Western Carolina 20, Appalachian State 10
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina flexed its offensive muscle on Saturday afternoon, scoring 20 runs on a season-high 24 hits, including 13 for extra bases, in a 20-10 victory over archrival Appalachian State in Southern Conference action at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. WCU scored all 20 of its runs in the first five frames on Saturday to take game two and win the best-of-three series over the Mountaineers.
The series finale – the last regular-season meeting between Western Carolina and Appalachian State as members of the same conference – is scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday.
Eight different Catamounts finished with multi-hit games, with infielders Bradley Strong and J.D. Long leading the way for the Purple & Gold. Strong finished just a triple shy of his second cycle of the season, posting a 4-for-5 outing with a single, two doubles and home run while amassing a game-high six RBIs. Long was likewise 4-for-5 with a pair of singles, a double and a triple, plating a career-best five runs.
Western Carolina (31-14, 15-4 SoCon) opened the scoring barrage early, sending nine batters to the plate in a nine-run first inning. SoCon RBI leader Adam Martin got things going with a three-run home run over the fence in left field, one of the 10 hits – four for extra bases – in the inning. Long drove in two on a triple down the right-field line, with Strong and Cody Jones plating runs on singles and Jacob Hoyle driving in one on a double.
Appalachian State (16-28, 9-10 SoCon) cut the deficit back to six after WCU’s nine-run opener with a three-run top of the second inning. However, the Catamounts responded with a three-spot of their own in the home portion of the frame, with Long driving in a run on a single before Strong collected his first two RBIs on a double to left-center to make it 12-3 through two complete.
WCU would add a single run in the third as Hoyle scored on a double by Luke Gragg before plating three more in the fourth inning. Long drove in two on a single and Strong again proved the catalyst with a two-run homer to right in the four-run fifth to make it 20-5. App State would add five runs over the final three frames to provide the final tally, 20-10.
Freshman Bryan Sammons (7-2) picked up the victory for the Catamounts, allowing five runs on eight hits while striking out six against three walks. The southpaw stranded nine Mountaineer base-runners on bases. Classmate Nate Williams struck out two against three walks in two innings of work, with relievers Bryce Danielson, Taylor Durand and Jonathan Waszak combining to close out the final two frames, with Durand recording a strikeout.
The Mountaineers scored 10 runs on 15 hits, including five extra-base knocks. Michael Pierson doubled twice as a part of a 3-for-5 outing with three runs driven in, with Preston Troutman plating two runners on a 2-for-5 showing. Dillon Dobson hit a solo home run for his lone hit of the game.
App starter Tyler Moore (8-3) suffered the loss after giving up nine runs – only three of which were earned after two costly first-inning errors – on 10 base hits.
Georgia Southern 1, Furman 0 (11 innings)
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Sam Howard tossed eight scoreless frames, and Chase Griffin drove in the winning run in the 11th inning as the Georgia Southern Eagles took the series from the Furman Paladins with a 1-0 victory on Saturday.
Georgia Southern (30-19, 12-11 Southern Conference) tossed its second straight shutout for the first time since 1994 and picked up its 30th win of the season. The Eagles have now won 30 or more games in 14 of their last 15 seasons.
Neither team crossed home plate through 10 innings but a two-out walk of Stryker Brown scored two batters later on Griffin's infield single to second base. Griffin hit a ball into the gap on the right side of the infield, where second baseman Jordan Simpson scooped it up but was unable to record an out. Brown hustled all the way from second base and scored the game's winning run.
The run gave Eric Alonzo his third win of the season. Alonzo (3-3) tossed two scoreless frames in relief of Howard and allowed one hit on 32 pitches. Jason Richman retired two batters in the 11th inning before giving way to Matt McCall. McCall (8) struck out Greg Harrison to end the game.
Howard bounced back after a rough outing at Wofford last week and held Furman (18-27, 7-12) to five hits and no runs over eight frames. Howard received a no decision but walked just one batter and struck out six on 119 pitches.
The Paladins' starter, Jacques de Gruy, matched Howard on the mound and threw 9 2/3 scoreless frames. Gruy walked four batters and struck out five on 116 pitches.
Ryan Morse took the loss after allowing one run on a walk. Morse (1-3) tossed an inning and struck out a batter.
The Eagles finished with five hits and left nine men on base. Chase Griffin and Garrett Chapman had two hits each.
Furman tallied six hits with two coming from Simpson.
Alonzo retired the side in the bottom of the ninth with a strikeout of Chris Ohmstede and sent the Eagles to extra innings for the first time since May 4, 2013, vs. Furman.
UNCG 8, Samford 6
GREENSBORO, N.C. – On a day when the UNCG baseball team honored its six seniors, the Spartans defeated Samford 8-6 to even the teams’ Southern Conference series at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
The Blue and Gold improved to 21-20 overall and 8-9 in league play, while the Bulldogs dropped to 27-20 and 11-9.
UNCG used the long ball to do most of its damage, hitting three home runs in the contest – including the first career long ball by redshirt freshman Julian Abreu. Junior Tyler Long also hit his first home run as a Spartan, while classmate Eric Kalbfleisch tallied his fourth round-tripper of the campaign. Long ended the contest 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two driven in. A total of four UNCG players recorded multiple hits in the game. Junior Hunter King drew a walk to make it a team-high 24 straight games reaching base safely.
Samford was led once again by T.J. Dixon, who went 4-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Junior RHP Max Povse earned his sixth win of the season, throwing seven innings and allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits. He struck out nine batters in the contest and walked just one. Jared Brasher suffered the loss for Samford after giving up six runs on six hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Junior RHP Tyler Frazier picked up his fourth save, throwing two scoreless innings to close out the game.
After Povse set the Bulldogs down in order in the top of the first inning, Kalbfleisch’s home run in the bottom of the frame staked UNCG to an early 1-0 advantage. A two-out, RBI single up the middle by Frankie Navarette tied the score in the top of the second before Abreu’s long ball in the bottom of the inning made it 2-1 after two complete innings.
More two-out trouble plagued the Spartans in the top of the third, as Drew McWhorter and Caleb Bryson tallied run-scoring singles to put the Bulldogs ahead, 3-2. Samford scored again with two outs in the top of the fourth when Dixon doubled to right-center to plate Richard Greene and give his team a 4-2 cushion.
Long worked a one-out walk in the bottom of the fourth before Abreu and freshman Jake Kusz singled to load the bases. Junior Nick Chapman then battled to a 3-2 count and eventually won the matchup with Brasher, sending a single through the left side that scored Long and Abreu to tie the contest at 4.
The Spartans took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth thanks to Long’s two-run bomb. King had walked to lead off the half inning before the blast. Chapman came through again later in the stanza with two away, dropping in a single to right field to score Kusz and extend the UNCG advantage to 7-4. Kusz tallied his first career triple to put himself in scoring position for Chapman.
Samford made things interesting again in the top of the seventh, plating two runs to pull within 7-6. Frazier came on with the one-run lead in the top of the eighth and induced three consecutive fly-ball outs to keep the Bulldogs off the board.
The Blue and Gold would add an important insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, taking advantage of a leadoff triple from Long, who just missed another home run in deep center field. Abreu would bring him home in the next at-bat with a sacrifice fly to left to make the score 8-6.
Frazier gave up a bunt single to Tripp Martin to begin the top of the ninth but fanned pinch-hitter Brandon Powell for the first out. A single up the middle by Dixon put runners at first and second for Tyler Filliben. However, senior Sean Guite turned a 5-3 double play to end the contest with the tying run on base.
UNCG and Samford will close their three-game series with the rubber game Sunday at 1 p.m. inside the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Davidson 9, Elon 2
ELON, N.C. – A five-run second inning and strong pitching from RHP Danny Mooney led Davidson to a 9-2 victory over Elon in Southern Conference baseball action Saturday at Latham Park.
The bottom of the order powered the Davidson offense, as left fielder and eighth hitter Lee Miller reached in all four plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two walks, and catcher and ninth hitter Daniel Gerow went 2-for-4 with a double and matched his career high of three RBIs for the third time this season.
Mooney (5-3) pitched into the eighth inning and finished after 7 1/3 innings, allowing two runs, all in the first inning, on nine hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
The win snapped a four-game losing streak for Davidson (26-14, 16-5 SoCon) against the Phoenix and was the Wildcats’ first at Elon (26-19, 12-10 SoCon) since March 13, 2009, snapping a seven-game road skid.
Davidson’s 26 wins this season are its most since 2005, while its 16th SoCon win extends a program record.
Elon jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on back-to-back doubles by designated hitter Chris King (1-for-4) and first baseman Tyler McVicar (1-for-3), but Davidson answered in the top of the second. Right fielder Nathan Becker (2-for-5, 2 RBIs) and shortstop Sam Foy (1-for-5) led the frame off with base hits, and RHP Michael Elephante (6-3) walked third baseman Arkin to load the bases and then walked Miller to bring across the first run.
Gerow drove in the go-ahead runs with a double just inside the third-base bag, and the final runs came across on an RBI groundout by second baseman Andrew Pope (0-for-4) and a sacrifice fly by first baseman David Daniels (1-for-4), respectively.
Elephante allowed the five runs on four hits and two walks and struck out one and left after the inning.
With RHP Matt Harris on the mound, the ‘Cats took advantage of a two-out error in the third inning, as Arkin and Miller followed with base hits to drive in Foy, who had reached on the error. Gerow followed with another single to drive in Arkin and give Davidson a 7-2 lead.
Harris settled in, though, and did not allow another Davidson hit until Miller singled in the top of the eighth. He finished the game, allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits and four walks in seven innings, while striking out seven.
There was no scoring from the bottom of the third inning until the top of the ninth inning, when Becker drove in the final two runs on a double.
Both teams finished with 10 hits. Left fielder Casey Jones reached in all five plate appearances for Elon, going 2-for-2 with a double and three walks, but scored only one run.
Davidson and Elon will play the rubber match Sunday at 1 p.m. RHP Nick Neitzel (6-0, 3.26 ERA) is slated to start for the Wildcats, while LHP Jake Stalzer (5-3, 3.68 ERA) is expected for the Phoenix.
Wofford 1, The Citadel 0 (10 innings)
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Seth Neely homered off Skylar Hunter to lead off the 10th inning, breaking up a sterling pitching duel and giving Wofford a 1-0 victory over The Citadel in the middle game of a Southern Conference series Saturday at Riley Park.
The rubber game of the series is Sunday at 1 p.m.
Saturday's defeat was The Citadel's first 1-0 loss since dropping a decision by that score to Stony Brook on March 6, 2005. It was also the Bulldogs' first extra-inning loss since an 8-6, 12-inning defeat to Furman on May 13, 2012.
The Bulldog pitching trio of starter Austin Mason and relievers Zach Lavery and Hunter held Wofford (24-23, 6-13 SoCon) to only three hits through nine innings before Neely drove a 2-1 pitch over the wall in left.
The homer made a winner of Will Stillman (3-2), who worked around a leadoff walk to Drew DeKerlegand in the ninth in his only inning. Terrier closer Eric Eck retired the Bulldogs (19-27, 5-17) in order in the 10th for his 10th save of the season and 27th of his career, the most of any active SoCon pitcher.
Hunter, who is second on that list with 23 career saves, dropped to 2-4. Mason worked a season-high seven innings and allowed three hits, struck out three and did not walk a batter in taking the no-decision. The stint was one inning shorter than his career high of eight innings against Georgia Southern last April 14.
The Citadel had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the eighth against Wofford starter Matthew Milburn. Pinch-hitter Connor Walsh led off the frame with a single, and third baseman Eric Brenk threw wildly to second on a bunt by Bret Hines, putting runners at second and third with nobody out.
But Milburn was able to induce Mason Davis to fly out to left and pinch-runner Steven Hansen was thrown out at the plate when he took off on a grounder to short with the infield in. After an intentional walk to Bo Thompson, Milburn struck out Tyler Griffin to keep the game scoreless.
Milburn went eight innings, allowing all five Bulldogs hits and three walks while striking out six.
Mason gave up a pair of hits in the first but got a double-play grounder to escape early trouble. Kody Ruedisili led off the third with a single and two ground outs moved him to third before James Plaisted popped out to second.
That began a stretch that saw Citadel pitching retire 19 in a row before Hunter walked Alec Paradowski with one out in the ninth.