No. 12 South Carolina 5, Furman 2
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Elliott Caldwell went 4-for-4 and drove in three runs and South Carolina overcame a two-run deficit with five unanswered runs to down Furman, 5-2, in baseball action Tuesday afternoon at Carolina Stadium.
The win improves South Carolina to 3-1 on the season, while Furman falls to 1-3.
With the Gamecocks trailing 2-0, Caldwell stroked a bases clearing, three-run triple off Paladin starting pitcher Billy Greenfield (0-2) into right-center field to score Logan Koch, Jordan Gore and Gene Cone and put South Carolina ahead, 3-2. Caldwell then came home on Max Schrock’s sacrifice fly that made it 4-2.
South Carolina tacked on a run in the fifth on Schrock’s second sacrifice fly of the contest that scored Cone, and then rode the effective relief work of Clarke Schmidt (1-0), who picked up the win after throwing shutout ball and scattering four hits over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out three.
Brandon Murray came on with one out in the eighth and worked the final 1 2/3 innings, allowing two hits while notching a strikeout to record the save.
Furman, which out-hit South Carolina 10-8, was led at the plate by sophomore center fielder Sky Overton, who went 2-for-4 with a walk, four stolen bases and two runs scored. Blake Chisolm went 3-for-4, and Jordan Simpson fashioned a 2-for-4 performance with an RBI double in the first inning off Gamecock starting pitcher Alex Vogel that drove home Overton.
The Paladins made it 2-0 in third after Overton singled with one out, stole second and advanced to third on a Jake Jones infield base hit before coming home on a double steal.
Furman’s bid for more faltered when Vogel struck out Chris Ohmstede for the second out and then fanned Simpson swinging to end the inning.
Greenfield allowed five hits and four runs over 2 1/3 innings while striking out two in taking the loss.
Will Dvorak and Elliott Warford helped keep Furman close by combining to limit the Gamecocks to just one hit while striking out two over the final 3 1/3 innings.
Furman will play Xavier at Fluor Field on Friday in a 5 p.m. contest.
Georgia State 14, Mercer 1 (7 inn.)
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer University baseball team fell to Georgia State, 14-1, on Tuesday night at Claude Smith Field in its first of two mid-week games against in-state opponents.
The Panthers (2-2) led from the start, as they put together six hits, including Joey Roach’s grand slam, in the first two innings to take an early 7-0 lead. GSU would tack on three runs in the fourth before adding another score in the fifth for an 11-0 lead.
Mercer (1-3) was able to break through and get on the board in the home half of the inning with some production from the bottom of the order. Matt Meeder led off the inning with a single before scoring on Trey Truitt’s double down the right-field line to make it an 11-1 contest.
However, the Bears were unable to get anything going after that, as Georgia State added three more runs en route to a 14-1 victory in seven innings of action.
Ben Lumsden was tagged with the loss for the Bears, after giving up 10 runs, four earned, in 3 2/3 innings on the mound. GSU’s Marc-Andre Habeck struck out eight while surrendering one run in just under five frames for the win.
Mercer finished with six hits in the contest, while striking out a season-high 11 times. Meeder and Kyle Lewis each had multi-hit performances to lead the team.
The Bears will have a quick turnaround, as they host No. 19 Kennesaw State at Claude Smith Field on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
The Citadel at North Florida postponed
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Citadel’s game at North Florida, scheduled for Tuesday at 5 p.m., has been postponed until Wednesday at 4 p.m.
The Bulldogs are 3-0 after a season-opening sweep of Air Force.
UNCG vs. UNC Asheville canceled
GREENSBORO, N.C. – With winter weather on the way to the Triad, the UNCG baseball team's contest against UNC Asheville has been canceled.
The squads were set to play Tuesday at 4 p.m. at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Weather permitting, the Spartans will return to action next weekend when they host Patriot League preseason favorite Bucknell in a three-game series.
Samford vs. Alabama A&M postponed
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford baseball team’s home game against Alabama A&M, scheduled for Tuesday at 4 p.m. CST, has been postponed, and will be rescheduled for Wednesday, March 11, at 6 p.m.
Samford is currently 1-2 on the young season after a season-opening series with Radford over the weekend.
Samford will host Austin Peay in a three-game series this weekend. The teams are scheduled to play Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
VMI at William & Mary postponed
LEXINGTON, Va. – Due to the winter storm system currently moving across the mid-Atlantic region, Tuesday's scheduled baseball game between VMI and William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va., has been postponed. The game will be made up Feb. 25 in Williamsburg. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
Western Carolina vs. UNC Asheville postponed
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – As a result of the winter precipitation that fell across Western North Carolina from Winter Storm Octavia, and based upon the unfavorable, frigid forecasts, Wednesday’s Western Carolina – UNC Asheville baseball game has been postponed.
The two squads will make the game up – and add a third seasonal meeting – on the first weekend of May. WCU is slated to host UNCA on Saturday, May 2, at 6 p.m. with a return trip to Greenwood Field in Asheville, N.C., on the following day, May 3, with a noon first pitch. WCU and UNCA are also scheduled to meet next Wednesday, Feb. 25.
Nearly two inches of winter precipitation fell on campus on Monday as Winter Storm Octavia moved across the region. Though team travel would not be an issue, the playing surface at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium was deemed unplayable. Also, forecasts are calling for more precipitation overnight Tuesday and into the day on Wednesday with temperatures not expected to reach the 30s, prompting officials to postpone the game.
Western Carolina (2-1) returns to action this weekend with three games in the Hughes Bros. Challenge, hosted by UNCW at Brooks Field. WCU faces the host Seahawks on Friday (Feb. 20, 4 p.m.), Wake Forest on Saturday (Feb. 21, noon), and George Mason on Sunday (Feb. 22, 10 a.m.) in tournament action.