Wofford 3, Furman 2
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Carson Waln tripled to lead off the eighth inning and scored on Kody Ruedisili’s triple to lift Wofford past Furman, 3-2, in Sunday’s Southern Conference baseball series finale at Russell C. King Field.
The win gave the Terriers (35-18, 12-8 SoCon) the series win over the Paladins (23-28, 10-11 SoCon) two games to one, halting Furman’s league series winning streak at three.
With the score tied 2-2, Waln opened the bottom of the eighth inning with a triple to left field off Furman reliever Ryan Griffith. Following a pitching change, Ruedisili lined the second pitch he saw from the Paladins’ Elliott Warford into the right-center field gap and legged it out for a triple to drive home Waln for the go-ahead run.
Warford managed to keep it a one-run lead with an infield fly, a strikeout and a groundout.
Jordan Simpson opened the Furman ninth with a walk, but Terrier closer Will Stillman got Blake Chisolm on a soft line drive to shortstop Derek Hirsch, who turned and threw to first base to double off pinch-runner Kyle Simmons for the second out. Stillman then struck out Cameron Whitehead looking to nail down the win and notch his 15th save of the season.
The win went to Adam Scott (7-3), who tossed eight innings of seven-hit, two-run ball and got the benefit of the Terriers’ go-ahead run. He walked one and struck out seven.
Brandon Elmy accounted for Furman’s offense, taking Scott deep twice with solo home runs in third and seventh innings. His first blast cleared the 390-foot marker in dead center field, while the second clout, the fifth of the season for the Paladin freshman, went to right field.
Paladin starting pitcher Will Gaddis pitched effectively for six innings, allowing two runs on five hits. He walked four, struck out five and pitched out of trouble in the first, stranding the bases loaded after allowing only one run, and leaving two more runners on base in the fifth.
Wofford went up 2-1 in the fourth after Ruedisili led off with a single and scored on a Hirsch groundout.
In the sixth, Jordan Simpson delivered a two-out double but was cut down on a throw home by Terrier left fielder James Plaisted following Blake Chisolm’s single through the left side.
Elmy tied it an inning later with a leadoff home run.
Both teams scratched out seven hits, with Conor Clancy leading Wofford with a 3-for-4 performance, including a double.
Elmy went 2-for-3 and two RBIs and two runs scored for the Paladins, who also got two hits from Carter Grote.
Griffith (0-1) was charged with the loss.
Wofford will take the week off for exams and return to action Friday night at ETSU for the final series of the season.
Furman returns to action on Tuesday when it plays host to Clemson at Fluor Field in a 7 p.m. game.
UNCG 13, VMI 11 (10 innings)
LEXINGTON, Va. – UNCG scored the final seven runs of the game Sunday to erase a five-run deficit on the way to a 13-11, extra-inning victory over VMI in the series finale at Gray-Minor Stadium.
The Spartans averted the series sweep, improving to 22-24 overall and ending SoCon play with a 12-12 mark. The Keydets dropped to 17-27 and 10-11. The 12 wins in league play are the most for the program since 2011 and the most in the three-year tenure of head coach Link Jarrett. The Blue and Gold also ended the conference season without being on either end of a sweep for the first time since 2007 as the Spartans defeated every team in the league at least once.
The story of the day was junior Collin Woody, who affected the game positively both at the plate and on the mound. At the dish, he went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBIs, including his ninth home run of the season. Woody also earned his first victory of the season, improving to 1-0 after tossing the final four innings and allowing no runs on just five hits with three strikeouts. Blaine Laflin dropped to 0-2 with the loss after surrendering two runs on two hits. He did not record an out.
Senior Eric Kalbfleisch had a career day at the plate with five hits in six at bats. He reached base six times in the game after also getting hit by a pitch. Classmate Aaron Wright notched a three-hit day as he and Kalbfleisch extended respective hitting streaks to 13 games apiece. The duo also combined for five runs scored and three RBIs. Will Connerley and Tyler Tharp posted three hits each to lead VMI.
The Spartans racked up 22 hits in the game – the most in the Jarrett era and the most since UNCG tallied 24 in an 11-8 victory over Davidson on March 13, 2004.
A one-out home run by King in the top of the first staked UNCG to an early 1-0 advantage, but VMI responded with a tally of its own in the home half off of a bases-loaded fielder’s-choice play.
Kalbfleisch singled on the infield to lead off the top of the second and moved up a base on a Jake Kusz sac bunt. Long then put down a bunt single. With runners on the corners, Devin Ruiz sent a sharp single through the right side that plated Kalbfleisch and gave the Spartans a 2-1 advantage.
A leadoff walk and a double led to a big inning for VMI as the Keydets scored three runs on just one hit and an error to pull ahead 4-2. UNCG kept it close in the top of the third when Wright knocked one out of the park to make it a 4-3 contest.
VMI began to pull away in the middle innings, scoring five runs over the fourth and sixth frames to stake itself to an 11-6 lead.
After a leadoff home run by Woody in the top of the seventh, the Blue and Gold loaded the bases with two outs. VMI benefitted from a little luck at that point as Zac MacAneney sent a grounder up the middle that deflected off the pitcher’s glove and found its way to second base, where Stallings threw to first for the final out.
Wright tallied a single with one out in the top of the eighth before Woody followed with a double down the left-field line. Kalbfleisch then stepped up and ripped a double to left-center to score Wright and Woody and pull the Spartans within 11-9. Freshman Zac Almond delivered with an infield single to put runners on the corners and a wild pitch saw Kalbfleisch race home and make it a one-run contest.
Senior Tyler Long drew a subsequent walk before freshman Austin Embler worked a walk of his own to load the bases. UNCG benefitted from another miscue with Shelton at the plate as a passed ball brought Almond home for the tying run. The Spartans could not push the go-ahead run across, though, as a pair of strikeouts ended the threat.
Connerley doubled to begin the bottom of the eighth but Woody dug down and induced two groundouts along with a strikeout of Brandon Angus to keep the Keydets off of the scoreboard.
After UNCG did not score in the top of the ninth despite loading the bases, VMI mounted a rally in the home half in an attempt to end the game. Jordan Tarsovich drew a walk with one out and moved to third on a failed pickoff attempt with two down. The Spartans walked Matt Winn intentionally, putting runners on the corners, but Woody came up with another big strikeout to send the game to extras.
The Spartans wasted little time in the top of the 10th as they loaded the bases with no outs after an Embler single, Shelton infield single and MacAneney sac bunt attempt on which he reached first due to a fielding error. King came through with an RBI single and Woody added a sacrifice fly to put UNCG on top by two.
In the home half, the Keydets led off with a pair of singles before a sac bunt moved the runners into scoring position. They would stay there, however, as Woody worked a foul out and fanned Will Malbon looking to end the contest.
The Blue and Gold closes the regular season with a pair of games against Big South member Gardner-Webb. The teams will play a home-and-home series with UNCG hosting the Runnin’ Bulldogs on Thursday before the Spartans head to Boiling Springs, N.C., on Friday. Both contests are scheduled for 6 p.m. starts.
VMI will return to action Tuesday, when the Keydets play host to the James Madison Dukes in the final home game of the season. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
The Citadel 15, ETSU 5
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel finished off its most explosive offensive weekend of the season with an 18-hit attack in a 15-5 victory over ETSU that gave the Bulldogs a sweep of their Southern Conference series at Riley Park.
The Bulldogs (23-26, 8-13 SoCon) won for the fifth time in their past six games and slammed two more home runs on Sunday, giving them 10 in the series after posting only 25 over the first 46 games of the year. The Citadel scored 36 runs and knocked out 40 hits in the three games against the Buccaneers (19-32, 6-15).
Connor Walsh, Drew Ellis and Bailey Rush each drove in three runs, and Austin Mapes and Johnathan Stokes had three hits to pace The Citadel at the plate. Meanwhile, freshman Thomas Byelick earned the first SoCon win of his career, limiting ETSU to two hits and three runs (two earned) in 5 1/3 innings.
Walsh had five hits including three home runs in the series, scored seven runs and drove in nine while increasing his team-leading RBI total to 52. Ellis capped a decisive five-run third with a bases-loaded triple, and Rush connected for his second home run of the year, a pinch-hit drive off the batter's eye in center that was part of a five-run eighth.
ETSU scored an unearned run in the first, and Stephen Windham tied it with a solo homer in the second, clearing the scoreboard in left-center for his second round-tripper of the year. Mapes put the Bulldogs ahead with an RBI single in the third, and two Buc outfielders lost Ellis' fly ball, allowing it to drop in left-center to make it a 5-1 game.
Run-scoring singles by Steven Hansen and Stokes put the Bulldogs up 7-1, and Byelick was coasting along with a one-hitter with eight consecutive batters retired until ETSU reached him for two in the sixth to end his day. The Bulldogs answered right away with five straight two-out hits in the bottom of the frame that produced three runs, including a two-run single by Walsh.
The Citadel put the finishing touches on its big offensive day with five more runs in the eighth, highlighted by the Rush home run.
Byelick and three relievers – Zach Lavery, Austin Mason and Skylar Hunter – limited the Bucs to only five hits and just two of ETSU's five runs were earned.
The Citadel plays its final nonconference game of the regular season when Presbyterian visits Riley Park on Tuesday at 5 p.m. The Bulldogs wrap up SoCon action with a three-game series at Furman that begins on Thursday at 6 p.m.
The Bucs wrap up their four-game road swing on Tuesday night at Appalachian State. Game time is set for 6 p.m.
Samford 16, Western Carolina 14
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford baseball team scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to come from behind and earn a 16-14 win over Western Carolina in the third game of the teams' Southern Conference series Sunday afternoon at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
The game lasted four hours and 46 minutes, and the teams combined to throw 407 pitches. The teams also finished with a combined 30 runs and 25 hits.
Samford was led offensively by Heath Quinn, who went 3-for-5 with two home runs and six RBIs. Quinn's two homers give Samford 70 for the season, tying the school record set by the 2010 squad.
Behind Quinn for Samford, Hunter Swilling went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Alex Lee went 3-for-4 with an RBI, while T.J. Dixon went 3-for-6 with a double and a triple. Danny Rodriguez turned in a 2-for-3 performance for the Bulldogs.
Andres Gracia (2-0) pitched the final three innings, giving up one run on one hit to earn the win on the mound for Samford. Gracia, who was one of six pitchers used by Samford in the game, struck out four batters and walked just one. Tristan Widra, Philip Flach, Mark Donham, Devan Traglia and Eric Wright also pitched in the game for Samford.
For Western Carolina, Kramer Ferrell went 2-for-4 with two home runs and seven RBIs. Pierce Suttles went 2-for-5 with a home run and one RBI. Spencer Holcomb also homered for Western Carolina, going 1-for-5 in the contest.
Western Carolina used a total of nine pitchers in the game. Tyler Powell (2-2) pitched 2/3 of an inning, giving up four runs on four hits to take the loss for the Catamounts. Powell recorded one strikeout without allowing a walk.
Samford grabbed the early lead with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Western Carolina, however, answered with a run in the top of the second inning to knot the score at 1-1.
The Bulldogs then plated six runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 7-1 lead. In the inning, Quinn hit a three-run home run, Richard Greene drove in two runs, and Edens scored on a balk to give Samford a six-run lead.
The lead did not last long, however, as Western Carolina came back with seven runs in the top of the third inning to take an 8-7 lead. Ferrell hit a three-run home run, and Holcomb, Matt Smith and Danny Bermudez drove in a run each in the inning. Brett Pope also scored on an error in the inning as WCU came back to take the one-run lead.
Western Carolina added to its lead with five runs in the top of the fifth inning to make the score 13-7. Ferrell hit a grand slam to account for most of the damage in the inning. Bradley Strong also drove in a run as WCU stretched its lead to six runs.
Samford plated four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and one more in the sixth to cut the lead to 13-12. In the fifth inning, Brandon Powell drove in two runs, and Swilling and Lee drove in a run each. In the sixth inning, Dixon scored on a passed ball to close Samford to within one run of Western Carolina.
After Western Carolina stretched its lead to 14-12 with a run in the top of the eighth inning, Samford took the lead for good with four runs in the bottom of the eighth. Quinn hit a two-run homer to center field to score the first two runs and tie the score. Lee scored the go-ahead run in a wild pitch. Parker Curry later delivered a pinch-hit single to drive in Rodriguez to give Samford a 16-14 lead.
With the win, Samford wins the series from Western Carolina, two games to one. Samford improves to 28-22 overall and 13-8 in Southern Conference games. Western Carolina falls to 19-26 overall and 10-11 in SoCon games.
Samford will return to action on Thursday, May 14, when the Bulldogs open a SoCon series at league-leading Mercer. The teams are scheduled to play Thursday at 5 p.m. (CT), Friday at 5 p.m. (CT) and Saturday at 5:30 p.m. (CT).
Western Carolina wraps up its road trip at Tennessee Tech on Monday at 5 p.m.