ETSU 5, UNCG 3

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Kevin Phillips and Hagen Owenby drove in the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the eighth and Dillon Cate held UNCG scoreless for the final two innings as ETSU defeated the Spartans, 5-3, marking head coach Tony Skole’s 500th career victory on Sunday afternoon at Thomas Stadium.

Skole – who earned his 400th career win at ETSU earlier this month – was stuck on career win 499 for the last week and a half as the Buccaneer dropped seven straight games, but despite facing three one-run deficits on Sunday, the Blue and Gold finally took their first lead of the series with some late-inning heroics and held on for the two-run conference win.

Phillips’ one-out single to right in the bottom of the eighth snapped the tie game and Owenby followed with a fielder’s-choice RBI groundout to short for the insurance run. Following a quality start by junior right-hander Griffin Krieg, Cate (3-2) entered and earned the win by tossing two scoreless innings in relief. Krieg – who struck out four and walked none – allowed three runs on nine hits in a season-best seven innings, while Cate issued one hit and posted three strikeouts in his relief appearance.

Sophomore Chris Cook extended his hit streak to 10 straight games when his two-out solo home run evened the score at 1 in the third, while he also walked and scored three of the five runs for the Buccaneers. Senior Jordan Sanford scored ETSU’s second run of the game as he reached via an error to lead off the fifth and Jeremy Taylor snapped a hitless streak by laying down a bunt hit to spark the eighth-inning surge and scored the eventual winning run on Phillips’ RBI hit.

In total, seven ETSU batters accounted for its seven hits while UNCG recorded 10, but the Spartans were haunted by a pair of errors from shortstop Tripp Shelton as both Buccaneer runners came around to score on the miscues.

Following the win, the Bucs improved to 12-14, 1-5 in SoCon play, while UNCG moved to 12-13, 4-2.

The Spartans took their first one-run lead by scoring the first run of the game on Ryne Sigmon’s one-out single in the top of the second, but ETSU quickly pulled even at 1 when Cook homered for the second straight day in the third.

UNCG used the long ball to regain a 2-1 lead as Eric Kalbleisch led off the fifth with a solo shot to right, but the Bucs responded in the bottom inning to tie things at 2. Sanford hit one to short, but Shelton had the ball pop out of his glove as he tried to make the grab, and after the Buccaneer senior moved to third on Andrew Lasure’s single, he came scored when Robby McCabe hit into a double play.

The seesaw game continued an inning later as the Spartans went ahead by a run following a sacrifice fly RBI by Kalbfleisch; however, another error by Shelton in the bottom of the sixth led to ETSU plating its second unearned. Cook reached on a throwing error by Shelton to start the sixth and came around to score on Owenby’s two-out single to left en route to knotting the game at 3.

Following the third tie of the afternoon and a scoreless seventh, the Bucs finally jumped ahead, 5-3, with their two-run eighth inning. Taylor led off with a bunt hit and advanced to second on a seven-pitch walk by Cook. From there, Taylor moved 90 feet away from scoring on Trey York’s fly out to center and the junior outfielder sprinted home on Phillips’ RBI single to right. Cook scored the insurance run when Owenby hit into a fielder’s-choice RBI to short.

Cate secured the win as he retired the first five Spartan hitters he faced – three via the strikeout – and after surrendering a two-out double, the Buccaneer closer forced Zac MacAneney into a game-ending pop out to first.

UNCG redshirt senior left-hander Blair Betts (1-2) took the loss as he allowed one run on one hit in 1 1/3 innings of relief. Freshman righty Michael Bates earned a no-decision as he surrendered three runs (one earned) on five hits in a season-high 5 2/3 innings.

Sigmon and Aaron Wright finished with two-hit games in the losing effort, while Kalbfleisch drove in two of UNCG’s three runs.

The Bucs wrap up their four-game homestand Tuesday night when ETSU hosts Morehead State. First pitch set for 6:05 p.m. at Thomas Stadium.

UNCG returns to action next weekend, traveling to Birmingham, Ala., for a three-game SoCon series with Samford at Joe Lee Griffin Field. The teams will play a doubleheader Friday beginning at 2 p.m. before wrapping up the set Saturday at 1 p.m.

 

Furman 8, Mercer 4

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Grant Schuermann pitched seven effective innings and Furman rallied from two runs down to beat Mercer, 8-4, in Southern Conference baseball action Sunday afternoon at Latham Stadium.

With the win, Furman (12-14, 2-4 SoCon) avoided the series sweep, halted a five-game losing skid and handed Mercer (18-12, 5-1 SoCon) its first loss in eight games and first SoCon defeat since the Bears joined the league this year.

Schuermann (2-0), a freshman left-hander from Cincinnati, Ohio, making his first weekend start, gave up a run in the first inning and a three-run home in the fourth before retiring 11 of the final 12 batters he faced. He yielded seven hits and did not walk a batter while striking out four in earning the victory.

The Paladins answered Mercer’s run in the top of the first with two in their first at bat on Griffin Davis’ two-run home run to left field, the first of his career, to take a 2-1 lead.

Mercer’s Kyle Lewis led off the fourth with a double and Charlie Madden followed with an infield single to set the table for Howard Joe, who golfed a low inside pitch from Schuermann over the left-field fence to give the Bears a 4-2 advantage.

The Paladins began their comeback in the fifth against Mercer starting pitcher Ryan Askew. Sky Overton led off with his second double of the game, and Jake Jones followed with a single. Askew then hit Griffin Davis to load the bases. Following a pitching change, reliever Mitchell Wade’s wild pitch allowed Overton to score, and Jordan Simpson’s line-drive two-run single into right-center field completed the three-run frame and gave Furman a 5-4 lead.

The Paladins took control in the sixth, getting an RBI single from Jake Jones and a two-out, two-run Chris Ohmstede single that scored Jones and Overton to make it 8-4.

Matters got a little dicey in the ninth after Charlie Madden led off with a single and Furman reliever Elliott Warford issued a pair of walks to load the bases before recovering to induce a game-ending double-play grounder off the bat Devin Bonin.

Furman banged out nine hits in the contest, including two each by Overton, who scored three runs, and Jake Jones, who went 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Davis, Ohmstede and Simpson each registered two RBIs, combining to account for six of the Paladins’ eight runs.

Led by Lewis and Madden’s two-hit performances, Mercer had eight hits but only two safeties over the final five innings.

Askew (3-3) was charged with the loss after giving up five runs on five hits over four innings.

Furman returns to action on Tuesday when travels to Clemson for a 6 p.m. game.

Mercer returns to Claude Smith Field on Tuesday, March 31, as the Bears play host to Savannah State for a midweek contest. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

 

Samford 10, VMI 5

LEXINGTON, Va. – The Samford baseball team defeated VMI, 10-5, in the third game of a three-game Southern Conference series Sunday afternoon at Gray-Minor Stadium.

With the win, Samford wins the series, two games to one. The Bulldogs improved to 11-14 overall and 4-2 in SoCon play. VMI fell to 6-14 overall and 2-4 in league games.

Parker Curry (3-3) pitched seven innings, giving up four runs on nine hits to earn the win for Samford. Curry struck out five batters, while allowing just two walks. Andres Gracia picked up his fifth save of the season, tossing the final 1 2/3 innings without allowing a hit.

For Samford at the plate, Heath Quinn went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs. T.J. Dixon went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Hunter Swilling and Austin Edens had a three-run home run each in the game.

VMI was led offensively by Matt Winn, who went 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI. Jacob Jaye also went 2-for-4 for the Keydets. Jordan Tarsovich hit a home run, going 1-for-4 for the Keydets. Matthew Eagle (0-3) pitched four innings, giving up eight runs on five hits to take the loss on the mound for VMI.

Samford jumped out to an early lead, plating two runs in the top of the first inning. With one out in the inning, Swilling reached base on an error. Quinn then hit a home run to left-center field for a 2-0 Samford lead.

The Bulldogs added three more runs in the top of the second inning, pushing their lead to 5-0. With two outs in the inning, Dixon reached base on an error, and Jared Watson was hit by a pitch. Swilling then hit a home run to left field for a five-run Samford lead.

VMI plated two runs in the bottom of the third inning to cut the Samford lead to 5-2. Tyler Tharp doubled to left field to drive in Will Malbon for the Keydets’ first run of the game. Tarsovich scored the final run of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Winn.

Samford added to its lead again with three runs in the top of the fourth inning. Dixon led the inning off with a bunt single. With two outs, Quinn walked. Edens then homered down the left-field line for an 8-2 Samford lead.

VMI came back with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Will Connerley singled up the middle to drive in Brandon Angus to cut the Samford lead to 8-3.

The Keydets added a run in the seventh inning and another in the eighth to close to within three runs at 8-5. With one out in the seventh inning, Tarsovich hit a solo home run for the lone run in that inning. In the eighth inning, David Geary was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to drive in Winn for VMI’s fifth run of the contest.

Samford plated two final runs in the top of the ninth inning. Richard Greene singled to drive in Frankie Navarrete for the first run of the inning. Dixon then singled to drive in Alex Lee to make the final score 10-5.

Samford will host a pair of midweek games this week. The Bulldogs will host Auburn on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CDT and Alabama A&M Wednesday, also at 6 p.m. at Joe Lee Griffin Field.

VMI will return to action Tuesday, when the Keydets travel to Blacksburg, Va. to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies. First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m. EDT.

 

Western Carolina 12, The Citadel 9

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – For the second straight day, the Western Carolina baseball team used an explosive inning to change the momentum of the game as the Catamounts downed The Citadel for the third time this weekend, 12-9.

WCU trailed 4-0 going into the bottom of the third but the bats came alive and WCU plated eight runs to flip the lead in the Catamounts’ favor. The Citadel would come back to tie the game at 8, but senior closer Tyler Powell came in and shut the door on the Bulldogs as he pitched the final 4 2/3 innings to earn the win.

Overall, the Catamounts picked up 15 hits, including six for extra bases on the day. Six Catamounts had two or more base hits, while senior Bradley Strong led the way going 3-for-5 at the plate with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Junior Danny Bermudez was only able to connect on one hit, but it was a big one as he went 1-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs.

With the win, Western Carolina improved to 12-12 overall and 4-2 in Southern Conference action. The Citadel fell to 14-12 overall and 0-3 in conference play.

The game also marked the starting return of Preseason SoCon Player of the Year Jacob Hoyle, who picked up base hits on the first two pitches he saw on Sunday. It was his first start since Feb. 21.

Matt Smith, Austin Atwell, Reece Strong, Brett Pope and Hoyle all connected on a pair of hits. Smith added two RBIs, while Atwell, Hoyle and Pope each had one. Jason Smith had just one plate appearance but he drove in a pair as he knocked a two-RBI double.

On the mound Korey Anderson took the start. He lasted 4 1/3 innings while striking out nine, walking two and allowing seven runs off of eight hits. Jonathan Waszak and Brendan Nail each saw action in the fifth inning but they did not record an out. Powell came in with the bases loaded, the score tied at 8 and one out on the board and he was able to induce a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning. Powell would hold the Bulldogs off the scoreboard until a run scored in the ninth after WCU had gone up 12-8.

A wild-pitch score in the bottom of the seventh proved to be the game winner as Kramer Ferrell took advantage of the Bulldog miscue.

The sweep is the first for the Catamounts over the Bulldogs since 2011. It also marks the first three-game win streak for WCU this season.

Over the series, the Catamounts were led by Bradley Strong who went 6-for-12 at the plate with a double, a home run and six RBIs. Atwell also picked up six RBIs as he went 5-for-11 with a pair of home runs and a double. Both Matt Smith and Bermudez had five RBIs in the series while Jason Smith and Pope turned in two.

On the mound B.J. Nobles, Tyler Powell and Colton Davis all picked up wins. Nobles pitched six innings with eight strikeouts and allowed just one run. Powell went a total of 5 2/3 innings, had five strikeouts and allowed a run while Davis went just 1 1/3 innings with three strikeouts and no runs scored.

The Catamounts will get right back to action this Tuesday, March 31, as they travel to Kennesaw State looking for a nonconference series sweep of the Owls. WCU defeated KSU 5-4 in Cullowhee earlier this season.

The Bulldogs return to Riley Park in Charleston, S.C., to face South Carolina on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the first of their annual home-and-home series with the Gamecocks. The Citadel gets its first SoCon home test of the year beginning Thursday at 6 p.m. against league-leading Mercer and continuing Friday at 5 and Saturday at 1.

 

Wofford 6, North Carolina Central 4

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – On Sunday afternoon, the Wofford College baseball team earned a series sweep of North Carolina Central with a 6-4 win at Russell C. King Field. Despite being outhit in the contest, the Terriers used a four-run fifth inning to claim the victory.

Wofford is 23-7 on the season, while N.C. Central is 11-15 overall. The Terriers were led by Kody Ruedisili with two hits, including a home run, and a pair of RBIs. James Plaisted and Matt Ramsay added two hits each for Wofford. The Eagles had 10 hits in the game, with seven different players recording a hit.

Wofford led off the bottom half of the third inning with a walk to Derek Hirsch. Hirsch stole second and scored on a double by Ramsay. Ramsay stole third base and was driven in on a sacrifice fly by Plaisted for a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the fourth with two outs, the Eagles had a single to end a stretch of 11 straight batters retired. A strikeout stranded the runner at first base.

The leadoff batter for the Eagles in the top of the fifth reached on an error and moved to second on a wild pitch. With the runner at third and two outs, Jared Kehagias singled to plate the run for a 2-1 score. The Eagles left two runners on base to end the top half of the fifth.

Alec Paradowski got the run back quickly with a solo home run into the batting cages in right field. Matt Ramsay added a single but was thrown out a home on a double by Plaisted. Plaisted moved to third and Carson Waln walked. A wild pitch allowed Plaisted to score for a 4-1 lead. With two outs, Ruedisili hit a home run to left field and pushed the lead to 6-1 at the end of the fifth inning.

The Eagles started the sixth inning with a double by Travor Theissen and he moved to third on a ground ball. A groundout by James Dey drove in the run for a 6-2 score in the middle of the sixth.

A leadoff single in the seventh by the Eagles was followed by a single by Trevor Theissen and with an error on the play, a run scored to make it 6-3. Another single gave them runners on the corners. On a fly ball to left field, the runner was thrown out at home for the second out. A strikeout ended the top of the eighth.

The Eagles opened the top of the ninth with a single. After a strikeout, back-to-back singles plated a run to make it a 6-4 score. With runners at first and second, Eric Kimber lined into a double play to end the game.

Wofford starting pitcher Adam Scott (4-1) went 7 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits, plus he struck out seven batters with only one walk. Jacob Condra-Bogan struck out the lone batter he faced. Will Stillman gave up one run on three hits in the ninth inning but earned his 10th save of the season.

Devin Sweet (2-2) started for N.C. Central and threw 4 2/3 innings with six runs allowed on seven hits. He walked four and had three strikeouts. Andrew Vernon went the final 3 1/3 innings and did not allow a run on one hit and four strikeouts.

Wofford will travel to defending national champion Vanderbilt on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week before returning to Southern Conference play on Friday night at Western Carolina.