RADFORD 6, #25 COASTAL CAROLINA 3 | BOX SCORE
Matt Mack's bases-clearing double in the third inning gave Radford the lead for good, and the Highlanders scored all of their runs with two outs in a 6-3 win over No. 25 Coastal Carolina in the second game of a Big South series on Saturday.
Tyler Costello (5-0) allowed two runs in six innings to win his fifth start in a row for Radford (15-12, 4-1 Big South), which beat the Chanticleers (17-8, 1-1) for the first time since the 2009 Big South Tournament. Jason Patten posted 2 2/3 scoreless innings to close out the game and earn his fourth save.
Mack went 2-for-4, Josh Gardiner went 2-for-3 and scored, and Cory Turner hit his second home run of the season, a solo shot in the seventh inning.
Daniel Bowman led Coastal Carolina with a 3-for-5 game. The Chanticleers had 11 hits but left 10 on base.
Alex Buccilli's RBI single in the first got Coastal on the board and ended Costello's scoreless streak after 26 innings. Three straight two-out hits in the top of the third included Chris Suseck's two-out double to left field to score Tucker Frawley, but Ted Blackman was cut down right behind him on a good relay throw to the plate by Jeff Kemp.
The Highlanders rallied from the 2-0 deficit and went ahead in the third on Mack's double, which came after a pair of hits to begin the bottom of the inning and an intentional walk to Matt Hillsinger.
In the bottom of the fifth, Kemp scored from third on a wild pitch with the bases loaded and two outs, and Turner was hit by a pitch on the next play to bring in another run, making it a 5-3 Radford lead.
Tyler Herb allowed five runs (three earned) on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings in the loss (4-2).
The series concludes at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
GARDNER-WEBB 5, WINTHROP 1 | BOX SCORE
Junior Conner Scarborough tossed a complete game four-hitter Saturday afternoon, leading Gardner-Webb to a 5-1 win over Winthrop at John Henry Moss Stadium/Bill Masters Field.
The performance was Scarborough's first career complete game, and the first of the season for Gardner-Webb (16-12, 2-3 Big South).
The Runnin' Bulldogs used a five-run burst in the fourth inning to take the lead for good. The home team sent nine batters to the plate, and used five-straight singles to get the rally started. Ryan Hodge and John Harris singled to lead off the frame and Dusty Quattlebaum tied the score with an RBI hit through the right side.
After an infield single from Scott Coleman loaded the bases, Adam McFarland came through with a two-run single to give Gardner-Webb a 3-1 lead. Scott Johnson bunted Coleman and McFarland into scoring position and Zeke Blanton pushed the lead to 4-1 with a squeeze bunt. Brad Collins followed with an RBI double to right center for a 5-1 lead, chasing Winthrop starter Eric Ruth from the game.
Winthrop (8-20, 1-4 Big South) plated a run in the top of the first to take the game's first lead, with Jason Driver's double to right field setting the table. The Eagles' leadoff man scored on T.J. Olesczuk's sacrifice fly, but Scarborough was able to work out of an early jam to end the inning.
Scarborough (2-3) kept the Eagles from threatening the rest of the way, allowing just three singles after the first inning and not allowing any Winthrop runner past second base. The High Point, N.C., junior rolled 16 ground ball outs and fanned four - and needed only 103 pitches to get through the game.
Gardner-Webb managed nine hits in the game, with Harris (2-for-3, run) and Quattlebaum (2-for-4, run, RBI) leading that charge. Hodge (1-for-4, run), Coleman (1-for-3, run), McFarland (1-for-4, 2 RBI) and Collins (1-for-3, 2B, RBI). Six of those hits came in the fourth inning for the Runnin' Bulldogs.
Ruth (2-2) took the loss for Winthrop, allowing five runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings of work (four strikeouts). Three Eagles relievers combined to keep Gardner-Webb off the board the rest of the way, scattering a pair of hits down the stretch.
Max Vogul (2-for-4) had a pair of the Eagles' four hits in the game.
Gardner-Webb and Winthrop will play the series' rubber match on Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 2:00 pm.
HIGH POINT 2, VMI 0 | BOX SCORE
High Point University pitcher Matt Armstead tossed his second complete-game shutout of the season to lead the Panthers to a 2-0 win over VMI on Saturday night. Armstead retired the final 16 batters of the game to secure the Big South win.
Armstead went nine innings for the second time this season. He also threw a complete-game shutout against Manhattan on March 10. He allowed five hits in the game while striking out four Keydets. He didn't walk a batter in the game. After the fourth inning Armstead didn't allow a hit, retiring the final 16 batters of the game in order. He improves to 3-2 this season and drops his ERA to 3.74.
It is the second straight night that a Panther pitcher has thrown a complete game without walking a batter. Retz went the distance on Friday against the Keydets without issuing a free pass.
HPU got the scoring started in the bottom half of the first when junior Sean Wilson laced a leadoff double down the left field line. He promptly stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly to left centerfield off the bat of Willie Medina.
Freshman Mike Miedzianowski knocked a two-out double to left centerfield in the second inning and was later plated by freshman Dane McDermott who singled to center field, extending his hitting streak to a career-long eight games.
VMI's best chance to score came in the second inning when Jacob Morley doubled to left field and Gary Leclair singled and stole second to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. Armstead induced a popout in foul territory and two groundouts to get out of the inning unscathed.
VMI threatened again in the third inning after George Piccirilli singled and stole second with two outs. Cameron Walter stepped up and knocked a single up the middle but HPU's McDermott came up throwing and fired a strike to home plate where freshman Spencer Angelis applied the tag to keep the Keydets off the board once again.
McDermott made another spectacular play in the top of the ninth inning, making a diving catch in right centerfield on a ball off the bat of Piccirilli. McDermott made the diving grab to keep Armstead's streak of retired batters alive and keep the game-tying run from coming to the plate.
Keydets starter Cameron Henkel went 5-2/3 innings allowing two earned runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out four. His record falls to 1-3 on the season.
The Panthers (18-11, 4-1 Big South) will go for the sweep of VMI (9-17, 3-5 Big South) on Sunday at 1 p.m.
CAMPBELL 5-6, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 2-2 | GAME 1 BOX SCORE | GAME 2 BOX SCORE
Jake Kirkland's three-run homer in the eighth inning of Game 1 propelled Campbell to a 5-2 victory over Charleston Southern. The Fighting Camels then took a 6-2 decision in the rubber game to improve to 25-4 overall, 20-1 in the month of March for the best single month record in program history.
The wins also place CU in a tie for first place in the Big South at 5-1, with next weekend's conference series against fellow league-leading Liberty on the horizon. Charleston Southern drops to 9-20 overall, 2-4 in the Big South. Campbell returns to action on Tuesday evening, hosting the Duke Blue Devils at Taylor Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. Charleston Southern is back in action on Wednesday vs. The Citadel at CSU Ballpark. The contest is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. start time.
Game 1 - Campbell 5, Charleston Southern 2
Campbell used a solid effort from Frank Zier, who scattered eight hits and two runs over 7.2 innings of work, to rebound from Friday night's loss in the opener on Saturday. Zier struck out five batters and walked only one, securing his team-leading fifth quality start of the season.
Charleston Southern struck early, with Bobby Ison singling to lead off the game and Jaren Sustar being hit by a pitch to place the first two Bucs on base. After a flyout and a walk, John Faircloth singled to center to score Ison, but Ben McQuown's throw from centerfield cut down Sustar at the plate to keep the game a 1-0 CSU advantage. Zier settled down after the frame, retiring 12 consecutive batters from the second through the sixth innings.
The Fighting Camels evened the score in the third inning when McQuown scored on Kirkland's RBI single. It was the first of four RBI during the game for Kirkland, whose biggest hit came later in the contest.
Campbell tacked another run on in the fifth inning. Brent Graham led off the frame with a bunt single, was sacrificed to second base and then advanced to third on a groundout. Graham came to the plate on Michael Felton's RBI single through the left side to give the Camels a 2-1 lead after five innings. Felton was 2-for-3 in the game with an RBI and a run scored.
CSU rallied in the top of the eighth, bringing the leadoff man around to score after a single and a sacrifice bunt on Chase Shelton's two-out, RBI single through the left side. Ryan Mattes entered the game for Zier and got Brian Welch to strike out swinging, stranding two Buccaneers on base.
Charleston Southern starter Charlie McCready was also solid in his outing, allowing just six hits and two runs over his first seven innings of work. The left-hander ran into trouble in the bottom half of the eighth as McQuown doubled down the leftfield line to spark a Camel run. Felton was then intentionally walked to get to Kirkland, who responded with a three-run blast to dead centerfield that gave Campbell a 5-2 lead.
Mattes sat down the Buccaneers in order during the ninth to earn the victory, moving to 3-0 this season. Campbell improved to 8-2 this season when the opponent scored first.
Game 2 - Campbell 6, Charleston Southern 2
Campbell broke open a 2-2 tie in the eighth inning for the second consecutive game during the series finale on Saturday evening, scoring four times in the frame to take a 6-2 series-clinching win.
The Fighting Camels took a 2-0 lead in the second inning, courtesy of Brent Graham's 2-RBI single that scored Nick Ray and David Olson. Olson had reached on a leadoff single to open the inning, part of his 2-for-3 game. Graham finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored.
Andrew Jacobsen started his first game of the season for the black and orange, scattering five hits over his first five innings of work before allowing two singles to lead off the sixth inning. Both runs came around to score and were charged to Jacobsen, who settled for a no decision during the outing in which he struck out three batters without allowing a walk.
Logan Self threw two innings of relief for the Camel pitching staff, allowing two hits and no runs while finishing with one strikeout and one walk. Matt Marksberry entered in the eighth inning and allowed no hits over the final two innings.
Campbell stacked four hits together in the bottom of the eighth, but put two runners on base via a walk and a hit by pitch with one out to open the spurt. Brent Graham then collected a bunt single to load the bases as the Camels look to push the go-ahead run to the plate.
A force out at home plate allowed the Buccaneers to get within one out of escaping the inning unscathed, but McQuown responded with a 2-RBI single that put CU in front for good. Following an infield single from Felton to again load the bases, two more runs scored on a throwing error to give the hosts a four-run lead headed to the ninth inning.
Marksberry struck out the side in the ninth, earning the win to improve his pitching record to 3-1 and closing out the Camel victory.
UNC ASHEVILLE 5, PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE 3 | BOX SCORE
Jordan Lurie drove in three runs, while Thomas Bess drove in two more as UNC Asheville rallied past Presbyterian College 5-3 in Big South Conference action Saturday afternoon at the PC Baseball Complex.
The Bulldogs (13-15, 4-4 Big South) trailed 3-0 after six innings but tied the game with three runs in the seventh inning and took the lead for good in the ninth with two runs.
Reliever Ethan Steible picked up the victory for Asheville. He went two innings, allowing just one hit and picked up two strikeouts to even his record at 1-1. Brian Connelly got the final out of the game to earn his first save of the season.
Trailing 3-0 in the seventh, Asheville's bats came to life. Aaron Wright opened the innings with a single. Two outs later, Cody Buch singled to put runners on first and third. Bess's RBI-single through the right side cut the lead Blue Hose lead to 3-1.
With runners on first and second, Lurie delivered a two-run double to center field that tied the game at 3-3.
The Bulldogs took the lead for good in the ninth. Eli Miller walked and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Patrick Koontz. Miller went to third on a ground-out.
Bess's infield single to shortstop scored Miller to give Asheville the lead at 4-3. Bess then stole second to move into scoring position. Lurie singled to left-center, scoring Bess to give the Bulldogs some insurance at 5-3.
In the bottom of the frame, PC got some life as the Bulldogs committed two errors to keep the Blue Hose hope's for a victory alive. With two outs and the winning run at the plate, Connolly induced Brandon Paul to fly out to center field to give Asheville the much-needed victory. The win snapped a five-game Bulldog losing streak.
Bess and Lurie lead the Bulldogs at the plate with two hits each. Koontz and Wright added two hits each.
The teams play the rubber game of the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.
LIBERTY 9, MARSHALL 5 | BOX SCORE
The Liberty Flames collected a season-high 18 hits, en route to a 9-5 win over the Marshall Thundering Herd, Saturday evening in a nonconference contest at Linda K. Epling Stadium.
Liberty's hit total in the game topped its previous high of 16, which the Flames reached on two occasions this season. Liberty had 16 hits during an 8-0 win over Towson on Feb. 18 and a 13-3 victory at Presbyterian on March 18.
Left fielder Ian Parmley collected four hits and third baseman Dalton Sype added three for the Flames. Parmley's four-hit game was his second of the year, while Sype's three-hit contest was his second of the season.
Liberty improves to 25-5 and finishes the month of March with a 16-4 record in the month of March. Marshall falls to 10-16. The Thundering Herd have lost five consecutive games.
For the second straight game, Liberty scored first in the contest. With one out in the top of the second inning, right fielder Ryan Cordell single and stole second. Catcher Trey Wimmer followed by dropping a single into center field, plating Cordell for a 1-0 edge. After Wimmer moved to third base on a wild pitch, shortstop Zack Haley singled with two outs to make it, 2-0.
The Flames added to their advantage in their next at bat. Second baseman Bryan Aanderud and designated hitter Justin Sizemore each singled to open the third inning. Back-to-back wild pitches by Marshall starting pitcher Mike Mason allowed Aanderud to score, giving Liberty a 3-0 lead.
In the top of the fourth, the Flames scored for the third consecutive inning. With one out Liberty loaded the bases. Mason then hit Aanderud with a pitch to force home the first run of the frame. A ground out by Sizemore plated Parmley, who had reached earlier on a single, upping head coach Jim Toman's team's advantage to 5-0.
In the bottom of the inning, Marshall got on the scoreboard against Flames starting pitcher Patrick Eckelbarger. The Thundering Herd loaded the bases with one out and plated a run when catcher Louie Helmburg drew a two-out walk, forcing in a run.
Both teams plated runs in the fifth. In the top of the frame, Cordell reached on an infield single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Wimmer. He then moved to third on an infield single by Sype and made it, 6-1 Liberty, when Thundering Herd shortstop Andrew Dundon's errant throw to first base.
Marshall countered in the bottom half of the inning with four runs. The Thundering Herd opened the inning with four consecutive hits. Third baseman Grey Stafford singled and first baseman Nathan Gomez doubled to begin the uprising. Designated hitter Alfredo Brito and pinch hitter Eric Escobedo followed with a run-scoring singles, cutting the Liberty lead to 6-3.
Left fielder Erick Semenick then lifted a sacrifice fly to plate a run and a wild pitch by Flames reliever Trey Lambert allowed another tally, as the Thundering Herd trimmed the Liberty advantage to 6-5.
The Flames extended their lead with a run in the sixth. With one out, pinch hitter Tyler Cox ripped a double into the right-center field gap and moved to second on a single by first baseman Alex Close. He then upped the Liberty lead to 7-5, scoring on a sacrifice fly to deep center by Cordell.
Liberty built its lead to back to four runs in the seventh with two runs. Sype, Haley and Parmley each singled to load the bases to begin the inning. The next batter, center fielder Andy Smith, was hit by a pitch to force in the first run of the frame. Aanderud followed with an infield single to score Haley, pushing the Flames advantage to 9-5.
Liberty's Lambert records his first collegiate victory, moving to 1-0 on the year. The freshman right-hander pitched 1 1/3 innings of hitless, scoreless relief. He struck out one and walked one. Jared Lyons earns his second save in as many nights. The left-hander entered the game in the sixth and proceeded to retire the first seven batters he faced. The freshman pitched a scoreless 3 1/3 innings, allowing one hit, striking out one batter and walking one.
Mason drops to 3-3 on the year for Marshall. The right-hander gave up six runs on 10 hits over five innings. The first of four Thundering Herd pitchers in the contest, he struck out three batters and walked three.
Liberty and Marshall will meet again tomorrow in the final game of their three-game weekend series at Epling Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.