double play, with T.J. Fussell working around a leadoff walk with a strikeout and two fly balls for an inning out of the pen. Sophomore Reece Strong made his collegiate pitching debut with classmate relievers Alex Barr and Colton Davis sharing the three outs in the final frame, Davis tallying a strikeout.
Clemson (6-5) jumped out to the early 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Tyler Krieger doubled to left-center before scoring on a single to left by Garrett Boulware. The Tiger advantage carried until the home half of the second inning, the first of four consecutive scoring frames for the home squad.
Hoyle started the onslaught with a leadoff single ahead of Martin, who blasted the go-ahead runs on the round-tripper to left as a part of five straight Catamounts to reach. Three consecutive walks loaded the bases before Bradley Strong reached on an error but drove home a run.
In the third, sophomore J.D. Long ripped an RBI double to left-center to bring home Martin, who led off the frame with a base knock to stretch the Catamount advantage to six, 7-1.
The Tigers pushed across a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning to claw back to within four at 7-3, capitalizing on a pair of hits and two WCU errors. Steve Wilkerson singled and scored in the frame, with Jay Baum recording the other Clemson marker.
The decisive inning, though, came in the bottom of the fourth, as 11 different Catamount batters strolled to the plate. WCU scored seven runs on six hits – only one of which went for extra bases. Three-straight batters – Hoyle, Martin and Spiess – collected RBIs in succession, with WCU loading the bases on a perfectly executed drag bunt down the third-base line by Luke Gragg. Strong then drew a run-scoring walk ahead of Jones, who delivered the biggest blow with the bases-loaded double.
Clemson had four players tally multi-hit games, led by Krieger and Wilkerson, who both doubled as a part of three-hit performances. Tyler Slaton collected two hits in a 2-for-5 showing. Wilkerson and Jon McGibbon both drove in two runs to lead the visitors.
Freshman starter Alex Bostic (0-1) took the loss for the Tigers, allowing five runs – four earned – on just two hits in an inning of work. He issued three walks against one strikeout before being lifted. Clemson threw 10 different pitchers in the game, walking a combined nine with two hit batters.
Western Carolina returns to action this weekend in tournament play at the University of Georgia and Foley Field. The Catamounts square off against two first-time opponents in North Florida (Friday, 1 p.m.) and Buffalo (Saturday, 5 p.m.) before facing the host Bulldogs on Sunday at 3 p.m.
Furman 13, USC Upstate 1
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Matthew Quarles pitched six shutout innings and Heath Burton went 4-for-5 and drove in three runs to power Furman to a 13-1 victory over USC Upstate in baseball action Tuesday afternoon at Fluor Field.
Making only his third career start, Quarles (1-1), a freshman right-hander from Greenwood, S.C., limited the Spartans to three singles and didn’t walk a batter while recording five strikeouts over six frames to earn the victory.
Burton, meanwhile, highlighted a season-high 17-hit attack for Furman (6-6) with a triple, two doubles and a single that produced three RBIs. His second double of the contest, a high drive in the seventh that came within only a few feet of clearing the 30-foot Green Monster in left field, denied him the rare cycle following a ninth-inning single.
Griffin Davis went 3-for-3 and scored four runs, Sky Overton went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Chris Ohmstede registered three RBIs with a sacrifice fly and two-run single.
Quarles mastered the Spartans from the start and got all the runs he and the Paladins would need in the third. Heath Burton tripled to deep right-center field and came home on twin brother Hunter Burton’s line-drive single to left center field. Hunter Burton, who advance to second on a outfield error on the play, stole third and later scored on an Ohmstede sacrifice fly.
Furman took command in the fourth against USC Upstate starting pitcher Eric Birklund (0-2), using five hits to score five runs to make it a 7-0 game. The frame’s big blow came on an Ohmstede two-run single up the middle that drove home both Heath and Hunter Burton.
The Paladins made it 10-0 an inning later, plating the first run when Upstate first baseman Zach Krider failed to catch a throw over from pitcher Jordan Miller, allowing MacLatchie to race home from third base. Heath Burton’s RBI grounder accounted for the second run, and Jordan Simpson finished off the three-run frame with an RBI single to plate Overton.
Furman tacked on a run in the seventh and two more in the eighth for a 13-0 lead.
Upstate, which managed seven hits, avoided the shutout by pushing across a run in the top of the ninth.
Furman plays at Gardner-Webb on Friday at 6 p.m. before hosting the Bulldogs on Saturday in a 4 p.m. game at Latham Stadium. The Paladins and Bulldogs will wrap up the three-game weekend series on Sunday at Gardner-Webb with a 2 p.m. contest.
Samford 11, Troy 9
TROY, Ala. – The Samford baseball team fell behind by seven runs in the first inning but came back to earn an 11-9 win at Troy on Tuesday evening at Riddle-Pace Field.
After falling behind 7-0 in the first inning, Samford outscored Troy 11-2 over the final eight innings of the game. The win was the fifth straight for Samford, and the Bulldogs improved to 7-4 so far this season. Troy dropped to 7-6 with the loss.
Samford was led at the plate by Danny Rodriguez, who went 4-for-5 with a double and four RBIs. Caleb Bryson went 3-for-4 with an RBI, while T.J Dixon went 2-for-6 with two RBIs for the Bulldogs.
Charles Terry (1-1) pitched one hitless inning in relief to earn the win on the mound for Samford. Andres Gracia pitched the final inning, allowing just one hit to pick up his fourth save of the season. Parker Curry, Gage Pregno, Mark Donham and Jared Brasher also saw time on the mound for Samford.
For Troy at the plate, Trevin Hall went 4-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. Garrett Pitts went 3-for-5 with an RBI, while Clay Holcomb went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Nick Masonia homered and drove in two runs in a 1-for-3 performance.
William Shell (0-1) pitched 2 2/3 innings in relief, giving up six runs on four hits to take the loss on the mound for the Trojans. Jesse Nelson, Marc Skinner and Jeremy McGowan also pitched for Troy.
Troy jumped on top early with seven runs in the bottom of the first inning. Masonia hit a two-run home run in the inning. Holcomb also drove in two runs in the inning, and Pitts and Tyler Vaughn drove in a run each. Hall also scored on a wild pitch as the Trojans took an early 7-0 lead.
Samford came back with two runs in the top of the second inning to cut the Troy lead to 7-2. Bryson doubled to drive in Hunter Swilling for Samford’s first run of the game. Rodriguez then singled to drive in Bryson to bring Samford to within five runs.
The Bulldogs added a run in the top of the third inning. Drew McWhorter singled to drive in Frankie Navarrete to cut the lead to 7-3.
Samford plated another run in the top of the fourth to make the score 7-4. Dixon doubled to drive in Jordan Wren to bring Samford to within three runs.
Troy came back with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to push its lead to 9-4. Hall doubled to drive in Pitts and Masonia for a five-run Troy lead.
The Bulldogs got two runs back in the top of the fifth inning to cut the Troy lead to 9-6. Rodriguez singled to drive in Heath Quinn and Swilling for Samford’s fifth and sixth runs of the game.
Samford took the lead with four runs in the top of the seventh inning. Rodriguez singled to drive in Swilling for the first run of the inning. Dixon later singled to drive in Bryson to make the score 9-8. Dixon and Rodriguez later scored on a Troy error to give Samford a 10-9 lead.
The Bulldogs added an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning. Navarrete singled up the middle to drive in Rodriguez to give Samford an 11-9 lead.
Samford will play again Wednesday evening when the Bulldogs play host to Jacksonville State. The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. CT start from Joe Lee Griffin Field.