UNCG 13, Elon 4
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG offense exploded for the second straight contest Sunday as the Spartans completed an impressive series sweep of Elon with a 13-4 victory at the UNCG Baseball Stadium. It is the first three-game sweep in Southern Conference play for UNCG since the 2011 season, when the Blue and Gold swept Western Carolina, Georgia Southern, The Citadel and Wofford.
As a team, the Spartans put on a dazzling offensive display over the weekend. UNCG hit .407 as a team while racking up 30 runs, 44 hits, 11 doubles, two triples and a home run. The Blue and Gold also slugged .574 and produced an on-base percentage of .456. The pitching staff did its job, as well, compiling a team earned run average of 2.33 and striking out 27 Phoenix batters.
In Sunday’s affair, UNCG pounded out 18 hits – just one off its season high – and did not make an error. Every batter in the lineup who made a plate appearance recorded a hit, with seven recording multiple base knocks. Junior Hunter King capped a stellar weekend with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate while also scoring three runs and driving in three. He fell just short of hitting for the cycle as he recorded a single, double and home run in the game. Classmate Tyler Long was also 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs.
King hit .818 during the weekend with a slugging percentage of 1.545 and a .857 on-base mark. He compiled nine hits, three doubles, a triple, a home run, seven runs scored, seven RBIs and a stolen base.
Senior Dylan Thompson turned in a strong starting performance on the bump, earning the win and improving to 2-3 overall. He threw 6 2/3 innings and gave up four runs on seven hits while striking out three batters. Jake Stalzer suffered the loss for Elon and dropped to 5-3 as he allowed seven runs (all earned) on nine hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
A sacrifice fly by junior L.J. Kalawaia plated the game’s first run and gave UNCG a 1-0 lead after two innings. The Phoenix responded with two runs on three hits in the top of the third to move in front 2-1, but that advantage would be short-lived.
A head’s-up play by Long in the bottom of the fourth tied the game at 2 as he stole home with two outs after Stalzer attempted to pick off freshman Jake Kusz at second base. Kusz dove back in time and Long took off for home and crossed the plate safely.
Thompson induced a double play to end the top of the fifth and UNCG opened the floodgates in the next two frames, scoring nine runs in the fifth and sixth innings to blow the game wide open.
Senior Sean Guite drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth before junior Eric Kalbfleisch singled through the right side. That would bring up King, and he belted a ball over the left-field fence for a three-run home run, making the score 5-2. Kalawaia followed with a triple down the left-field line and Long doubled to score Kalawaia. After Long stole third, Kusz poked a ball back to the pitcher that plated Long. The Spartans would lead 7-2 after the fifth.
A two-out rally in the sixth resulted in four runs for the Blue and Gold as junior Jordan McDonald came through with a two-run double. Long and redshirt freshman Julian Abreu added RBI singles to make it an 11-2 contest going the seventh.
The Phoenix scratched across two runs with two outs in the top of the seventh before junior Zac MacAneney capped the scoring with a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the eighth.
Junior Brennen James worked a scoreless ninth to end the contest.
UNCG will return to action next weekend when Samford comes to town for a three-game SoCon series.
The Phoenix is slated to be back home on Tuesday for a 6:30 p.m. game against Coastal Carolina.
Davidson 15, Appalachian State 9
BOONE, N.C. – Forrest Brandt hit two home runs in the first two innings as part of a 4-for-5 effort, leading Davidson to a 15-9 series-clinching victory over Appalachian State, and its record 15th Southern Conference baseball win of the season, Sunday afternoon in Smith Stadium.
Davidson (25-12, 15-4 SoCon) extended its record streak of SoCon series victories to nine, claiming its first over Appalachian State (16-26, 9-8 SoCon) since 2005 and its first in Boone since 2004. The Wildcats’ 15th SoCon win of the season broke the school record of 14 set in 2000.
The ‘Cats matched a season high with four home runs in the game, as catcher Daniel Gerow (2-for-3, 2B, 3 RBIs) and left fielder Lee Miller (2-for-3, BB, 3 RBIs) homered in addition to Brandt’s pair. Nine of Davidson’s 15 runs were driven in on the home runs, and the ‘Cats now have 40 on the season to best last season’s total of 39.
Davidson roared out to an 8-0 lead after the top of the second inning behind three home runs, including Brandt’s two. Appalachian State came within three runs behind a five-run second inning, but Davidson extended its lead to 10 before App scored the final four runs of the game.
RHP Clark Beeker (3-2) threw 5 1/3 innings in relief to get the win, striking out a career-high eight batters and allowing just one run on four hits and a walk.
Second baseman Dillon Dobson (3-for-5, RBI) and third baseman Michael Pierson (3-for-5, 4 RBIs) led the Mountaineers offensively, as both homered.
Second baseman Andrew Pope (2-for-5) and first baseman David Daniels (2-for-6, RBI) led the game off with singles, and with one out, Brandt, who finished the day with four RBIs, slugged a home run to the left gap for a 3-0 lead.
Gerow led off the scoring in the second inning. With Miller on, he hit his second home run of the season. Daniels then drove home Pope, who reached on a hit-by-pitch, with an RBI triple, and he scored on a sacrifice fly by designated hitter Ryan Lowe (1-for-4). Brandt capped the scoring with his second home run in as many innings and his ninth of the season.
Appalachian State fought back into the game in the bottom of the second inning, matching the Wildcats’ five runs. Dobson led the inning off with a first-pitch home run, and Pierson drove in the final runs of the frame with a two-RBI double to right. Davidson turned to Beeker to get the final out.
An RBI double by Gerow in the third made it a 9-5 game, and then a sacrifice fly by shortstop Sam Foy (0-for-4) and a two-RBI single by third baseman Ben Arkin (1-for-5) made it 12-5. Miller blasted a three-run home run to right field in the sixth for a 15-5 advantage.
Beeker did not allow his first run until the seventh inning on a solo home run by Pierson. With Beeker out of the game in the eighth, the Mountaineers scored three runs to pull within six for the final margin.
LHP Jeffrey Springs (2-3) suffered the loss, allowing the first nine runs in three innings.
Eight of nine Davidson batters had hits, as the Wildcats totaled 16 for the game after totaling 18 Saturday.
Halfway through an eight-game road stretch, Davidson is scheduled to next play at Winthrop on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Appalachian State closes a five-game homestand on Tuesday when it hosts longtime local rival Wake Forest. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. at Smith Stadium.
Furman 8, The Citadel 6
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Chris Ohmstede stroked a pair of two-run doubles and the top half of Furman’s lineup feasted at the plate in powering the Paladins to an 8-6 win over The Citadel in the Southern Conference series finale Sunday afternoon at Joseph P. Riley Park.
Ohmstede, a junior third baseman, stroked a two-run double in the first inning to give Furman (17-25, 7-10 SoCon) a 3-0 lead and later keyed a four-run sixth with his second two-run double that proved to be the game winner.
Ohmstede went 2-for-5 and scored a run, part of a productive top four of Furman’s lineup that combined to collect 13 of the Paladins’ 14 hits. Jake Jones (4-for-6, 2 RBIs, 2 run) and Greg Harrison (4-for-5, 1 RBI, 2 runs) led the way, and Hunter Burton posted a 3-for-4 performance with a triple and swiped his SoCon-leading 33rd base.
The Citadel (18-26, 4-16 SoCon) won the series two games to one but could not escape the SoCon cellar.
Furman’s 3-0 first-inning lead didn’t last long as The Citadel cut it to 3-2 in its first at-bat on RBI singles by Bo Thompson and Drew DeKerlegand.
The Paladins made it 4-2 in the second on a Greg Harrison single that drove home Andrew MacLatchie.
The Bulldogs tied it with two runs in the third, and it remain knotted to until the sixth, when Hunter Burton drew a one-out walk off Bulldog starting pitcher Austin Livingston, stole second and moved to third on a throwing error before scoring on a Jones single. After a Harrison single, Ohmstede lined a two-run double into right field to plate Jones and Harrison. Ohmstede scored the inning’s final run when Griffin Davis drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 8-4.
The Citadel sliced it to 8-6 with a pair of runs off Paladin reliever Alex Abrams in the eighth, but Abrams slammed the door in the ninth, retiring the Bulldogs in order to secure the win.
Paladin starter Tyler Wood (5-1) earned the victory, pitching three shutout frames after surrendering four runs over the first three innings. He surrendered 10 hits and three walks while fanning four.
Livingston (2-5) took the loss after getting tagged for 11 hits and eight runs over 5 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out six.
The Citadel is off for final exams next week before returning to SoCon play against Wofford at Riley Park beginning Friday at 4 p.m.
Georgia Southern 20, Wofford 2
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Georgia Southern Eagles tallied 11 walks and pounded out 18 hits in a 20-2 win over the Wofford Terriers in the series finale.
Georgia Southern (28-18, 10-11) salvaged a game in the series after scoring in every inning but the first and the ninth frames.
Matt McCall held Wofford (23-21, 5-12) to two runs over seven innings and earned the win. McCall (2-2) allowed three hits, one walk and struck out three batters on 80 pitches. The senior right-hander retired 13 batters in a row from the second inning until allowing a double in the sixth.
The Eagles got to Terrier starter Luke Leftwich early and scored five runs off of the right-hander before he was lifted in the fourth inning. Leftwich (3-5) gave up five hits, four walks and struck out four over 3 1/3 innings.
Five different Eagles finished with multi-hit games, and Ryan Cleveland led the team with four hits. Cleveland scored four runs, drove in six more, homered twice and walked twice.
Kody Adams was one of two Eagles to draw three walks and finished with two hits and four runs out of the leadoff spot. Aaron Mizell and Stryker Brown both had three hit games.
The Terriers finished with just four hits, one coming off of reliever Patrick Riley. Alec Paradowski had two hits, including a solo home run in the first inning.
Riley tossed two scoreless frames in relief of McCall to end the ball game.
After Wofford opened the game with a run in the first inning, GSU quickly tied the game in the second inning on Cleveland's RBI single.
The Eagles took a 4-1 lead with a three-run third inning after Brown plated a run with a single and Cleveland homered for the first time on the day.
GSU scored single runs in both the third and fourth innings before putting up three runs in the sixth and five in the seventh inning. Cleveland hit his second long ball of the day in the sixth, and Mizell singled in a run in the frame.
Two hits, an error, two hit batters and three walks led to the five-run seventh. Adams drove in a pair of runs in the frame with his second triple of the season.
The Eagles tacked on five more runs in the eighth inning on five base hits. Brown singled in a run with the bases loaded to start the scoring before Cleveland doubled in two more runs. A passed ball with Wes Williams at the plate scored Brown before Williams homered on his second career at-bat.
GSU will travel to Kennesaw, Ga., Wednesday to take on the Kennesaw State Owls. First pitch in the game is set for 6 p.m.
The Terriers are back at home on Wednesday at 6 p.m. against Charleston Southern before a weekend series at The Citadel begins on Friday afternoon.
Western Carolina 7, Samford 1
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Jacob Hoyle homered twice and Jordan Smith struck out six in an eight-inning start that spanned a 3 ½-hour rain delay as Western Carolina out-weathered Samford, 7-1, on Sunday afternoon at Joe Lee Griffin Field to win its Southern Conference series.
Western Carolina improved to 28-14 overall, 13-4 in SoCon play while Samford dropped to 26-18 overall, 10-8 against league foes.
Hoyle finished the game 3-of-4 with two home runs, including a second-inning solo shot over the fence in right-center field and a two-run bomb in the seventh inning.
Smith (7-3) tossed eight innings in his school-record 55th career start on Saturday, limiting Samford to one unearned run on just five hits. He countered one walk and a HBP with six strikeouts to pick up the victory. Junior Tyler Powell tossed a perfect ninth inning, striking out one in the non-save situation to close the game for WCU.
With WCU ahead 1-0 after Hoyle led off the second inning with a home run, rain showers peppered the playing surface and rendered it unsafe in the top of the fourth inning. After a 3 ½-hour rain delay, play resumed with the Catamounts loading the bases before Luke Gragg delivered his third double of the series with a shot to the fence in right field to plate two making it 3-0.
Samford answerd in the bottom of the frame with its lone run of the game, as Heath Quinn singled and took second on a throwing error. Caleb Bryson then delivered an RBI single to drive in the unearned marker to make it 3-1 through four complete.
A bases-loaded throwing error by Samford after a sliding catch in foul ground allowed Cody Jones to score in the fifth to stretch the advantage back to three, 4-1. In the seventh inning, Hoyle belted his second round-tripper of the game on a blast to right, scoring Adam Martin, who reached on a single. Bradley Strong capped the scoring with a solo run in the top of the eighth inning to provide the final tally, 7-1.
Samford starter Cole Limbaugh (1-1) took the loss despite not re-entering after the rain delay. The right-hander struck out four in three innings of work.
Western Carolina steps out of conference in midweek action on Wednesday night against Wake Forest in a game that will be played in Shelby, N.C., at the site of the American Legion World Series. First pitch is scheduled for 6 pm. WCU then returns home to host archrival Appalachian State for a three-game series in the final regular-season meetings between WCU and App as members of the Southern Conference.
Samford will return to action on Tuesday, when the Bulldogs host the University of Alabama. The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start from Joe Lee Griffin Field.