Appalachian State 6, Furman 5
BOONE, N.C. – On Appalachian State’s Senior Day, fifth-year senior Tyler Zupcic hit a two-run walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Mountaineers to a dramatic 6-5 win over Furman in Saturday afternoon’s regular-season finale at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
With the win, Appalachian State (20-32, 12-14 SoCon) clinched fifth place in the final Southern Conference standings and an opening-round bye in next week’s Southern Conference tournament. The Mountaineers open SoCon tournament play on Wednesday at 10 a.m. versus No. 4-seeded Georgia Southern at Riley Park in Charleston, S.C.
With the loss, Furman (23-31, 11-15 SoCon) took the eighth seed and must participate in Tuesday’s single-elimination opening round of the SoCon tournament, against No. 9 seed UNCG. With a win, the Paladins would advance to the double-elimination portion of the tournament and face top-seeded Western Carolina on Wednesday.
Already one of the top players in Appalachian State history, Zupcic further cemented his place in Mountaineer lore with his performance in his final game at Smith Stadium. In addition to the two-run walk-off double, Zupcic also hit a two-run home run in the third inning and finished 2-for-5 with four RBIs.
Zupcic’s two run blast to left field in the third gave Appalachian a 4-1 lead. However, Furman rallied for three runs in the fifth and one in the sixth to take a 5-4 advantage.
The score remained 5-4 until the bottom of the ninth. True freshman Tyler Stroup got the rally started with a one-out single up the middle off Furman reliever Alex Abrams, who owned a 6-1 record and two saves coming into the ballgame. The next batter, Preston Troutman, lifted a high popup into shallow right field that bounced off the glove of Furman second baseman Jordan Simpson. Stroup moved to second on the Paladins’ second error of the game and the Mountaineers had runners on first and second with one out.
Abrams walked Michael Pierson and his .335 batting average on five pitches to bring Zupcic to the plate with the bases loaded. Zupcic fell behind 0-2 in the count but laced the third pitch from Abrams well over the head of Furman left fielder Carter Grote. The ball one-hopped the fence and Stroup and Troutman easily came home with the tying and winning runs, setting off a wild celebration both on the field and in the stands.
In addition to Zupcic’s two-hit, four-RBI effort, Dillon Dobson went 3-for-4 and Troutman went 2-for-5 with two runs scored to pace Appalachian State’s 11-hit attack. Alex Leach and Ozzy Gonzalez drove in the Mountaineers’ only other runs in the second inning.
Despite Zupcic’s heroics and the Mountaineers’ 11-hit outburst, the comeback would not have been possible if not for the performance turned by Taylor Thurber out of the Appalachian bullpen. Thurber allowed just one hit and struck out four over 2 1/3 scoreless innings to close the game and earn his first win of the season.
Thurber relieved App State starter Jeffrey Springs, who pitched very well despite allowing five runs in 6 2/3 innings. Of the seven hits that Springs allowed, two were infield hits, one was a soft grounder through the right side of the infield on a hit-and-run and another was a bloop single to center field that landed just beyond the outstretched gloves of Appalachian’s shortstop, second baseman and center fielder. His biggest mistake of the afternoon was a three-run triple off the right-field wall by Hunter Burton one pitch after the southpaw appeared to twist an ankle in the top of the fifth inning.
Burton finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs to pace Furman, which recorded eight hits as a team.
The Citadel 13, UNCG 12
The Citadel 14, UNCG 11
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel and UNCG combined for 50 runs and 62 hits, but in the end it was the Bulldogs who staged a pair of come-from-behind victories to sweep Saturday's doubleheader and the final series of the regular season.
The Bulldogs (23-32, 8-18 SoCon) wiped out a late 12-3 deficit to win the opener 13-12. In the nightcap, the Spartans (21-27, 8-16) built leads of 7-1 and 10-7 before The Citadel rallied for a 14-11 victory.
The pair of exciting wins came on Senior Day, with Class of 2014 members Hughston Armstrong, Logan Cribb, Drew DeKerlegand, Tyler Griffin, Ryan Kilgallen, Calvin Orth and David Rivera honored before the opening game.
Both teams will be in action Tuesday in the play-in round of the Southern Conference tournament at Riley Park. The ninth-seeded Spartans will play No. 8 seed Furman in the opening game at noon, while the 10th-seeded Bulldogs will take the field against No. 7 seed Elon at 3:30 p.m.
In game one, The Citadel staged the second-biggest comeback in school history, scoring 10 runs over its final two at-bats to take the opening game of the twinbill. The rally was topped only by an 11-run comeback against Clemson on March 3, 1999, when the Bulldogs erased a 15-4 deficit in an 18-15 victory.
With two on and two out in the seventh, Johnathan Stokes doubled in two runs and Ryan Kilgallen followed with an RBI two-base hit to bring The Citadel within 12-6. UNCG pitcher Blair Betts retired the first two batters in the eighth before the floodgates opened.
With a run in already in, Stokes slammed his second home run of the season, a two-run shot to left-center that made it a 12-9 game. Spartan closer Tyler Frazier relieved Betts but struggled with his control, walking the first three batters he faced, with a passed ball bringing home a run.
Armstrong then capped the rally when he took a 1-2 pitch from Frazier into center to drive home a pair of runs that put The Citadel in front. Skylar Hunter put the exclamation point on the dramatic win when he retired the Spartans in order in the ninth for the save.
Layton Meacham, who had appeared in only four games prior to Saturday, worked 3 1/3 innings of two-hit shutout relief to earn his first career victory.
UNCG led 2-1 after an inning before scoring five times in the second, including a three-run homer by Zac MacAneney and a two-run single by Tyler Long. It was an 8-3 Spartan lead in the fifth when a three-run blast by Jordan McDonald highlighted a four-run frame that gave the visitors their seemingly insurmountable lead.
The Citadel finished with 16 hits, including three by Tyler Griffin. Hunter King and Aaron Wright paced a 15-hit Spartan attack with three knocks each.
The Citadel again enjoyed a huge eighth inning in the nightcap, this time scoring four runs to spell the difference as the Bulldogs completed the sweep. Mason Davis and Bo Thompson singled in runs to put The Citadel in front 12-11, and Griffin followed with a two-run double to produce the final margin.
Hunter again came in to work the ninth and picked up his third save of the series. The sophomore closer now has 14 saves on the year, one shy of the record set by Link Saunders in 2006, and his 27 career saves put him in sole possession of second place in The Citadel record book, two behind Hank Kraft.
The Spartans had taken an 11-10 lead in the top of the eighth on an RBI single by Wright but could not hang on. UNCG had four home runs in the game, including the first of the careers of Jake Kusz and Dillon Stewart, but Spartan pitching again allowed 16 hits and walked 11 batters.
Kusz homered in the second as both teams scored in the inning. UNCG then erupted for six runs in the top of the third, with Sean Guite hitting a solo homer, Wright contributing a two-run shot and Stewart doubling in a pair of runs.
But the Bulldogs bounced right back with six in their half of the frame. Thompson started it off with a solo homer, his eighth of the season, and Armstrong capped the uprising with a two-run double to tie the game at 7.
Thompson had four hits in the game, one shy of his career high, and his 25th career homer moved him into a tie for ninth in school history with Garrick Haltiwanger.
UNCG rebuilt its margin with single runs in each of the next three innings, with Stewart homering in the fifth and Wright driving in a run with a single in the sixth. A sacrifice fly by Stokes in the sixth and bases-loaded walks to DeKerlegand and Stokes in the seventh tied it at 10.
Stokes drove in seven runs in the doubleheader, while Davis and three hits and scored three times in the second game. Wright had three hits and five RBIs in the nightcap for the Spartans.
Wofford 6, Samford 5
Wofford 10, Samford 2
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford College baseball team took both games of a doubleheader against Samford on Saturday afternoon at Russell C. King Field. The Terriers won the first game 6-5 and took the second game 10-2. With the series win, Wofford has earned the No. 6 seed and an opening-round bye for the upcoming Southern Conference tournament.
Wofford is 30-26 on the season and 12-14 in the Southern Conference. Samford is 32-24 overall and 15-12 in league play.
The Bulldogs scored four runs in the opening inning of the first game, but the Terriers took a lead on a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh by Josh Hyman to earn the win. In game two, the Terriers jumped out to a 5-0 lead after two innings and added five runs in the eighth on the way to the series win. Wofford has now won four straight SoCon series.
Prior to the first game, the Terriers honored this year’s senior class – Eric Brenk, Eric Eck, Luke Feisal, Hyman, Matthew Kaskow, Jesse Morris and Seth Neely.
With 30 wins, Wofford has tied the school record for wins in a season (1991 and 2007). The team has also secured a winning record for the first time since 1992 (19-17).
In the first game, the Bulldogs led off with six straight hits to plate four runs before three straight outs ended the top of the first. The Terriers had a double from Neely with one out in the bottom of the first and he moved to third on a ground out. He scored on a wild pitch to make it a 4-1 game. Singles by Brenk and Hyman, along with a walk by Conor Clancey, loaded the bases, but all three runners were stranded to end the first inning.
The Bulldogs left one on base in the top of the second. Derek Hirsch reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the second. Alec Paradowski walked and then with two outs, a single by James Plaisted drove in Hirsch for a 4-2 score.
In the bottom of the fourth, Hirsch reached on an error and Paradowski singled to give Wofford runners on the corners with one out. On a double steal, Hirsch was safe at home to cut the lead to 4-3.
Bryce Anglin led off the bottom of the sixth with a pinch-hit single. Carson Waln pinch-ran and moved to second on a ground out. A double to shallow left field by Paradowski with two outs scored Waln to tie the game at 4-4.
Wofford opened the bottom of the seventh with a single by Brenk. Hyman then hit a blast over the fence in left-center to give the Terriers a 6-4 lead. It was the sixth home run of the season for Hyman.
The Bulldogs made it a 6-5 game with a solo home run by Drew McWhorter to lead off the ninth inning. Two strikeouts and fly ball to left field ended the game with Wofford earning the win.
Wofford starting pitcher Connell Anderson threw five innings and allowed four runs on nine hits with two strikeouts. Luke Leftwich worked 1 1/3 innings and allowed one hit with one strikeout. Eck (2-3) went the last 2 2/3 innings and gave up one run on three hits with five strikeouts. It was his school-record 87th career appearance, topping the 86 by J.D. Osborne set last season.
Cole Limbaugh started for Samford and went 3 1/3 innings with three runs allowed on five hits. Mark Donham worked 2 2/3 innings with one run allowed on two hits and three strikeouts. Mikel Belcher (1-1) threw an inning and gave up two runs on two hits with one strikeout. Patrick McGavin went the final inning and did not allow a hit with two strikeouts.
In game two, the Bulldogs left one runner on base in the top of the first. Wofford led off the first with back-to-back walks. Plaisted reached on an error and one run scored on the play. Hyman then hit a double that scored two runs and Wofford had a 3-0 lead.
The Terriers loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the second inning. A single by Plaisted drove in two runs for a 5-0 lead.
In the top of the seventh, the Bulldogs got on the board with a solo home run by Brandon Haarer. Samford added a run in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Danny Rodriguez to make it a 5-2 game.
Kody Ruedisili led off the bottom of the eighth by being hit by a pitch. With one out, Neely singled and moved Ruedisili to third. A fielder’s choice bunt by Plaisted scored Ruedisili for a 6-2 lead. A single by Matt Ramsay loaded the bases and a single by Hyman drove in two runs to push the score to 8-2. Clancey added an RBI single for a 9-2 advantage with two outs. Hirsch reached on an error that scored a run for a 10-2 lead.
Wofford starting pitcher Jesse Morris (8-6) went 6 2/3 innings and gave up only one run on three hits with six strikeouts. Jacob Condra-Bogan worked an inning and gave up one run with one strikeout. Connor Foltyn struck out the lone batter he faced. Will Stillman went the final inning with two strikeouts.
Cody Pugh (4-5) started for Samford and went two innings, allowing five runs on three hits with one strikeout.
Wofford will begin the Southern Conference tournament on Wednesday at 8 p.m. against Samford. It will mark the first time the Terriers have played in the tournament since 2008 and will be their highest seed since the 2002 season.