Friday, March 24, 2017

Friday's highlights, March 24

Hey, what can I say. There were a bunch of games worthy of Game of the Day honors ... and I probably could have added a couple more.

Game of the Day No. 1
The Citadel 3, VMI 0

J.P. Sears tied the school record with a career-high 20 strikeouts and Jonathan Sabo hit a pair of home runs as The Citadel (8-14, 1-0) opened Southern Conference play with a 3-0 victory over VMI. John Winder allowed six hits and struck out 14 for the Keydets.

Game of the Day No. 2
Wofford 9, Furman 8, 10 innings
Mack Nathanson's second home run of the game capped a five-run 10th inning as Wofford (10-13, 1-0) won its Southern Conference opener over Furman (10-10, 0-1) in Spartanburg.  Kody Ruedisili and Nathanson had solo homers around a two-run homer by Furman's Jabari Richards. Wofford took a 3-2 lead, Furman went up 4-3 and the Terriers tied the score with a run in the ninth. Furman scored four runs in the top of the 10th, but Nathanson's blast capped Wofford's rally to win. The teams have moved their scheduled Sunday game to part of a 2 p.m. Saturday doubleheader because of weather issues.

Game of the Day No. 3
Coastal Carolina 5, Arkansas State 0
Alex Cunningham pitched a one-hit complete game and struck out 10 for the Chantcleers (13-9, 2-2) as they won their first-ever Sun Belt Conference home game. Arkansas State's only hit came in the eighth inning. Matt Beaird had a two-run homer to break a scoreless tie as part of a four-run seventh inning for the Chanticleers.

Game of the Day No. 4
Mount Olive 2, North Greenville 1
Bruce Zimmerman took a shutout into the ninth inning as the nationally third-ranked Trojans beat North Greenville (22-9, 9-3) in opener of a Conference Carolinas series. Zimmerman struck out 11 as he outdueled  NGU's Tucker Burgess. The Crusaders scored an unearned run in the ninth and has the bases loaded when the game ended. Clark Scolamiero had two hits and a stolen base for North Greenville.

Game of the Day No. 5
Flagler 2, Francis Marion 0
Michael Malocco pitched a complete game for Flagler in a 2-0 Peach Belt Conference win over Francis Marion (20-9, 4-6). The Saints scored two unearned runs in the ninth inning to hand Patriots starter Chance Ducharme a tough-luck loss. He allowed three hits, walked two and struck out six. 

Elsewhere across the state
* Charlie Barnes struck out 11 in six innings and Clemson (18-4, 6-1 ACC) rolled to an 8-2 win over Boston College in the opener of an ACC series in Kingston, R.I. Barnes allowed four hits, a run and a walk.  Patrick Andrews struck out five in getting a three-inning save.  Andrew Cox had three hits and drove in two runs for the Tigers, who set a school record with their 13th consecutive win away from home. It was Clemson's first game outside South Carolina this season.

* South Carolina (15-6, 3-1 SEC) had two runs in and the bases loaded with none out as the first five batters reached in first inning, but didn't score again in the Southeastern Conference series opener and fell to Alabama, 4-2, to have its winning streak snapped at eight games. Cody Henry had a solo home run in the third and Chandler Taylor gave the Tide a 3-2 lead with a two-run shot in the fourth. USC starter Adam Hill struck nine in six innings. T.J. Hopkins had two hits for the Gamecocks, who were outhit 10-6.

* Claflin (7-18, 1-3 SIAC) got its first Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win of the season with a 15-3 victory over Morehouse at Collins Park in North Charleston. Rashad Bivens was 3-for-3 with a triple, a stolen base, 3 runs scored and 3 RBIs. The teams play again Saturday afternoon at West Ashley High School.

* Mitch Spires had two hits and scored two runs and Jake Sullivan tripled and drove in two runs as Winthrop (11-11, 3-1) took a 7-3 Big South Conference victory over UNC Asheville.

* Chris Rave singled, doubled and drove in two runs as Erskine (22-8, 12-1) took the opener of a Conference Carolinas series at King, 5-4. Noah Hinzman picked up his fourth save.

* Skyler Mercado's 10th-inning single gave USC Aiken (21-7, 7-3) the lead and the Pacers held on for a 4-3 win over Lander (12-16, 6-7) in Peach Belt Conference play at Dolny Stadium in Greenwood. The Pacers took a 2-0 lead in the third, but Lander went up 3-2 in the sixth. Nile Goings' second home run of the game tied the score in the eighth.

* Chase Allen homered twice and drove in four runs as Limestone (17-12, 6-7) was a 5-4 winner at Southern Wesleyan (8-20. 3-10) in Conference Carolinas play. It was the Saints' first road win this season.

* USC Beaufort (20-11) bounced back from being shut out on two hits in the opener, 2-0, to hold off College of St. Joseph, 5-4, in the nightcap of a doubleheader in Hardeeville. Kal Davis, Brandon Joyce and Justin Kortessis had two hits apiece in support of Julio DePena, who struck out eight and allowed on earned run in pitching a complete game.

* Voorhees (8-13) split a doubleheader at Concordia-Selma for the second straight day, losing the opener, 10-4, and bouncing back to win Game 2, 6-5.

* UNC Asheville was a 4-2 winner over Presbyterian (11-13, 0-1) in the Blue Hose's Big South Conference opener in Clinton. Brett Auckland had a single, two walks and two stolen bases for PC. The teams have moved Sunday's game to part of an 11 a.m. Saturday doubleheader because of weather issues.

* Hofstra pushed across a run in the ninth to beat College of Charleston, 2-1, in the Colonial Athletic Association opener for both teams. The Cougars (8-14, 0-1) have lost seven straight. Erven Roper had three hits and scored the College's run.

* A five-run second inning got Liberty going in its 12-2 Big South Conference win over Charleston Southern (11-8, 1-3). Nate Blanchard singled and homered for the Buccaneers.

* Rutgers scored two runs in the first and two more in the second in a 5-1 win over USC Upstate (11-12) in nonconference play. Brett Hawkins and J.J. Shimko had two hits apiece for the Spartans.

* Wingate was a 3-2 winner over Coker (15-10, 7-6) in South Atlantic Conference action in Hartsville. Tanner Crosby had two hits and an RBI for the Cobras.

* Newberry (16-12, 5-5 SAC) had the bases loaded in the ninth but a foulout to right ended a 4-2 loss at Mars Hill in South Atlantic Conference play. Daymon Totherow had two hits, two stolen bases and scored two runs for the Wolves.

A bases-loaded walk in the 11th inning was the margin of victory for Tusculum in a 6-5 win over Anderson (8-21, 4-9) in South Atlantic Conference play. William Thomas had five hits for the Trojans, who outhit the Pioneers 16-7.

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