Wofford 7, Iona 0 (7 inn.)
Wofford 13, Iona 3 (7 inn.)
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – On Sunday afternoon, the Wofford College baseball team swept a doubleheader against Iona at Russell C. King Field to take the weekend series. Luke Leftwich struck out a career-high 13 batters in the first game as the Terriers shutout the Gaels 7-0. In the second game, the Terriers scored 13 runs on 14 hits in the 13-3 victory. Both games went seven innings.
Wofford is 16-5 on the season, while Iona is 3-15 overall. The Terriers combined for 26 hits in the two games, while the pitching staff struck out a total of 22 batters on the day.
In the first game, Alec Paradowski and Matt Ramsay led off the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles. They advanced on a sacrifice bunt and a single by Matt Pelt drove in one run. With runners on the corners, a double steal plated a run for a 2-0 lead at the end of the first inning.
Wofford led off the bottom of the third with a single by Ramsay. He stole second and moved to third on a ground ball, then scored on a wild pitch for a 3-0 lead.
Wofford opened the bottom of the fourth with back-to-back singles from Kody Ruedisili and Conor Clancey. A single through the left side by Max McDougald scored Ruedisili for a 4-0 lead. A bunt single by Derek Hirsch loaded the bases. Ramsay hit a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 5-0, but the Terriers left the bases loaded to end the fourth inning.
The Gaels led off the fifth inning with a double, and a walk gave them runners at the corners with two outs. A strikeout ended the scoring chance. Carson Waln opened the bottom of the fifth with a single. Waln stole second and third base and scored on a two-out single by McDougald for a 6-0 advantage. Leftwich struck out the side looking in the top of the sixth inning.
Paradowski was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the sixth inning. James Plaisted added a single and a sacrifice fly by Pelt made it a 7-0 game. The Gaels led off the top of the seventh with a single. After a strikeout, a double play ended the game.
Leftwich (3-0) went six innings and did not allow a run on four hits. He only issued one walk. Jacob Condra-Bogan threw the final inning with one hit allowed.
Eddie Macaluso (0-4) started for Iona and threw five innings. He gave up six runs on 11 hits and struck out six batters. Alex Fishberg went the final inning with one run allowed on one hit with a strikeout.
In game two, Iona’s Carmine Palummo hit a solo home run in the top of the first for a 1-0 lead. Wofford led off the first with back-to-back singles from Paradowski and Ramsay. A walk to Plaisted loaded the bases and a walk to Pelt tied the game at 1-1. With the bases loaded, a sacrifice fly by McDougald gave Wofford a 2-1 lead.
Wofford led off the bottom of the second with a triple by Ruedisili. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Derek Hirsch for a 3-1 advantage.
Pelt singled to start the Wofford half of the third inning. McDougald added a single and a triple by Ruedisili drove in two runs for a 5-1 lead. With two outs, a bunt single by Hirsch scored Ruedisili to make it a 6-1 game after three innings.
Plaisted hit a solo home run to left field to start the bottom of the fourth for a 7-1 lead.
With two outs in the top of the fifth, Jon Budesa hit a double for Iona and he moved to third on a wild pitch. A single scored Budesa for a 7-2 score. The Gaels added another single, but a strikeout ended the top half two runners stranded in scoring position.
Ruedisili got the run back for the Terriers on a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning. Ramsay walked and he stole second. A double down the left line by Plaisted scored Ramsay to push the lead to 9-2.
The Gaels led off the top of the seventh with a double by Matt Flannery. After a wild pitch, a sacrifice fly plated a run for a 9-3 game.
Wofford opened the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back walks. A single by Paradowski drove in a run and a sacrifice fly by Plaisted made it an 11-3 lead. A pair of walks loaded the bases. Back-to-back walks by McDougald and Mack Nathanson drove in two more runs for a 13-3 lead. At that point, the game was called with a 10-run rule in effect.
Wofford starting pitcher Adam Scott (3-0) went six innings and allowed two runs on eight hits. He struck out seven batters without a walk. Spencer Kulman threw an inning and allowed one run on a hit and had one strikeout.
John Nargoski (0-1) started for Iona and in two innings gave up three runs on four hits with a pair of strikeouts.
The Terriers will host Coppin State for games on Tuesday and Wednesday at Russell C. King Field before opening Southern Conference play on Friday night against VMI.
ETSU 11, Miami (Ohio) 10
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Zach Thompson started it and Jeremy Taylor finished it.
After ETSU squandered a five-run lead in the top of the ninth, Thompson led off the bottom of the inning with a single and scored the game-winning run on Taylor’s walk-off hit up the middle, lifting ETSU to an 11-10 win and a series sweep over Miami on Sunday afternoon at Thomas Stadium.
Taylor’s hit was his only one of the game, while the Buccaneers totaled a season-high 18 hits – nine going for extra bases. Overall, eight ETSU batters registered a hit, while six Bucs posted multi-hit games.
Sophomore Chris Cook led the way with a career-high four-hit day as he finished with two doubles, drove in two runs and scored a pair, while Thompson tied a career best with three hits (one triple) and scored two runs. Junior Kevin Phillips capped off a solid weekend by going 3-for-5 with two doubles, one run and three RBIs and freshman Aaron Maher posted two hits (one double) and drove in two Buccaneers. Trey York extended his streak of reaching base safely to 17 games as he went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and two RBIs, while Danny Carrier made his first collegiate start a memorable one. Carrier got the starting nod at short, belted his first collegiate home run and moved Thompson into scoring position with his sacrifice bunt in the ninth.
In total, Cook, York and Phillips – ETSU’s two through four hitters – combined to go 9-for-13 with six doubles, five runs and seven RBIs.
Junior right-hander Griffin Krieg was in line for the win before Miami struck for five runs off freshman righty Ryan Simpler in the ninth. The Nashville, Tenn. native allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits and struck out five in five innings of work. After holding the RedHawks scoreless between the sixth and eighth innings, Simpler was charged with all five runs in the ninth, while Dillon Cate – who earned saves in the first two games – registered his first collegiate win (1-1) after striking out Ryan Elble swinging to end the frame with the tying run on second.
Following the sweep, the Bucs – whose last walk-off win was last May over USC Upstate – improved to 10-7, while Miami dipped to 2-12.
The Bucs embark on a six-game game road swing beginning Tuesday afternoon at Morehead State. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
The Citadel 16, Lafayette 2
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Bailey Rush and Philip Watcher homered to lead off the bottom of the fourth, triggering a six-run inning that powered The Citadel to its fifth straight win, a 16-2 victory over Lafayette on Sunday at Riley Park.
The Bulldogs (10-7) swept the three-game series and are in the midst of their longest winning streak since running off 10 in a row from April 12-27, 2013. It was the second sweep of the year for The Citadel, which also took three in a row from Air Force to open the 2015 season.
The Bulldogs set a season high for runs in a game and matched their season best with 18 hits. Watcher and Stephen Windham both had three hits, with Windham driving in three runs while extending his hitting streak to five games, during which he is 11-for-19 to raise his batting average to a team-leading .413.
The game was tied at 2 when Rush drove a homer over the wall in left-center, and Watcher followed with a shot to right for the first home run of the freshman second baseman's young career. Windham singled in two runs, Drew Ellis knocked one in with a base hit, and Rush added his second RBI of the inning with a bases-loaded ground out to give the Bulldogs an 8-2 lead.
The runs were more than enough for starter Austin Livingston to pick up his first win of the season. The junior right-hander struggled in the first, allowing four hits and two runs, but blanked the Leopards (1-6) on two hits over his final four innings to even his record at 1-1. He struck out four and did not walk a batter.
Four Bulldog relievers each went a scoreless inning, with Jacob Watcher and Kevin Connell both striking out two.
The Citadel added single runs in the sixth and seventh, the latter on an RBI pinch-hit single by Mike Deese, and tacked on six in the eighth, highlighted by a three-run homer by Steven Hansen, the first hit of the reserve outfielder's career.
Connor Walsh contributed two hits and scored four runs for the Bulldogs, and Ellis drove in three runs.
The Bulldogs are heading into a busy week with home contests against Georgia Southern on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and Winthrop on Wednesday at 5 before hosting UMBC in a three-game series next weekend to wrap up a 14-game homestand.
Furman 8, USC Upstate 2
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Ryan Morse pitched the best game of his career and the freshmen trio of Brandon Elmy, Blake Chisolm and Landon Kay combined for six hits and five RBIs to lead Furman past USC Upstate, 8-2, in Sunday-evening baseball action at Fluor Field.
The victory gave Furman (9-9) a two-win weekend at Fluor Field, highlighted by a Saturday triumph over Michigan State.
Morse (2-3), a senior left-hander, allowed a run on just four hits over a career-best six innings in posting his second consecutive victory. The Coral Springs, Fla., product walked only one batter and struck out six in a 91-pitch outing that featured 65 strikes.
Elmy doubled twice, part of a 3-for-4 performance, and drove in two runs to headline an 11-hit Furman attack. Chisolm, who entered the game hitting .426, went 2-for-5 and drove in a run, and Kay hit his first collegiate home run, a two-run eighth-inning blast, to complete the impressive work by the Paladin freshman trio.
The Paladins staked Morse to a 3-0 first inning lead, combining two hits with a walk with two Upstate errors to break on top. Chisolm’s hard single through the left side drove home Chris Ohmstede, who had reached on error to start the game. Jordan Simpson’s fielder’s-choice RBI made it 2-0, and Elmy capped the scoring with his first of two doubles – a shot into the left-field corner that scored Simpson from first base.
USC Upstate got on the board with a run in fourth on a wild pitch, but Furman responded with a two-run sixth. Base hits by Chisolm and Simpson opened the frame, and Elmy followed with a single through the right side to drive home Chisolm. Simpson, who advanced to third on the play, came home on Matt Towarnicky’s sacrifice bunt to stretch Furman’s lead to 5-1.
After Upstate cut it to 5-2, Elmy completed his three-hit performance in the eighth with a line-drive double high off the wall in left-center field, and Kay followed with a blast over the green monster in left field for his first collegiate home run.
Griffin Davis’ sacrifice fly in the ninth completed the scoring for the Paladins.
Relievers Will Dvorak, Steven Fondu and Elliott Warford checked the Spartans over the final three innings, surrendering only a run on three hits while recording four strikeouts.
Paladin pitching totaled 10 strikeouts in the contest.
USC Upstate finished with seven hits, including two each by Daniel Fickas, Jake Beaver and Cody Brittain.
Furman plays at Gardner-Webb on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
Columbia 8, UNCG 7
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Columbia erased a two-run deficit with a 3-spot in the top of the ninth, rallying past UNCG 8-7 in nonconference baseball action Sunday afternoon at Brooks Field.
The Lions (3-5) touched up the Spartan bullpen with seven runs over the final three frames after scoring just one through the first six innings. Columbia out-hit UNCG (6-10) 13-7 while the teams combined for four errors – three by the Lions.
Redshirt sophomore LHP Julian Abreu (0-2) took the loss, giving up three runs on four hits in just 2/3 of an inning. Matt Robinson was credited with the victory for the Lions tossing the final two innings and allowing just one run on one hit with a walk and strikeout.
Freshman infielder Austin Embler and senior infielder Aaron Wright notched two hits apiece to lead the Spartan offense with Wright scoring a pair of runs and Embler tallying two RBIs. Senior infielder Hunter King also chipped in with three runs scored. Joe Falcone paced the Columbia attack with a three-hit performance.
Consecutive singles to lead off the top of the second had Columbia in business but Spartan starter Michael Bates bit back. He induced a fly out to center before striking out the next two hitters to erase the Lions in the half inning. UNCG put up an offensive threat of its own in the bottom of the frame and capitalized. A pair of walks sandwiched around an Eric Kalbfleisch single loaded the bases with one out. Freshman designated hitter Devin Ruiz proceeded to draw the Spartans’ third walk of the inning, bringing home the first run of the game before Embler came through with a clutch two-out, two-run single up the middle to leave the Blue and Gold with a 3-0 advantage.
The Lions put together a two-out rally in the top of the fifth, putting runners on the corners with consecutive two-out singles. However, senior RHP Brennen James was able to induce a fielder’s choice out to second base to escape damage.
After getting two quick outs in the top of the sixth, the Spartans ran into some two-out trouble as James issued a walk to Gus Craig. A double by Nick Maguire and a John Kinne RBI single plated Columbia’s first run of the game, but that would be all for the Lions thanks to a 4-3 groundout that terminated the threat. Ruiz answered Columbia’s run with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth to build the UNCG lead back to three runs.
The Lions kept the pressure on in the top of the seventh, scoring two unearned runs off a hit and a Spartan error to slice their deficit to just one at 4-3. Wright responded with a solo home run after the stretch to push the Blue and Gold back ahead 5-3. With one away in the top of the eighth, senior reliever Tyler Frazier came on in relief and walked the bases loaded. Columbia was able to cash in with a two-run single by Will Savage that knotted the score at 5.
UNCG took advantage of some defensive miscues in the bottom of the eighth to recapture the lead. Kalbfleisch was hit by a pitch and King drew a walk. Both runners then moved up a base via a wild pitch before a failed pickoff attempt to second base allowed Kalbfleisch to scoot home. A second run came in when senior outfielder Nick Chapman laid down a textbook suicide squeeze to plate King and leave the Blue and Gold with a 7-5 advantage.
Down to its last three outs, the Lions mounted a big rally. Falcone doubled to lead off and scored on a single by Craig. Maguire followed with a two-run home run to left center to put Columbia in the lead for the first time at 8-7. A strikeout, groundout and fly out sent the game to the bottom of the ninth inning with UNCG needing a run to tie and two to win.
The Spartans had a runner in scoring position with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but a strikeout and groundout allowed the Lions to secure the win.
UNCG returns to action Tuesday at 6 p.m. hosting NC State at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Bradley 8, Mercer 5
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer University baseball team rallied with four runs over the final two innings, but it would not be enough in an 8-5 loss to Bradley on Sunday afternoon at Claude Smith Field.
After managing just one hit through the first seven frames, Mercer (11-11) came to life in the eighth with a three-run inning. Kyle Lewis kicked off the rally with his seventh home run of the season, a solo shot to left center. Three batters later, the Bears had another four-bagger to left-center, as Jose Hernandez hit a two-run blast to pull Mercer within four, 8-4.
Mercer added another score in the ninth on Jackson Ware’s solo home run to left field to make it a three-run game, but the Bears were unable to get any closer as the Braves claimed the contest and the series.
Bradley (13-3) outhit Mercer 14-5 in the contest, thanks in large part to a 3-for-4 effort from outfielder Isaac Smith. Hernandez’s two RBIs paced the Bears, who also saw Lewis reach base for the 13th straight game and Nate Moorhouse push his hitting streak to seven games.
Dimitri Kourtis was tagged with his first loss of the season after surrendering three runs in one inning of work before leaving the game with an injury. DJ Johnson, Austin Lord, Ben Lumsden and Grant Papelian helped the rally attempt after combining to give up just two hits in three scoreless innings to wrap up the game.
The Braves came out swinging to open the game, scoring in each of the first four frames. A large part of the early success came with Bradley’s own trio of home runs, as it used three long balls to help take a 6-0 lead.
Mercer got on the board in the bottom of the third, as Matt Meeder doubled to left-center to plate Moorhouse and cut the deficit to five, 6-1. However, the Braves pushed their lead to seven, 8-1, with runs in the fourth and sixth.
The Bears will have a quick turnaround, as they welcome in-state foe Georgia to Claude Smith Field on Tuesday, March 17, for the two program’s first meeting since Mercer’s 4-2 win in Athens, Ga., in 2011. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Jacksonville 18, Samford 5
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Samford baseball team dropped the final game of its three-game series at Jacksonville, falling to the Dolphins by a score of 18-5 Sunday afternoon at Jack Sessions Stadium.
With the loss, Samford fell to 6-10 on the season. Jacksonville improved to 9-10. Jacksonville won the series, two games to one.
For the game, Samford was led by Damon Waller, who went 2-for-4 with a home run and one RBI. Danny Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Parker Curry (1-3) pitched 3 1/3 innings, giving up five runs on nine hits to take the loss on the mound for Samford. Curry was one of nine pitchers used in the game by Samford.
Jacksonville was led at the plate by Garrett Ruckel, who went 4-for-5 with three doubles and three RBIs. Angelo Amendolare drove in three runs, going 2-for-6 at the plate. Justin Russell (2-2) pitched seven innings, giving up five runs, just three earned, on eight hits to earn the win for the Dolphins.
Samford jumped on top early with three runs in the top of the second inning. Rodriguez singled to right field to drive in Waller for the game’s first run. Richard Greene and Austin Edens later scored on a Jacksonville error for a 3-0 Bulldog lead.
The Bulldogs added to their lead with one run in the top of the third inning to make the score 4-0. Heath Quinn doubled to lead off the inning and then moved to third base on a fly out by Alex Lee. Quinn then scored when Hunter Swilling reached base on an infield single.
Jacksonville took control of the game with five runs in the fourth inning and six more in the fifth. In the fourth inning, Austin Hays, Drew Luther, Ruckel, Sam Armstrong and Amendolare drove in a run each to give the Dolphins a 5-4 lead. In the fifth inning, Parker Perez, Ruckel, J.J. Gould, Amendolare and Hays drove in a run each, and Armstrong scored on an error to make the score 11-4.
Samford plated a run in the top of the sixth inning to cut the Jacksonville lead to 11-5. With one out in the inning, Waller homered to center field for Samford’s fifth run of the contest.
Jacksonville added three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to push its lead to 14-5. Ruckel, Amendolare and Connor Marabell drove in the runs for the Dolphins to give them a nine-run lead.
The Dolphins scored another run in the bottom of the seventh to make the score 15-5. Alex Seifert singled to drive in Ruckel for JU’s 15th run of the contest.
Jacksonville added three final runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to make the final score 18-5. Nate Ricci drove in two runs, and Seth Dewitt scored when Luther hit into a double play for the game’s final run.
Samford will return to action Tuesday evening when the Bulldogs play Alabama at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. The game is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. CDT start. The game will be broadcast live online on the SEC Network+.
Central Connecticut State 6, VMI 5 (game one)
Central Connecticut State 4, VMI 2 (game two)
LEXINGTON, Va. – A two-run, eighth-inning home run by Central Connecticut State first baseman Cody Lerche was the difference as the visiting CCSU Blue Devils defeated the VMI Keydets, 6-5, in the opener of a doubleheader contested Sunday at Gray-Minor Stadium. In game two, CCSU starting pitcher Cody Brown struck out 15 hitters as his team defeated VMI 4-2 in the seven-inning doubleheader finale.
In game one, VMI (4-6) had taken a 5-4 lead into the eighth, but Ian Glassman singled off Jonathan Kelley with one out. Taylor Edens relieved and induced a fielder's choice groundout, but Lerche followed by blasting an 0-2 pitch over the scoreboard in left-center field for the decisive home run.
The Keydets did threaten in the ninth, as Will Malbon had an infield hit and stole second with one out. Jordan Tarsovich, however, lined back to the mound as the potential winning run. CCSU pitcher Kevin Connolly speared the liner and threw to second, catching Malbon off for a game-ending double play.
Edens took the loss thanks to Lerche's home run, falling to 0-2 on the year, and Austin Salnitis (1-0) got the win in relief. Salnitis allowed two runs in 2 2/3 innings. Connolly picked up the save.
VMI took the early lead, scoring twice in the first inning. Malbon led off with a single and Tarsovich was hit by a pitch. The runners moved up on a passed ball, bringing up Matt Winn. Winn struck out, but reached first on another wild pitch that allowed Malbon to score. Tyler Tharp walked, and after two strikeouts, a third wild pitch brought home Tarsovich for a 2-0 Keydet lead.
CCSU (4-4) answered with two runs in the second, but VMI grabbed the advantage in the fourth. Jacob Jaye walked, stole second and scored on an infield error to give the Keydets a 3-2 lead.
CCSU came right back with two in the fifth inning, helped by a very costly error on a ground ball that allowed both runs to score for a 4-3 lead.
The Keydets went back in front in the sixth. Malbon and Tarsovich had back-to-back singles to start the frame and, as Winn struck out, executed a double steal to get into scoring position. Tharp then singled home both runners for a 5-4 Keydet lead, and that was the margin until the decisive CCSU home run.
Offensively, the Keydets were led by Malbon's three hits and a pair of hits from Lopez. VMI stole six bases in the game and was not caught, but the Keydets left 15 runners on base in the loss.
Lerche went 2-for-4 with two runs scored to lead the Blue Devils.
Neither starter figured in the decision, as Brandon Barbery allowed just one earned run in six innings. He surrendered just six hits and a walk. Severino started and worked 4 1/3 frames, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits. He walked four and threw four wild pitches.
In game two, Brown (1-0) was the story, as the lefty struck out every Keydet starter, save Tarsovich, at least once. He fanned multiple hitters in five of the seven innings and went no more than three hitters without a strikeout in the contest.
The Keydets (4-6) did strike first, however, when Tarsovich launched a home run to left-center to put the Keydets up, 1-0, in the home half of the first inning.
CCSU took the lead for good against Austin Heenan in the third. A RBI single by Glassman and an RBI double by Dominic Severino fueled a three-run inning that made it 3-1, CCSU.
The Keydets cut the lead to one in the fourth, as Brown plunked Ray Lopez with one out. The Keydet left fielder stole second with two outs and scored when Thomas Stallings won a nine-pitch battle with an RBI double, making it a 3-2 game.
Severino homered to lead off the sixth, however, and the Keydets did not advance a runner into scoring position the rest of the way.
While Brown got the win, Heenan took the loss despite pitching well in his first career start. He dropped to 0-1 after allowing four runs on eight hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out five.
Offensively, Tarsovich had a 2-for-3 game for VMI, while Glassman and Severino had two hits apiece for the visitors.
VMI will return to action Tuesday, when the Keydets take on the Old Dominion Monarchs in Norfolk, Va. Game time is set for 6 p.m.