ETSU 15, Winthrop 5
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The ETSU baseball team scored runs in the first six innings and junior right-hander Lee Haeberle allowed one run in five innings of work, as the Buccaneers defeated Winthrop, 15-5, on Wednesday night at Thomas Stadium.
Nine Buccaneers accounted for their 21 hits as Jordan Sanford and Zach Thompson totaled four hits each, while Kevin Phillips, Trey York, Aaron Maher and Christian Bailey also finished with multi-hit games.
Sanford, who is hitting .487 (10-for-39) over his last 11 games and has 10 hits in his last three, tied a career high with his four-hit night and extended his streak of reaching base to 21 consecutive games. The Powell, Tenn., native belted his third home run of the season in the third inning and also tied a career high with three RBIs. Meanwhile, Thompson set a new career best with his four-hit performance and scored two runs.
ETSU’s bottom of the lineup produced all night as the six-through-nine hitters combined to go 13-for-21 with eight runs scored and five RBIs. Joining in on the offensive outburst were Bailey and Maher. Bailey’s night consisted of three hits, two runs and an RBI, while Maher was 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs. Bailey registered his second straight multi-hit game and now has four in 12 starts this season, and Maher collected his ninth multi-hit game of the campaign.
York continued swinging his hot bat as he posted his third straight three-hit game and connected on his eighth home run of the year in the fourth inning, while Phillips finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and drove in his 100th career run on a fielder’s-choice RBI in the fifth inning. York also drove in three runs and scored twice, and fellow junior Jeremy Taylor pushed his streak of reaching base safely to 23 straight contests. Taylor reached three times (walk, single and hit by pitch) and scored two runs.
On the mound, Haeberle earned his team-leading fifth victory of the year as he held the Eagles scoreless after surrendering a two-out solo home run to Anthony Paulsen in the top of the first. The Hendersonville, Tenn., native scattered five hits, walked one and struck out five, while Jamin McCann, Dillon Cate and Jimmy Nesselt all saw duty in relief. McCann pitched two innings of one-run ball and struck out two and Nesselt tossed a scoreless ninth to finish the night. Cate allowed three hits and issued three-run homer to Babe Thomas in the eighth.
ETSU improved to 19-29 with the win, marking its first-ever victory over Winthrop as the Eagles entered the series 8-0 all-time against the Blue and Gold. The Bucs have now won back-to-back games and four of their last five at Thomas Stadium, while Winthrop – which had won 10 straight games prior to falling to Furman last Tuesday – moved to 32-16.
As a team, the Blue and Gold have recorded double-digit hits in three straight games, totaling 50 during the stretch. The 15 runs and 21 hits were the second-most posted by the Bucs this season.
The Bucs return to Southern Conference play this weekend as ETSU opens a three-game set at The Citadel on Friday at 6 p.m.
Georgia Tech 9, Mercer 7
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer University baseball team saw a three-run lead in the ninth inning slip away, as Georgia Tech shocked a record-breaking crowd of 1,567 at Claude Smith Field with a five-run rally to record a 9-7 victory on Wednesday night.
The Bears (29-19) appeared to be headed to their 30th win of the season after erasing a 4-3 deficit in the bottom of the eighth. Mercer loaded the bases thanks to three walks, setting up Devin Bonin’s heroics with two outs. The senior drove 0-1 pitch over the wall in right-center, pushing the Bears out in front, 7-4, with his second grand slam of the season.
However, Georgia Tech (30-17) was not ready to concede the loss. The Yellow Jackets put together four straight hits to start the ninth inning, pulling within one, 7-6, on Matt Gonzalez’s two-run single up the middle. Kel Johnson drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game moments later, before Arden Pabst’s single down the left-field line plated two runs to put Georgia Tech up for good, 9-7.
Mercer tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth, as Jackson Ware started the effort with a leadoff single. Danny Edgeworth’s infield single one batter later put the tying run on base, but Georgia Tech’s ace Zac Ryan escaped trouble with back-to-back outs for his ninth win of the year.
The Bears reached double-figure hits for the seventh straight game with 11 hits on the night, while also matching a season-high with eight walks. Bonin posted a team-leading three hits and tied a career-high with four RBIs. Ware reached base four times in the game with two hits and two walks, while Edgeworth finished 2-for-4 and one walk.
Mercer’s pitching staff held Georgia Tech to just four runs on eight hits over the first eight innings but blew a lead in the ninth inning for just the first time this season after coming into the contest with a perfect 24-0 mark when leading after eight frames. Morgan Pittman was tagged with the loss, his second of the year, after surrendering the game’s final two runs.
The Bears got off to a quick start for the fourth straight game, as Matt Meeder led off the contest for Mercer with his first career home run, a solo shot to right field, for an early 1-0 advantage.
Georgia Tech answered in the second though, grabbing a one-run lead, 2-1, on Ryan Peurifoy’s two-run blast to left-center. The Yellow Jackets added another run in the third, as Gonzalez’s hit a two-out RBI single through the left side for a 3-1 advantage.
Kyle Lewis continued his recent tear with his fourth home run in as many games, as the solo shot cut the deficit in half, 3-2, after three innings of play. The Bears went on to tie the game two innings later thanks to Trey Truitt’s bases-loaded walk that put the two teams on even terms, 3-3.
After a missed opportunity by Mercer in the bottom of the sixth, Georgia Tech took advantage in the seventh. The Yellow Jackets utilized a well-timed hit-and-run to score Connor Justus from first base on Wade Bailey’s double in the right-center gap for a 4-3 lead before Bonin’s grand slam set up the wild finish.
The Bears head into the bye week in their conference schedule and will be off until next Tuesday, when they travel to Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville, Ala., to take on the Crimson Tide of Alabama. First pitch is set for 7:30 p.m. EDT.
South Carolina 5, Wofford 3
COLUMBIA, S.C. – On Wednesday night, the Wofford College baseball team was defeated 5-3 by South Carolina at Carolina Stadium. The Gamecocks scored three runs in the first inning to take a lead and added two in the third to secure the victory.
Wofford is 33-17 overall and South Carolina is 28-21 this season. The Terriers were led by Conor Clancey with two hits, including a solo home run, and two runs scored. Demetrius Jennings and Max McDougald each added two hits. Alex Destino led the Gamecocks with three hits and a pair of RBIs.
South Carolina led off the bottom of the first with a single by Gene Cone. After stealing second and with one out, a single by Kyle Martin drove in the first run of the game. A double was followed by a single by Alex Destino for a 2-0 game. A throwing error on a fly ball allowed a runner to score from third base as South Carolina led 3-0 after the first inning.
Clancey got one run back when he led off the second inning with a solo home run over the bullpen in left field. Jennings had a two-out single but failed to advance. The Gamecocks were retired in order in the bottom of the second inning and Wofford went in order in the top of the third inning.
In the bottom of the third inning, the Gamecocks led off with a walk. After an error, South Carolina had runners on the corners. A ground out drove in one run and an infield single added a run for a 5-1 lead. With one out in the top of the fourth, Clancey hit a double to the corner in left field. Clancey stole third base and scored when Cody Miller reached on an error to make it a 5-2 game.
South Carolina started the bottom of the fourth with a single and the runner moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. After a walk, a 6-4-3 double play ended the fourth inning. Jennings led off the fifth inning with an infield single and McDougald followed with a single up the middle. The runners advanced into scoring position on a failed pickoff attempt. With two outs, a strikeout ended the scoring chance for the Terriers.
With one out in the bottom of the fifth, the Gamecocks had back-to-back singles. Back-to-back strikeouts by Jordan Accetta ended the fifth inning. James Plaisted led off the sixth by reaching on an error, but he failed to advance. South Carolina was retired in order in the bottom of the sixth inning.
McDougald hit a single with one out in the top of the seventh inning. He moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single to right field by Alec Paradowski for a 5-3 score. In the bottom of the seventh, the Gamecocks were retired in order by Adam Scott. With two outs in the top of the eighth, Carson Waln drew a pinch-hit walk. A groundout to the pitcher ended the Wofford half of the eighth.
The Gamecocks had a single with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning. With two outs, an apparent home run by Connor Bright was reversed and called a foul ball. A foul out to Clancey ended the eighth inning with the score still 5-3. The Terriers were retired in order in the top of the ninth to close out the game.
Wofford starting pitcher Accetta (1-3) threw five innings and gave up five runs on eight hits. He tied a season high with five strikeouts.
Josh Reagan started for South Carolina and went 4 2/3 innings with two runs allowed on six hits. Brandon Murray (5-0) threw three innings with one run allowed on two hits, along with three strikeouts. Reed Scott earned his first save of the season by not allowing a hit in the final 1 1/3 innings.
The Terriers begin a three game Southern Conference series against Furman on Friday at 5 p.m.
Charleston Southern 7, Furman 5 (11 innings)
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Charleston Southern took advantage of an error in the top of the 11th inning to score two runs to beat Furman, 7-5, in baseball action Wednesday evening at Latham Stadium.
The win improves the Buccaneers to 22-22 on the season, while Furman falls to 22-26.
With the score tied 5-5, CSU's Nate Blanchard singled to lead off the 12th inning, advanced to second on a sacrifice, and with two outs, came around to score the go-ahead run after Paladin first baseman Matt Towarnicky made a diving stop on a ground ball but his under-handed toss to pitcher Billy Greenfield's covering attempt at first base bounced away and into the Buccaneer dugout.
Cole Murphy followed with an RBI double to give Charleston Southern the 7-5 lead, and Buccaneers reliever Joe Pistacchio retired the Paladins in order in the bottom of the 11th to preserve the win and earn his first save of the season.
Furman battled back from a 4-1 deficit by scoring three runs in the sixth on a Chris Ohmstede sacrifice fly, a Jordan Simpson RBI single, and a wild pitch that allowed Landon Kay to race home.
The Bucs took a 5-4 lead in the 10th after Murphy tripled to right-center field off Furman reliever Harry Norman and later scored on a wild pitch.
In the Furman 10th, Sims Griffith drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on Carter Grote's single with no outs. The Paladins, however, managed just one run on Kay's one-out sacrifice fly.
Murphy paced Charleston Southern's nine-hit attack, going 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Blanchard also had two hits and scored twice for the Bucs, who completed the two-game season sweep of the Paladins.
Brian Dye had a two-run double in a three-run fifth inning that gave the Bucs a 4-1 lead.
Grote and Simpson led with two hits apiece.
Furman used eight pitchers in the game. Making his first start since late March, Ryan Morse worked four innings and allowed three hits, three runs and three walks.
The loss went to Greenfield (0-5), who yielded the two runs to CSU in the 11th.
Denis Buckley (3-1) was credited with the victory.