Samford 7, Auburn 6
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford baseball team completed a season sweep of the Auburn Tigers with a 7-6 win Tuesday evening at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
Parker Curry (3-2) pitched 1 2/3 innings in relief without allowing a hit to earn the win on the mound for Samford. Curry struck out three batters, while allowing one walk. Andres Gracia pitched the final 1 1/3 innings to pick up his Southern Conference-leading 11th save of the season.
At the plate for Samford, Caleb Bryson hit a three-run home run in a 1-for-3 performance. Tyler Filliben went 2-for-3 with a triple and an RBI. Heath Quinn went 2-for-4 at the plate for the Bulldogs.
For Auburn at the plate, Ryan Tella went 4-for-5 with one RBI. Damek Tomscha went 2-for-5 with an RBI, while Jordan Ebert drove in two runs, going 1-for-4 at the plate. Justin Camp (1-5) pitched 2 2/3 innings, giving up six runs on four hits to take the loss on the mound for Auburn.
Samford jumped out to an early lead with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. With one out in the inning, Jared Watson walked. Filliben then tripled to right-center field to drive in Watson for the game’s first run. Drew McWhorter then doubled to left-center field to drive in Filliben for a 2-0 Samford lead.
The Bulldogs added four more runs in the third inning to push their lead to 6-0. With two outs in the inning, Filliben was hit by a pitch and advanced to second base on a balk. Filliben then scored when McWhorter reached base on an Auburn error. After Quinn singled to left field, Bryson hit a three-run home run to left field for a six-run Samford lead.
Auburn came back with four runs in the top of the fifth inning to cut the Samford lead to 6-4. With runners at the corners and one out, Tella reached base on a bunt single, driving in Brett Binning for Auburn’s first run of the night. Damon Haecker later scored on a sacrifice fly by Ebert for the second run of the inning. Tella later scored when Tomscha reached base on a Samford error. The final run of the inning was scored when Connor Short was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Daniel Robert and pull Auburn to within two runs.
The Tigers added another run in the top of the sixth inning to make the score 6-5. Ebert singled up the middle to drive in Anfernee Grier for Auburn’s fifth run of the contest.
Samford plated a run in the bottom of the sixth inning to push its lead to 7-5. Tripp Martin doubled to lead off the inning and moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Richard Greene. Martin then scored on a wild pitch to give Samford a two-run advantage.
Auburn added one final run in the top of the eighth inning. Tomscha singled up the middle to drive in Ebert to make the score 7-6. Gracia then came in to get the final out of the eighth inning to end the threat. Gracia held Auburn scoreless again in the ninth to close the game out.
With the win, Samford improved to 22-15 on the season. Auburn dropped to 21-17 with the loss. Samford won both meetings between the two teams this season. The Bulldogs also defeated the Tigers 8-1 on April 1 in Auburn, Ala.
Samford will return to action on Friday, when the Bulldogs travel to Statesboro, Ga., to take on Georgia Southern in a SoCon series. The teams are scheduled to play Friday at 5 p.m. (CT), Saturday at 1:30 p.m. (CT) and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. (CT).
Western Carolina 9, Winthrop 6 (13 innings)
ROCK HILL, S.C. – Western Carolina pushed across three runs in the top half of the 13th inning, including the game-winning run on a squeeze play, to outlast the Winthrop Eagles, 9-6, Tuesday night in midweek nonconference action at the Winthrop Ballpark.
With the win, the Catamounts swept both ends of the home-and-home series this year with Winthrop, taking the first meeting 8-0 in Cullowhee back on Feb. 18. Western Carolina improved to 24-11 overall, snapping a two-game losing skid.
Reaching on a leadoff single through the left side to open the decisive frame, sophomore Danny Bermudez moved into scoring position at second base on a sacrifice bunt by Matt Smith. Bermudez then stole third ahead of a one-out walk by Taylor Sandefur to put runners at the corners for Aaron Attaway. With Bermudez steaming towards home on the 1-1 pitch, Attaway laid down the perfect bunt, allowing the go-ahead run to score.
Attaway, credited with the sacrifice bunt, reached on a throwing error, with Sandefur advancing to third on the play before eventually scoring the first insurance run on a wild pitch. After having made the play with his bat, Attaway then did the job with his feet. The Morganton, N.C., native stole both second and third before J.D. Long drove a single through the right side to score the final run of the game.
Senior T.J. Fussell, who threw the final 4 1/3 innings in relief, struck out the side in the bottom of the 13th inning to secure the win and even his seasonal record at 2-2. All told, Fussell, an Asheville, N.C., product, was nearly perfect out of the bullpen, limiting the Eagles to just one hit while striking out seven.
Junior Bradley Strong led all hitters with a 4-for-7 outing on Tuesday, finishing with two singles and a pair of doubles. Sandefur had three singles in a 3-for-5 performance, driving in a career-high-tying two runs. Seniors Adam Martin and Luke Gragg tallied two hits apiece, while Bermudez finished 2-for-6 with two runs scored, stretching his streak of reaching base safely to 20 straight games.
With a third-inning RBI single through the right side, junior Jacob Hoyle extended his current hitting streak to a career-long 15 games.
Trailing by as many as four runs, 6-2, Winthrop chipped away at the Catamount advantage. The Eagles loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth inning with Babe Thomas scoring on a passed ball to make it 6-3. In the eighth, Winthrop got an RBI ground out by Brad Kaczka before Luke Maldonado lifted a pinch-hit RBI single to center field to make it a one-run game, 6-5.
Winthrop (18-22) then mounted a two-out rally in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game, ultimately forcing extra innings. John Menken started the rally with a single through the right side before Chad Smith moved him to third with a base hit. On a 3-1 pitch, Kaczka singled up the middle to allow the game-tying run to score and put runners at second and third. However, Fussell struck out Maldonado to end the threat and force extra innings.
Sophomore transfer Taylor Durand tossed the first three innings in his first start for the Catamounts, allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts against a pair of walks. Freshmen Nate Williams and B.J. Nobles combined for the next three frames with three walks and a strikeout by Nobles. Sophomore Jonathan Waszak threw an inning-plus before having to come out after back spasms, with Colton Davis tossing 1 2/3 innings before giving way to Fussell with two outs in the eighth.
Winthrop reliever Michael Green (0-1) took the loss, allowing the three 13th-inning runs on two hits with a strikeout. Thomas and Menken both recorded three hits for the Eagles, with Kaczka finishing with a team-high three RBIs.
WCU stranded 16 runners on base in the win, while Winthrop left a dozen on the paths on Tuesday evening. The Catamounts stole a season-high nine bases, with Strong and Bermudez swiping two apiece.
Western Carolina returns to action on Wednesday evening as it travels to Knoxville, Tenn., to face the Tennessee Volunteers (23-11). First pitch from Lindsay Nelson Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Appalachian State at Wake Forest postponed
BOONE, N.C. – This week's Appalachian State-Wake Forest baseball game, originally scheduled for Tuesday, has been postponed for one day due to a forecast for inclement weather in Winston-Salem. The game is now slated for Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Wake Forest Baseball Park.
The midweek pitching matchup pits Appalachian State freshman RHP Sean Mason (0-1, 5.04 ERA) versus Wake Forest junior RHP Matt Pirro (2-1, 8.59 ERA).
Davidson at Duke canceled
DURHAM, N.C. – Davidson’s nonconference baseball game against Duke at Jack Coombs Field on Tuesday night was canceled due to rain.
The game was to conclude a home-and-home series between the two teams. It will not be rescheduled.
Davidson will return to Wilson Field and host UNCG in its final Southern Conference series at Wilson Field. The three-game series will begin Thursday at 6 p.m., and they will also play Friday at 6 p.m. Senior Day ceremonies will take place prior to the finale Saturday at 2 p.m.
After the UNCG series, the Wildcats will conclude the regular season playing 11 of their final 13 games on the road, starting at No. 6 South Carolina on Tuesday, April 22. That game will be televised live on FS South.
Furman at Presbyterian canceled
CLINTON, S.C. – The Furman baseball game at Presbyterian, originally scheduled for Tuesday at 3 p.m., has been postponed due to heavy rains in the Clinton area.
A makeup date has not been determined.
Georgia Southern at Mercer canceled
STATESBORO, Ga. – Georgia Southern baseball's home contest against the Mercer Bears was canceled Tuesday after rainfall drenched the Statesboro area for most of the day.
The Eagles will travel to College of Charleston on Wednesday before returning to J.I. Clements Stadium to face the Samford Bulldogs. First pitch in the Southern Conference series is set for 6 p.m. Friday.
UNCG at High Point canceled
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Due to inclement weather in the Triad area, the UNCG baseball team’s nonconference contest against High Point scheduled for Tuesday evening at Williard Stadium has been canceled.
The game was to be the fifth straight on the road for the Spartans. A makeup date has not been announced at this time.
UNCG will now head to Davidson for a three-game SoCon series. The Spartans and Wildcats will begin the set Thursday at Wilson Field in a 6 p.m. first pitch.