UNCG 4, Wake Forest 2
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – UNCG took the lead in the top of the third inning and never trailed Tuesday evening as the Spartans handed Wake Forest a 4-2 nonconference setback at the Wake Forest Baseball Park.
The Blue and Gold completed a season series sweep of the Demon Deacons for the first time since the 2004 campaign and ran its midweek win streak to four contests.
The victory went to freshman Adam Swim after he threw 2/3 of a scoreless inning in relief. Junior Tyler Frazier picked up his first save of the year, hurling two scoreless innings and walking three. Additionally, the Spartans received a career-best outing from freshman Andrew George, as he tossed a personal-best six innings, giving up just two runs on four hits and striking out a career-high eight batters.
Max Tishman was charged with the loss for Wake Forest allowing two runs on two hits in just 1/3 of an inning.
Senior Sean Guite, the Southern Conference leader in batting average, upped his mark even further with a 3-for-4 performance while adding a run scored and an RBI. Juniors Eric Kalbfleisch and Jordan McDonald also turned in multi-hit efforts, both going 2-for-4 at the dish.
A pair of hitting streaks remained intact for UNCG during the evening, as Guite extended his to 12 games and junior Hunter King pushed his to 14 contests.
The game remained scoreless until the top of the third inning. Sophomore Jake Hall drew a leadoff walk and redshirt sophomore Nin Marrero moved him to second base via a sacrifice bunt. Hall would advance to third on a groundout by redshirt junior Zac MacAneney before Guite pushed a single through the left side to give the Spartans a 1-0 advantage.
Both pitchers cruised along through the middle innings before George ran into some trouble in the bottom of the sixth. Joey Rodriguez reached on an error by Guite at third and Charlie Morgan worked a walk. Rodriguez then stole third base and scored when Matt Conway grounded into a double play. George was able to get out of the inning by fanning Jack Carey looking.
Both teams would plate a run in the seventh inning to make the score 2-2 before UNCG delivered the knockout blow in the top of eighth. Guite started the rally with a one-out single to center and Kalbfleisch followed by ripping a double off the right-field wall that allowed Guite to cross to plate. King kept things going with an RBI single up the middle, scoring Kalbfleisch to give the Spartans some breathing room at 4-2.
Frazier came on and worked a scoreless bottom of the eighth and would complete the save in the bottom of the ninth. He got Nick Mondou to foul out for the first out before walking the next two batters. Unfazed, Frazier induced a fly out and pop up to end the contest.
The Blue and Gold continues SoCon play this weekend, traveling to Georgia Southern for a three-game set with the Eagles. The series begins Friday at 6 p.m.
Wofford 4, Old Dominion 1
NORFOLK, Va. – The Wofford College baseball team scored three runs in the top of the ninth to win 4-1 at Old Dominion on Tuesday night at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex. The Terriers and Monarchs were tied at 1-1 after six innings before Wofford came up with three runs in the ninth for the road victory.
Wofford is 19-14 on the season. Old Dominion is 19-14 overall in its first season as a member of Conference USA. The Terriers were led by Josh Hyman, Eric Brenk and Luke Feisal with two hits each. The Monarchs had two hits from Ben Slaton.
Wofford opened the scoring in the fourth. Seth Neely led off the top of the inning with a walk and Brenk had a one-out single. A two-out single by Feisal scored Neely to give the Terriers a 1-0 lead, but Wofford left two runners on base.
Old Dominion had a one-out single in the bottom of the sixth. A wild pitch and single gave the Monarchs runners on the corners with two outs. A wild pitch allowed the runner from third to score and tie the game at 1-1 before a strikeout ended the sixth inning.
The Terriers were retired in order in the top of the seventh. Old Dominion led off the bottom of the seventh with a double. A pair of walks loaded the bases with two outs, but a pop fly ended the seventh inning. Wofford went down in order in the top of the eighth and Old Dominion stranded one runner in the bottom of the eighth.
Brenk led off the top of the ninth with a single to right field and Matt Ramsay walked. A bunt single by Feisal loaded the bases. A one-out pinch-hit single by James Plaisted made it a 2-1 score. With the bases still loaded and two outs, Alec Paradowski hit a ball to right field that was dropped and two runs scored for a 4-1 lead.
The Monarchs opened the bottom of the ninth with a single. A strikeout, fly ball and strikeout ended the game.
Wofford pitcher Connell Anderson went 6 1/3 innings and allowed one run on six hits with four strikeouts. Jacob Condra-Bogan worked a third of an inning with two walks. Connor Foltyn (1-0) went 1 1/3 innings without allowing a hit to earn his first career win. Eric Eck struck out two in the ninth for his eighth save of the season.
Old Dominion starting pitcher Tommy Alexander went 3 2/3 innings with one run allowed on four hits and three strikeouts. Connor Overton (0-1) threw the ninth and allowed three runs on three hits with one strikeout.
Wofford will wrap up the two-game series against the Monarchs on Wednesday at 4 p.m. The Terriers return home to host Elon on Friday at 6 p.m. in the first game of a weekend series.
No. 4 South Carolina 9, Furman 2
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Kyle Martin cracked a three-run home run to power fourth-ranked South Carolina to a 9-2 win over Furman in baseball action Tuesday evening in front of 4,247 fans at Fluor Field.
The win improved South Carolina to 27-5 on the season and completed the Gamecocks’ two-game season sweep of Furman, which dropped its sixth straight to fall to 11-22 on the campaign.
With South Carolina up 3-2, Martin, a junior first baseman and Greenville native, deposited the second pitch he saw from Furman starting pitcher Ryan Dittmar over the right-field fence for a three-run home to give the Gamecocks a 6-2 third inning lead. Elliott Caldwell completed the four-run frame with an RBI single that scored Connor Bright to make it 7-2.
Taylor Widener (2-0), who relieved Gamecock starter Evan Beal in the second, backed up the ample run support with solid pitching, working 4 2/3 innings of shutout, one-hit ball to earn the victory. He walked one and struck out four.
The Gamecocks tacked on two runs in the seventh and finished with 14 hits, led by by Martin’s 3-for-4, four-RBI, two-run performance. Marcus Mooney also had three hits, and Bright went 2-for-4.
Andrew MacLatchie drove in both Furman runs with a two-run, two-out single in the second inning that sliced South Carolina’s lead to 3-2.
The Gamecocks struck for three runs in the first, combining three hits with a pair of Furman errors to grab the early lead.
Furman committed four errors in the contest.
Dittmar (0-2) took the loss, surrendering seven runs on nine hits over three innings.
Following the game, Furman’s player and coaches, along with Greenville Drive general manager Eric Jarinko, had their heads shaved as part of Furman’s Vs. Cancer Foundation fundraising effort that netted $37,926 – the highest tally among 121 participating teams nationwide.
Furman opens a three-game Southern Conference series on Friday at Western Carolina. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.
Georgia Tech 13, Georgia Southern 2
ATLANTA – Ben Parr held the Georgia Southern Eagles to just one run while the Georgia Tech offense backed him to the tune of 12 runs over the first five innings in a 13-2 midweek victory at Russ Chandler Stadium.
Parr (3-1) stymied the Georgia Southern (24-11) offense and struck out a career-high nine batters over six innings. The left-hander scattered seven hits and walked one batter on 106 pitches.
Parr allowed leadoff singles in both the first and second innings but gave up just the second-inning run on Stryker Brown's base hit. The freshman stranded two base runners in the third inning and struck out a pair of batters in the first, fourth and fifth innings.
Parr exited after facing five batters in the sixth inning and stranding a pair of singles with a pop up to short.
Georgia Tech (20-13) backed Parr with 16 hits and scored four runs in the second and seven more in the fifth inning. Matt Gonzalez finished 4-for-4 with three RBIs, two coming on a triple in the second inning. A Thomas Smith double and home runs by A.J. Murray and Connor Justus provided six of the seven runs in the fifth.
The Yellow Jackets scored in their opening frame on a Smith infield single. Smith drove in Mott Hyde, who was hit by a pitch by Eagle starter Will Middour to lead off the game.
Middour (1-2) hit four batters in an inning-plus and allowed three runs on two hits. The junior right-hander did not walk a batter for just the second time in seven starts this season and allowed two hits on 28 pitches.
GSU finished with nine hits, with three coming from leadoff hitter Kody Adams. Adams singled to open the game, homered to lead off the seventh inning and singled again in the ninth inning. Garrett Chapman was the only other Eagle with multiple hits and tallied two hits and a walk.
GSU returns home to host UNCG as a part of this weekend's Blue-White spring game festivities. The Eagles will face the Spartans in the series opener Friday at 6 p.m., after the spring game at 4:30 p.m. Saturday and on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
High Point 6, Appalachian State 5
BOONE, N.C. – High Point's Kyle Brandenburg drove in the winning run with an RBI double in the top of the ninth inning and Appalachian State suffered its ninth one-run defeat of the season in a 6-5 loss to HPU on Tuesday night at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
Appalachian State (11-19) fell into a 4-1 hole after 3 1/2 innings but battled back to take a 5-4 lead with three runs in the fifth and one in the sixth. However, High Point (19-13) tied it on a solo homer by Brandenburg in the seventh and won it on his RBI double to straightaway center field in the ninth.
The fateful top of the ninth began with Appalachian State reliever Taylor Thurber walking HPU's No. 9 hitter, Chris Clare. Clare moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored easily on Brandenburg's one-out double that sailed over the head of Appalachian center fielder Jaylin Davis and one-hopped the wall.
After Thurber retired High Point's final two batters in the top of the ninth, the Mountaineers put the tying run on base with one out in the bottom of the frame when William Head drew a four-pitch walk. However, pinch-hitter Alex Leach struck out for the second out of the inning and with leadoff hitter Tyler Stroup at the plate, Head was caught trying to steal his way into scoring position to end the game.
Appalachian State opened the scoring on Matt Brill's RBI single in the bottom of the second inning but High Point scored four times in the top of the fourth to take a 4-1 lead. HPU hit only one ball out of the infield in its four-run fourth but had three infield singles during the wacky frame.
Highlighted by a two-run single by Stroup, Appalachian answered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth to knot the score at 4-4. An inning later, Brill drove in another run with his third hit of the evening to give the Mountaineers a 5-4 advantage.
However, Brandenburg wound up being the difference in the game. HPU's third baseman finished 4-for-5 with three RBIs, including a run-scoring infield single in the fourth, the game-tying homer in the seventh and the deciding RBI double in the ninth.
Brandenburg's heroics overshadowed another impressive performance by Brill, who finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and raised his batting average to .404 on the season. The true freshman also extended his team-best hitting streak to 12 games. He is hitting .477 (21-for-44) during the 12-game streak.
Dobson, the reigning Southern Conference Player of the Week, and Michael Pierson added two hits apiece for the Mountaineers.
Appalachian State continues a four-game homestand this weekend when it hosts a three-game SoCon series versus The Citadel. Game times are set for 6:30 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday at Smith Stadium.
UNC Asheville 12, Davidson 10
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – UNC Asheville prevailed in a back-and-forth contest, scoring three runs in the eighth inning to defeat Davidson, 12-10, in nonconference baseball action Tuesday night at Greenwood Field.
Davidson, which had won 18 of its last 21 games and six straight, fell to 20-9 overall, while Asheville improved to 11-22.
Designated hitter/RHP Ryan Lowe (1-1) went 2-for-4 with four RBIs on a sacrifice fly and a three-run home run for the Wildcats, extending his reached-base streak to 32 games and his hitting streak to 12, but suffered the loss on the mound, surrendering the go-ahead runs. First baseman Ben Arkin went 3-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored and drove in two runs with a single in the seventh to give the ‘Cats their second lead of the game, 10-9.
The Wildcats carried that lead into the bottom of the eighth inning, but an RBI groundout by third baseman Tommy Houmard (1-for-5) tied the game at 10-10, and then designated hitter Robert McIntosh (2-for-5, 2 RBI) drove in the go-ahead run with a single through the right side. First baseman Hunter Bryant (1-for-4) added a sacrifice fly for the final margin.
Center fielder Tanner Bush led the Bulldogs offense, going 3-for-5 with a double, three RBIs and three runs, including the game-winner.
The game included four lead changes, as Davidson rallied twice to take the lead after UNCA jumped out to a 5-1 lead after the second inning. The ‘Cats answered with the next seven runs to take an 8-5 lead as Lowe hit a sacrifice fly in the third inning and then capped a six-run fourth inning with a three-run home run.
However, Asheville scored the next four runs, starting in the bottom of the fifth inning on a two-out error, and added three runs in the sixth on a pair of wild pitches and an error for a 9-8 lead.
After the teams traded the lead back-and-forth once more, RHP Scott Robinson (5) retired the side in the ninth inning for the save. RHP Elliot Criss (1-0) earned the win after yielding just a walk and a hit batsman in the eighth.
Third baseman David Daniels was also strong offensively for the Wildcats, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run.
Davidson will host Samford at Wilson Field for a three-game SoCon series beginning Friday at 6 p.m.
Western Carolina 16, Presbyterian 0
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Led by the career night of sophomore infielder J.D. Long, eight Catamounts collected hits, including four finishing with multi-hit games, as Western Carolina cruised past Presbyterian, 16-0, Tuesday evening in nonconference action at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
The Catamounts (21-9), who claimed their 10th straight victory, scored in seven of the eight innings in which they took swings to remain perfect against the Blue Hose all-time (3-0). Presbyterian (10-22-1) dropped its 12th consecutive game on the year.
Long, a Waxhaw, N.C., native, posted a career-best 4-for-5 outing with four singles and three RBIs to lead WCU, which improved to 13-1 at home this season. Junior Bradley Strong opened the decisive bottom of the first inning with a solo home run over the fence in right field as a part of his 3-for-5 outing, driving in three runs, while classmate Jacob Hoyle also hit a leadoff home run in the second as a part of a 2-for-4 showing.
Enka, N.C., product Cody Jones plated a game-high four runs on a 3-for-4 evening, finishing just a home run shy of the cycle. He drove home three on a bases-loaded triple after the Catamounts had batted around in the bottom of the eight-run first inning. Senior Taylor Sandefur matched his career high with two RBIs, including one in the first and one on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning.
Catamount starter Bryan Sammons (6-1) tossed six scoreless innings, scattering five singles while striking out three against two walks to secure his second straight midweek victory over a Big South Conference foe. Relievers Bryce Danielson, Korey Anderson and Dillon Bray combined to toss the final three shutout innings, allowing just two hits and two walks.
After lighting the scoreboard eight times in the opening frame, the Catamounts managed solo runs in the second through fifth before being sat down in order in the scoreless sixth inning. In the seventh, freshman Dylan Prevatte led off with a single to right field before Long delivered a single up the middle to ultimately put runners at second and third. Bradley Strong then drove home two on a bouncing single up the middle before his younger brother, Reece Strong, drove a pinch-hit double to right-center field to score his sibling, capping the three-run frame.
Long closed the game’s scoring by plating Dale Urquhart Jr., who drew a pinch-hit walk in the bottom of the eighth inning, on a sharp single back up the middle to provide the final 16-0 tally.
Presbyterian’s seven hits were spread between six batters on Tuesday. The Blue Hose were led by left fielder Nate Chong with a 2-for-4 outing, including a double down the third-base line in the ninth inning. Between the seven hits and four walks from Catamount pitching, Presbyterian ultimately stranded 10 runners, while WCU left nine on base.
Blue Hose starter Brian Kehner (0-6) lasted just a third of an inning after being struck by a sharp RBI single up the middle by Sandefur as the Catamounts pushed across eight runs in the home half of the first inning. Kehner was tagged with six runs – only two earned – on three hits with a walk.
Western Carolina travels to UNC Asheville on Wednesday evening in the back end of a midweek, nonconference home-and-home. The Catamounts claimed the first meeting, 4-1, in Cullowhee last Tuesday. Wednesday’s game is at UNCA’s on-campus Greenwood Field, with the Bulldogs dedicating their new field lights in a special pregame ceremony. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.