Sunday, April 2, 2017

Sunday's highlights, April 2

Game of the day
College of Charleston 7, UNC Wilmington 6

Erven Roper and Tommy Richter had eighth-inning RBIs as the Cougars (13-15, 5-1) rallied to complete a CAA sweep of UNCW (11-15, 2-4), the coaches' preseason pick to win the conference. Roper, Richter, Dupree Hart and Bradley Dixon had two hits apiece for the Cougars.

Series of the weekend
College of Charleston goes 3-0 against UNC Wilmington
The Cougars won three tight games to establish themselves as the team to beat in the Colonial Athletic Associaton. They built an eight-run lead after four innings in the opener, then got the final out with the potential tying run on base in an 8-7 victory. The College was outhit 6-5 on Saturday, but rode a combined shutout by Evan Sisk and Tucker White for a 2-0 victory. On Sunday, the Cougars fell behind for the first time in the series when the Seahawks scored two runs in the eighth. CofC responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning, then held on in the ninth.

Rising: Newberry has won eight of its last nine games.

Falling: Southern Wesleyan is on a six-game losing streak

Elsewhere across the state
* Austin Higginbotham pitched a three-hit complete game as Wofford (15-14) got its second straight shutout win over Villanova, 8-0. McClain Bradley, Reed Massey and Max McDougald had two hits apiece to help the Terriers secure the three-game series sweep.

* Reed Rohlman doubled, homered twice and drove in seven runs as Clemson (24-5, 10-2) claimed an ACC series win over Georgia Tech (15-11, 4-8) with a 13-6 victory. Logan Davidson and Chris Williams also homered for the Tigers, who scored three runs in the first, seven in the second and three in the third.

* Dalton Ewing had four hits and drove in five runs and three Coastal Carolina (19-10, 7-2) pitchers combined on a three-hit shutout in a 17-0 win over Georgia State (11-17, 1-8) to complete a sweep of the Sun Belt Conference series. The game was called after seven innings because of the score. Ewing and Rafi Vazquez had home runs for Coastal.

* Conor Davis' three-run pinch homer in the bottom of the ninth lifted Auburn (23-7, 7-2) to a 6-5 win over South Carolina (19-8, 6-3) and a series victory in Southeastern Conference play T.J. Hopkins had staked the Gamecocks to a 5-3 lead with a two-run homer in the seventh. Coach Chad Holbrook tried to get a three-inning save from Josh Reagan, but fell an out short.

* Francis Marion (25-11, 8-7) needed a pair of big rallies in the late innings to sweep a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader from Armstrong State (15-18, 0-12). Brooks' Kennedy's three-run triple was the big hit in a five-run seventh to lift the Patriots to a 7-5 win in the opener. The Patriots scored 11 eighth-inning runs in Game 2 to secure a 12-3 victory. Kennedy and Logan Koch had two hits in each game.

* Three Winthrop (15-13) pitchers made a pair of second-inning runs stand up and Anthony Paulsen had two hits as the Eagles claimed a series victory over Creighton (8-14), with a 2-1 victory at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha. Colton Rendon, Riley Arnone and Dalton Whitaker combined for the Eagles' pitching duties.

* USC Salkehatchie (18-21, 4-4) claimed an NJCAA Region 10 series win over Spartanburg Methodist (21-16, 3-3) with a pair of walk-off wins on Sunday. The Indians scored two runs in the seventh to take the opener, 4-3, behind Jon Yarbrough's complete game and won Game 2, 2-1, with a single run in their last at-bat to support Chris Hitchman's complete game. Sheldon Reed had two hits in each game for the Pioneers.

* Florence-Darlington Tech (27-11, 6-2) took sole possession of first place in NJCAA Region 10 wins of 13-9 and 7-3 over Louisburg (1-5 region).

* USC Lancaster (30-11, 5-3) completed a four-game sweep of USC Sumter (21-16, 3-5) with a pair of wins, 3-1 and 12-1.

* William Thomas had two singles, two stolen bases and two RBIs as Anderson (10-25, 6-12) took a SAC series win over Coker (19-13, 9-9) with a 4-3 victory. Thomas broke a 3-3 tie with a ninth-inning single.

* Benedict (17-8, 7-2) completed a SIAC series sweep of Morehouse (5-22, 2-6) with a 14-8 victory. David White Jr. had four hits and drove in three runs for the Tigers, who scored 44 runs and had 46 hits in the series.

* Voorhees (14-13) completed a series sweep it College of Faith. 9-6, to wrap up a 5-0 week and move over .500.

* Michael Todd Harris pitched a three-hit complete game for Limestone (19-17, 8-10) in a 3-0 win over Emmanuel (13-22, 6-15) as the Saints avoided being swept in a Conference Carolinas home series. Harris struck out six. Trace Whetsell had three hits and Garrett Lowery added two for the Saints.

* A three-run eighth inning broke a tie game and led Claflin (9-23, 3-6) to a 6-4 victory over Paine (14-14, 6-3) to avoid being swept in an SIAC series. Rashad Bivens had three hits and Darrell Langston homered and singled for the Panthers.

* Charlie Carpenter had two doubles and a home run among his five hits and he drove in four runs for USC Upstate (14-17, 1-2) as the Spartans' pounded Lipscomb (17-10, 2-1) by a 16-7 count to avoid the Atlantic Sun Conference sweep. Devin Ortiz also drove in four runs for the Spartans.

* Mercer (24-6, 5-1) pushed across a 10th-inning run for a 7-6 win over Furman (11-15, 1-5) to complete a three-game sweep in Southern Conference play. It was the Bears' second one-run win in the series secured in their final at-bat. Furman had forced extra innings with a run in the ninth. Carter Grote had three hits and Sky Overton added two for the Paladins, who have lost four straight games and seven of their last eight.

* Presbyterian (14-16, 3-3) fell short in its bid to sweep Radford (12-15, 3-3) as the Highlanders won the series finale, 4-1, when four pitchers combined for a two-hitter with 14 strikeouts. Cletis Avery tripled and scored the long Blue Hose run.

* Campbell (14-14, 4-2) scored an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth for a 3-2 win over Charleston Southern (14-12, 3-6) in Big South Conference play. The Camels scored two runs in the bottom of the first, but Nate Blanchard singled in the tying run in the top of the ninth.

* Western Carolina (12-14, 4-2) made short work of The Citadel (9-19, 2-4), claiming a 14-1 victory in a game called after 6 1/2 innings because of the SoCon's run rule on getaway days. Taylor Cothran's home run provided the Bulldogs' run as they were unable to avoid a series sweep.

* Flagler (22-14, 10-5) scored six runs in the fifth and held on for an 11-6 win at USC Aiken (24-10, 9-6) in Peach Belt Conference action. The Pacers' Daulton Weeks had a home run among his three hits.

* Young Harris (12-20, 5-10) cooled off Lander (17-17, 10-8) with an 8-5 victory to avoid being swept in the Peach Belt Conference series. Mason Dodd had two singles, a double, a homer and two stolen bases for the Bearcats, who had a five-game winning streak snapped.

* King (15-18-1, 6-12) completed a Conference Carolinas sweep of Southern Wesleyan (9-26, 4-14) with a 4-2 win. Jason Moldenhauer homered to drive in both Warriors runs.

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