UNC Asheville 9, Wofford 2

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford College baseball team was defeated 9-2 by UNC Asheville at Russell C. King Field on Wednesday night. The Bulldogs scored four unearned runs in the fifth inning and added a grand slam home run in the eighth inning to earn the win.

Wofford is 20-7 on the season, while UNC Asheville is 12-13 overall. The Terriers were held to just five hits on the night, with two by Matt Pelt. The Bulldogs took advantage of two errors and four hit batters to plate nine runs on seven hits. Joe Tietjen and Kyle Carruthers combined for seven RBIs for the Bulldogs.

Pelt led off the bottom half with a single and Carson Waln walked. On a double steal, both runners advanced and with the addition of a throwing error, Pelt scored for a 1-0 lead. Waln attempted to score from third base on a wild pitch but was called out to end the fourth inning.

In the top of the fifth inning, the leadoff batter for UNC Asheville reached on an error. With one out, Tanner Bush reached third on a fielding error that scored a run. The Bulldogs had two runners on base when Kyle Carruthers hit a home run to left field for a 4-1 lead.

In the sixth, the Bulldogs had runners at first and third when a single through the right side by Tanner Bush drove in a run for a 5-1 score.

The Bulldogs loaded the bases on two hit batters and a single in the top of the eighth. With one out, Tietjen hit a home run over the left-field fence to clear the bases and give the Bulldogs a 9-1 lead.

With one out in the bottom of the eighth, James Plaisted walked and a double by Pelt drove in a run. Kody Ruedisili was hit by a pitch to give Wofford runners on the corners, but both were left on base after a strikeout. The Bulldogs left a runner on base in the top of the ninth and Wofford was retired in order in the bottom of the ninth to end the game.

Wofford starting pitcher Jordan Accetta (1-1) threw five innings with four unearned runs allowed on two hits. He struck out five and walked one batter.

Lucas Clarke started for UNC Asheville and went three innings without allowing a run on three hits. Spencer Orr (3-3) earned the win by going four innings and allowing just one run on one hit with six strikeouts.

Wofford and UNC Asheville have split the season series so far, with a third game to be played in Asheville on April 8. The Terriers will begin a three-game weekend series with N.C. Central at 6 p.m. on Friday at Russell C. King Field.

 

Old Dominion 11, VMI 3

LEXINGTON, Va. – A seven-run sixth inning broke open a tight game and pushed the Old Dominion Monarchs past the VMI Keydets, 11-3, in nonconference baseball action Wednesday afternoon.

ODU (13-8) had led since a Derek Francis sacrifice fly in the third inning made it 3-2, but the Keydets (5-12) had pulled back within a run on an RBI single by Brandon Angus in the fifth. A sixth inning that included four walks and two errors did VMI in, however, as the frame also included a grand slam by shortstop Jason McMurray. The seven-run outburst capped the scoring at 11-3.

The two starters got the decisions on what was a staff day for both programs, with ODU's Nate Matheson (1-0) picking up the win by allowing two runs on five hits over four innings of work. Jonathan Kelley (0-1) gave up three runs on three hits and three walks in a trio of innings and took the loss.

ODU jumped ahead in the second inning with a two-out rally against Kelley. McMurray drew a four-pitch walk and Nick Walker drove a 2-0 pitch over the left-field fence for a home run, making it 2-0, Monarchs.

The Keydets tied it in the bottom half, when Will Connerley led off with his third home run of the year. Jordan Tarsovich had a sacrifice fly later in the inning to knot the score, 2-2.

ODU retook the lead in the third on Francis' sacrifice fly and went up 4-2 in the fifth, when P.J. Higgins scored on a wild pitch. Angus, making his first start since Feb. 15, singled home Tarsovich in the bottom of the inning to make it a 4-3 game, but ODU's offense plated seven runs in the sixth to account for the final margin.

Offensively, the Keydets saw five players post two hits apiece, while ODU was paced by Higgins' 4-for-5 day at the plate.

VMI will return to action Friday, when the Keydets play host to Samford in the opener of a three-game SoCon series. The first Southern Conference game ever played at Gray-Minor Stadium is set for a 6 p.m. first pitch.

 

Virginia Tech 8, ETSU 3

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech scored four runs in the first three innings and its pitching staff held ETSU scoreless for the final six frames en route to defeating the Bucs, 8-3, on Wednesday night at English Field.

Despite jumping out to a two-run lead in the top of the first and tying things at 3 in the third, ETSU’s offensive struggles continued as the Bucs hit into a pair of double plays and a triple play.

Chris Cook, Trey York and Daniel Tucker all finished with two hits, while the Bucs totaled seven as a team. Cook doubled and scored two runs, while York drove in a pair and posted his team-leading fourth triple of the campaign.

After allowing three runs in the first three innings, Virginia Tech starter Kit Scheetz (1-0) held the Bucs scoreless for the final four frames to earn the win. The southpaw allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out four, while Chris Monaco retired the final six ETSU batters to close out the game.

Junior right-hander Griffin Krieg suffered the loss (1-2) after surrendering the go-ahead run in the third, while Lee Haeberle and Ryan Simpler worked scoreless appearances for the Blue and Gold. Haeberle tossed two scoreless frames and Simpler pitched a 1-2-3 eighth-inning.

The Bucs, who dropped five of the six games on the road swing, suffered their fifth straight loss and dipped to 11-12, while Virginia Tech won its third straight to improve to 14-12.

ETSU jumped out to its early lead by plating two runs on two hits in the top of the first, but the Hokies answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning and tacked on two more runs in the second to go ahead, 3-2. Cook, who was hitting leadoff for the first time this season, got things rolling with an infield single and quickly scored on York’s triple down the line in right, while York later crossed the plate on Hagen Owenby’s RBI groundout to second.

However, Virginia Tech responded with a two-out double by Brendon Hayden in the bottom of the first and took a one-run lead after scratching across two runs in the second. The Hokies picked up an RBI groundout by Logan Bible, while Ryan Tufts – who singled through the left side – came in on Saige Jenco’s single to right.

ETSU’s top of the order looked to have found another spark in the top of the third as Cook led off with a double to left-center and scored the tying run on York’s RBI single to left; however, following Kevin Phillips’ single, Owenby was robbed of a hit in right-center and the Hokies turned the rare 9-4-6-3 triple play.

Virginia Tech had the momentum and regained a 4-3 lead when the first four Hokie batters reached to start the bottom of the third, but Krieg worked out of bases-loaded jam by retiring the next three hitters to keep it a one-run game.

The Hokies kept their one-run lead as both teams were held scoreless in the middle frames, but Virginia Tech broke the game open with a four-run seventh inning and extended their advantage to, 8-3. Rahiem Cooper led off with a double and advanced to third on a groundout by Alex Perez. From there, Hayden worked a one-out walk, but Kain Hewitt looked to have gotten out of the inning unscathed as he induced Erik Payne into a routine grounder to short; however, instead of turning a double play, Danny Carrier committed an error to prolong the frame. The Hokies took advantage of the miscue as they pushed across three unearned runs following the miscue, making it a five-run game.

ETSU had no answer as Monaco sent down the six hitters he faced to secure the win.

Eight Virginia Tech batters accounted for its nine hits. Payne led the way with his 2-for-4, two-RBI night.

The Bucs return home to host UNCG in a three-game series beginning Friday at 6:05 p.m. at Thomas Stadium.

 

Gardner-Webb 7, Furman 4

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Blair Huggins' RBI single in the top of the ninth inning broke a tie game and keyed a four-run rally that lifted Gardner-Webb to a 7-4 victory over Furman in baseball action Wednesday evening at Latham Stadium.

The win improved Gardner-Webb to 15-10 on the season and earned the season series split with Furman, which slipped to 11-12.

After Furman's Chris Ohmstede's two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the eighth tied the game at 3-3, Gardner-Webb answered with the decisive ninth, set up by a leadoff pinch-hit single from Matt Simmons and one-out walk by Scott Johnson. Huggins followed by drilling the second pitch he saw from Paladin reliever Steven Fondu into left field to give the Runnin' Bulldogs the 4-3 lead.

Following an intentional walk JD Huggins, Ryan Hodge bounced a ball inside the first-base line into the right-field corner for a two-run double to make it 6-3, and the Bulldogs tacked on another run when Huggins raced home on wild pitch.

Furman tried to rally in the ninth behind a leadoff triple from Griffin Davis and consecutive singles by Blake Chisolm, Jordan Simpson, Ryan Morse that scored Davis and loaded the bases. The comeback bid stopped at that point, however, as Gardner-Webb's Brad Haymes struck out the next three Paladins looking to end the game, securing the win for the Bulldogs and the save, his first of the season.

Gardner-Webb's big ninth inning made a winner of Bradley Hallman (4-1), who got the final out in the eighth inning after yielding Ohmstede's game tying, two-run single.

Fondu (1-1) was charged with the loss. He surrendered four runs, three hits and pair of walks in 1 1/3 innings of relief.

The Bulldogs grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first on Jacob Walker's two-run single off Paladin starting pitcher Grant Schuermann.

Furman got on the board with a Jake Jones solo home right to right field in the fourth.

The Bulldogs upped their lead to 3-1 with a run in the fifth before the Paladins tied it with two in the eighth, both of which were charged to Bulldog starter Jeremy Walker.

Simpson continued his torrid work at the plate, pacing Furman's 12-hit attack by going 3-for-4. The junior second baseman entered the game hitting .528 (19-for-36) in his previous 10 games.

Morse, a weekend starting pitcher for the Paladins, made the first start of his career in the field, at first base, and had two hits in four at bats.

Gardner-Webb tallied 11 hits, with Collin Thacker, Sean Fulginiti and Bradley Huggins leading the way with two hits apiece.

Furman opens a three-game SoCon series on Friday when it hosts Mercer in a 6 p.m. game at Latham Stadium.

 

Jacksonville State 9, Samford 6

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford baseball team dropped a 9-6 decision to Jacksonville State on Wednesday evening at Joe Lee Griffin Field.

For Samford in the loss, Richard Greene went 3-for-4 with a double and four RBIs. Austin Edens went 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Alex Lee went 2-for-4 for the Bulldogs.

Jake Greer (0-1) pitched 1 1/3 innings, giving up two runs on no hits to take the loss on the mound for Samford. Wyatt Burns, Jesse Travis, Mikel Belcher, Devan Traglia, Caleb Maggio and Cole Limbaugh also pitched in the game for Samford.

Jacksonville State was led by Paul Angel, who went 3-for-4 at the plate. Hayden White hit a two-run home run, going 1-for-3 for the Gamecocks. Grant Chandler (2-0) earned the win for JSU, tossing two innings in relief, giving up two runs on four hits. Travis Stout picked up his sixth save of the season, pitching the final inning for the Gamecocks.

JSU jumped on top early with four runs in the top of the second inning. Paschal Petrongolo drove in two runs in the inning. Angel scored a run on a wild pitch, and Clayton Daniel scored when Petrongolo was picked off for a 4-0 Gamecock lead.

Samford plated its first two runs of the game in the bottom of the second inning. Greene and Danny Rodriguez drove in a run each for the Bulldogs to cut the JSU lead to 4-2.

Jacksonville State added four more runs in the top of the fourth inning to push its lead to 8-2. White hit a two-run home run, and Tyler Gamble and Ryan Sebra drove in a run each in the inning for a six-run JSU lead.

The Bulldogs plated two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to make the score 8-4. Edens and Greene drove in a run each in the inning to bring Samford to within four runs of JSU.

Jacksonville State plated its final run of the game in the top of the sixth inning. Josh Bobo walked with the bases loaded to drive in Sebra for a 9-4 Gamecock lead.

Samford scored the game's final two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Greene singled to right field to drive in Rodriguez and Edens to make the final score 9-6.

With the loss, Samford fell to 9-13 on the season. Jacksonville State improved to 14-8 with the win.

Samford will travel to Lexington, Va., this weekend for a Southern Conference series at VMI. Samford and VMI are scheduled to play Friday at 5 p.m. (CDT), Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m.