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UNCG, Mercer stay alive at SoCon Baseball Championship
Defending champion Spartans and Bears will meet at 7:30 p.m.
No. 6 seed UNCG 4, No. 4 seed ETSU 2
GREENVILLE, S.C. – No. 6 seed UNCG got eight strong innings from starter Rob Ready as the Spartans downed No. 4 seed ETSU by a 4-2 count in Friday’s first contest of the Southern Conference Baseball Championship presented by Holston Gases at Fluor Field.
UNCG (24-33) advances to Friday’s 7:30 p.m. game against either No. 2 seed Mercer or No. 8 seed The Citadel. ETSU sees its season end at 26-29.
Making just his fourth start of the season, Ready (2-0) pitched into the ninth, limiting the Bucs to just two runs – one earned – on four hits and a walk. He struck out three and threw just 88 pitches in the longest outing of his career.
The defending tournament champion Spartans plated what would prove to be the winning runs with two out in the top of the eighth, as Luke Jenkins stroked an RBI triple to center to score Matthew Smith and Caleb Cozart drove in Jenkins with an infield single.
The pair of runs pushed UNCG’s lead to 4-0, but ETSU got a run back in the bottom of the eighth on two-out singles by Noah Webb and Garrett Wallace and a Spartan error that allowed Webb to score.
The Bucs added another run in the bottom of the ninth, with Nick Iannantone doubling down the right-field line to force Ready from the game. Ashton King greeted UNCG reliever Luke Thomas with an RBI single to right center, but Thomas induced a double play before striking out Noah Gent to nail down his third save of the season.
UNCG scored single runs in the first and second innings, with Daniel Cerda, who led off the game with a walk, coming in on a Zack Budzik grounder to short in the first before hitting an RBI single to score Bradley Bott in the top of the second.
Kennedy Jones had the lone multi-hit game for either squad, as he was 2-for-4 with a walk to lead the Spartans at the plate.
Starter Colby Stuart (1-6) took the loss for ETSU, as he went 7 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits and four walks, striking out seven. Landon Smiddy (1/3 of an inning) and Austin Emener (one inning) also appeared on the mound for the Bucs.
No. 2 seed Mercer 8, No. 8 seed The Citadel 1
GREENVILLE, S.C. – No. 2 seed Mercer got a dominant pitching performance from Josh Farmer and a four-hit day from Jozsef Rohrbacher to eliminate No. 8 seed The Citadel, 8-1, on Friday at the Southern Conference Baseball Championship presented by Holston Gases at Fluor Field.
Mercer (33-24) advances to Friday’s 7:30 p.m. game against No. 6 seed UNCG in another elimination game. The Citadel finishes the campaign with a 23-31 record.
Farmer (6-3) threw his second complete game of the season, surrendering just one run on six hits and a walk in nine innings of work. He struck out five and threw just 96 pitches, 71 of which were strikes.
The Bears spotted him to the only offense he would need in the bottom of the fourth, plating three runs in the frame. Trevor Austin scored on a wild pitch, Treyson Hughes drove in a run on a two-out infield single and Eric Toth drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 3-0.
Mercer pushed its advantage to 5-0 in the sixth, with Ty Dalley scoring on a wild pitch and Rohrbacher scoring Hughes with an RBI double.
The Citadel got its only run against Farmer in the top of the seventh, with Noah Mitchell leading off the frame by hammering the first pitch he saw 413 feet out to left for his fifth home run of the season.
The Bears salted away the win with three more runs in the eighth, getting an Austin sacrifice fly and a two-run double from Bradely Frye.
Opportunistic defense helped Mercer snuff out several potential rallies by The Citadel, which hit into four double plays on the day. The first came in the top of the first, which started out promisingly for the Bulldogs with an error and a single sandwiched around a fly out. The Bears got out of trouble with a 6-4-3 double play.
Trailing 3-0 in the top of the sixth, the Bulldogs loaded the bases with no outs when Sawyer Reeves reached on an error and Matthew Lively and Travis Lott singled. Thomas Rollauer then smoked a line drive to third that Rohrbacher snared before beating Reeves back to the bag to double him off. Farmer got the next batter to fly out to end the potential rally.
Mercer again turned two in the seventh inning to limit the damage after Mitchell’s leadoff homer before fittingly ending the game with another 6-4-3 twin-killing in the top of the ninth.
Rohrbacher was 4-for-5 with two doubles, a run and an RBI, while Austin was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Toth saw his six-game home-run streak end as he went 0-for-1 with four walks, two of them intentional. Hughes extended his hitting streak to 19 games with his fourth-inning single. His streak is the longest active streak in the SoCon.
Lott was 2-for-4 for The Citadel’s lone multi-hit game.
Will Holmes (2-5) took the loss after allowing two runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings of work. He walked three and struck out one.
2023 SoCon Championship presented by Holston Gases (Fluor Field; Greenville, S.C.)
May 24 (Wednesday)
Game 1: #8 The Citadel 5, #5 VMI 2
Game 2: #6 UNCG 4, #7 Western Carolina 3
May 25 (Thursday)
Game 3: #4 ETSU 12, #8 The Citadel 0 (7 inn.)
Game 4: #3 Wofford 6, #6 UNCG 1
Game 5: #1 Samford 2, #4 ETSU 1
Game 6: #3 Wofford 16, #2 Mercer 14
May 26 (Friday)
Game 7: #6 UNCG 4, #4 ETSU 2
Game 8: #2 Mercer 8, #8 The Citadel 1
Game 9: #1 Samford vs. #3 Wofford, 4 p.m.
Game 10: #6 UNCG vs. #2 Mercer, 7:30 p.m.
TBD
Game 11: Winner Game 10 vs. Loser Game 9, TBD
Game 12: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 11, TBD
Game 13: Game 12 winner vs. Game 12 loser^, 40 minutes after Game 12
^ if necessary
GREENVILLE, S.C. – No. 6 seed UNCG got eight strong innings from starter Rob Ready as the Spartans downed No. 4 seed ETSU by a 4-2 count in Friday’s first contest of the Southern Conference Baseball Championship presented by Holston Gases at Fluor Field.
UNCG (24-33) advances to Friday’s 7:30 p.m. game against either No. 2 seed Mercer or No. 8 seed The Citadel. ETSU sees its season end at 26-29.
Making just his fourth start of the season, Ready (2-0) pitched into the ninth, limiting the Bucs to just two runs – one earned – on four hits and a walk. He struck out three and threw just 88 pitches in the longest outing of his career.
The defending tournament champion Spartans plated what would prove to be the winning runs with two out in the top of the eighth, as Luke Jenkins stroked an RBI triple to center to score Matthew Smith and Caleb Cozart drove in Jenkins with an infield single.
The pair of runs pushed UNCG’s lead to 4-0, but ETSU got a run back in the bottom of the eighth on two-out singles by Noah Webb and Garrett Wallace and a Spartan error that allowed Webb to score.
The Bucs added another run in the bottom of the ninth, with Nick Iannantone doubling down the right-field line to force Ready from the game. Ashton King greeted UNCG reliever Luke Thomas with an RBI single to right center, but Thomas induced a double play before striking out Noah Gent to nail down his third save of the season.
UNCG scored single runs in the first and second innings, with Daniel Cerda, who led off the game with a walk, coming in on a Zack Budzik grounder to short in the first before hitting an RBI single to score Bradley Bott in the top of the second.
Kennedy Jones had the lone multi-hit game for either squad, as he was 2-for-4 with a walk to lead the Spartans at the plate.
Starter Colby Stuart (1-6) took the loss for ETSU, as he went 7 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits and four walks, striking out seven. Landon Smiddy (1/3 of an inning) and Austin Emener (one inning) also appeared on the mound for the Bucs.
No. 2 seed Mercer 8, No. 8 seed The Citadel 1
GREENVILLE, S.C. – No. 2 seed Mercer got a dominant pitching performance from Josh Farmer and a four-hit day from Jozsef Rohrbacher to eliminate No. 8 seed The Citadel, 8-1, on Friday at the Southern Conference Baseball Championship presented by Holston Gases at Fluor Field.
Mercer (33-24) advances to Friday’s 7:30 p.m. game against No. 6 seed UNCG in another elimination game. The Citadel finishes the campaign with a 23-31 record.
Farmer (6-3) threw his second complete game of the season, surrendering just one run on six hits and a walk in nine innings of work. He struck out five and threw just 96 pitches, 71 of which were strikes.
The Bears spotted him to the only offense he would need in the bottom of the fourth, plating three runs in the frame. Trevor Austin scored on a wild pitch, Treyson Hughes drove in a run on a two-out infield single and Eric Toth drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 3-0.
Mercer pushed its advantage to 5-0 in the sixth, with Ty Dalley scoring on a wild pitch and Rohrbacher scoring Hughes with an RBI double.
The Citadel got its only run against Farmer in the top of the seventh, with Noah Mitchell leading off the frame by hammering the first pitch he saw 413 feet out to left for his fifth home run of the season.
The Bears salted away the win with three more runs in the eighth, getting an Austin sacrifice fly and a two-run double from Bradely Frye.
Opportunistic defense helped Mercer snuff out several potential rallies by The Citadel, which hit into four double plays on the day. The first came in the top of the first, which started out promisingly for the Bulldogs with an error and a single sandwiched around a fly out. The Bears got out of trouble with a 6-4-3 double play.
Trailing 3-0 in the top of the sixth, the Bulldogs loaded the bases with no outs when Sawyer Reeves reached on an error and Matthew Lively and Travis Lott singled. Thomas Rollauer then smoked a line drive to third that Rohrbacher snared before beating Reeves back to the bag to double him off. Farmer got the next batter to fly out to end the potential rally.
Mercer again turned two in the seventh inning to limit the damage after Mitchell’s leadoff homer before fittingly ending the game with another 6-4-3 twin-killing in the top of the ninth.
Rohrbacher was 4-for-5 with two doubles, a run and an RBI, while Austin was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Toth saw his six-game home-run streak end as he went 0-for-1 with four walks, two of them intentional. Hughes extended his hitting streak to 19 games with his fourth-inning single. His streak is the longest active streak in the SoCon.
Lott was 2-for-4 for The Citadel’s lone multi-hit game.
Will Holmes (2-5) took the loss after allowing two runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings of work. He walked three and struck out one.
2023 SoCon Championship presented by Holston Gases (Fluor Field; Greenville, S.C.)
May 24 (Wednesday)
Game 1: #8 The Citadel 5, #5 VMI 2
Game 2: #6 UNCG 4, #7 Western Carolina 3
May 25 (Thursday)
Game 3: #4 ETSU 12, #8 The Citadel 0 (7 inn.)
Game 4: #3 Wofford 6, #6 UNCG 1
Game 5: #1 Samford 2, #4 ETSU 1
Game 6: #3 Wofford 16, #2 Mercer 14
May 26 (Friday)
Game 7: #6 UNCG 4, #4 ETSU 2
Game 8: #2 Mercer 8, #8 The Citadel 1
Game 9: #1 Samford vs. #3 Wofford, 4 p.m.
Game 10: #6 UNCG vs. #2 Mercer, 7:30 p.m.
TBD
Game 11: Winner Game 10 vs. Loser Game 9, TBD
Game 12: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 11, TBD
Game 13: Game 12 winner vs. Game 12 loser^, 40 minutes after Game 12
^ if necessary
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