April 17, 2008

Virginia Tech four-hits Liberty for 11-1 win

LYNCHBURG, Va. - Virginia Tech extended its non-conference winning streak to six games by pounding out 16 hits and allowing just four to defeat Liberty University 11-1 on Wednesday afternoon at Worthington Stadium.

Now winners of eight of their last 11 games, the Hokies improved to 16-21 overall while the Flames, who paid tribute to the one-year anniversary of the Virginia Tech tragedy with a moment of silence, a prayer and a balloon release, dropped to 18-18.

As good as Tech's hitting was in this one, the Hokies' pitching was even better, as four hurlers combined to allow just five base runners on four hits, zero walks and one error. In fact, Tech retired 19 of the last 20 batters it faced, including 13 in a row at one point.

Wake Forest Holds On for 10-8 Defeat of Winthrop

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest got home runs from Allan Dykstra, Willy Fox and Weldon Woodall to earn a 10-8 defeat of Winthrop Wednesday afternoon at Hooks Stadium.

Wake Forest took leads of 4-0, 6-4, and 7-6 over the first six innings, only to see Winthrop battle back to tie the score on each of the three occasions. However, the fourth time the Deacons took the lead, it stuck. Wake plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh, added an insurance run in the eighth and then held the Eagles to just one run over the final two innings.

The Deacons pounded out 13 hits at the plate, with two apiece coming from Dykstra, Fox, Dustin Hood, Evan Ocheltree and Tyler Smith. Fox, Smith and Woodall drove in two runs each, while Dykstra, Ocheltree and Smith each scored twice. Mike Murray and Woodall each extended their respective hitting streaks to nine games.

Pitching Leads BC Baseball Past Massachusetts, 5-4

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Boston College (19-18) received a strong outing from freshman starting pitcher John Leonard and relievers Chris Kowalski and Michael Belfiore to defeat Massachusetts (11-15), 5-4, on Wednesday afternoon at Commander Shea Field.

Leonard (3-0) worked 6.2 innings and allowed no earned runs with four strikeouts to earn the win. Kowalski pitched 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, while Belfiore tossed the final frame to earn his fifth save of the season. The three pitchers combine to allow no earned runs and walk only one batter.

Harry Darling led the Eagles offense with a 2-for-3 day at the plate. The senior also scored a run and hit a double. Mickey Wiswall added a two-run triple, and Garret Smith chipped in with a single and two RBIs in the victory.

Dietrich, Feltes & Murton Power No. 21 Tech Baseball to 14-8 Win at Georgia Southern

STATESBORO, Ga. - Brad Feltes, Derek Dietrich and Luke Murton all hit home runs to power No. 21 Georgia Tech (27-10) to a 14-8 win at Georgia Southern (18-17) Wednesday in the opening game of a five-game road swing for the Yellow Jackets.

Home runs accounted for 11 of the Yellow Jackets' 14 runs in the game. A grand slam by Brad Feltes - his third of the season - gave the Yellow Jackets breathing room in the fifth inning after Tech took a 2-0 lead on a home run by Dietrich in the top of the first. Murton hit a solo homer in the seventh inning and blasted his first grand slam of the season in the eighth to account for his season-high five RBI in the game.

Freshman Deck McGuire (6-0) picked up his team-leading sixth win of the year by limiting the Eagles to three runs, only two of which were earned, on eight hits through five innings. Kevin Jacob, Andrew Robinson, Taylor Wood, Brad Rulon and Chris Hicks all made scoreless outings in relief for the Jackets.

No. 4 Carolina Rallies Past Charlotte In 12 Innings

CARY, N.C. - Left fielder Kyle Shelton followed a two-run, game-tying rally in the 11th inning with an RBI fielder's choice in the 12th to lift No. 4 North Carolina to a 5-4 comeback win over Charlotte Wednesday at Cary's USA Baseball National Training Complex. With the victory, the Tar Heels (31-7) extended their winning streak over the 49ers (27-8) to 12 games.

In the decisive bottom of the 12th, the Tar Heels loaded the bases on a leadoff walk, a hit batter and a Dustin Ackley single before Shelton hit a one-out grounder to Charlotte third baseman Aaron Bray that scored Garrett Gore from third with the game-winner.

Freshman right-hander Matt Harvey (5-2) earned the win after setting down Charlotte in order and striking out two in the top of the inning. The 49ers' Andrew Smith (4-2) was responsible for the Tar Heels' game-winning rally in the 12th and took the loss.

Third baseman Chad Flack, who brought Carolina within a run with an RBI single in the 11th, was 3-for-5 and became the 18th player in Atlantic Coast Conference history to reach the 300-hit plateau with a sixth-inning single. Already the Tar Heels' career leader in base hits, Flack set a school record with his 936th career at-bat in the eighth and finished the night with a record 938 trips to the plate over his four-year career.

FSU Knocks Off North Florida 10-2 To Tally Tenth Straight Win

Tallahassee, Fla. - Second-ranked Florida State (33-3) won its tenth straight game with a 10-2 victory over North Florida (21-17) Wednesday night on Mike Martin Field inside Dick Howser Stadium. The Seminoles scored five runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back to remain undefeated all-time against the Ospreys in just their third season at the Division I level.

Five Seminoles recorded two hits including Jason Stidham who collected a pair of doubles. The sophomore second baseman also drove in two runs and scored twice in the win. Buster Posey extended his hit streak to eight games with a 2-for-3 performance. Tony Delmonico, Tommy Oravetz and Jack Rye also registered two hits in Wednesday's victory over the Ospreys.

Freshman Mike McGee made his sixth career start and improved to 5-1 on the season as he gave the Seminoles a solid five innings of work. The right hander from Port St. Lucie, Fla., allowed a run on four hits as he walked three and struck out three.

Alonso's Ninth Homer Rallies No. 1 Miami by FAU, 12-10

BOCA RATON, Fla. - Junior first baseman Yonder Alonso blasted a two-out two-run ninth inning home run and No. 1 Miami overcame a seven-run deficit to rally past Florida Atlantic, 12-10, Wednesday night at FAU Stadium in front of 2,348 fans. Junior closer Carlos Gutierrez (2-1) picked up his second win for the Hurricanes (31-3), who won the season series over the Owls (21-13).

Alonso finished 3-for-6 with three runs scored and two RBI for Miami, which scored 10 of its 12 runs with two outs. It was Alonso's ninth home run of the season. Sophomore shortstop Ryan Jackson led the Hurricanes going 4-for-5 with three RBI and two doubles. Junior right fielder Dennis Raben went 3-for-5 with three runs scored while Mark Sobolewski hit his fourth home run of the season and finished with four RBI for the Hurricanes who had 17 hits in the contest.

Gutierrez pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief. Miami used six pitchers and after FAU scored 10 runs off UM's first two pitchers, Hurricane relievers Anthony Nalepa, Kyle Bellamy, PJ Fisher and Gutierrez combined to throw five scoreless innings and limit the Owls to four hits. Nalepa tossed two scoreless innings, giving up three hits and striking out another three. Bellamy tossed 1 1/3 hitless and scoreless innings.

NC State Baseball Shuts Down Radford 11-2

RALEIGH, N.C. - When a team is playing well and in the heart of its schedule, an unheralded midweek opponent can be a dangerous game. Radford could have posed just such a danger for NC State on Wednesday, but the Wolfpack came out swinging and downed the Highlanders 11-2 at Doak Field at Dail Park.

NC State pretty much put the game out of reach with a five-run second inning. Marcus Jones got the inning started by drawing a walk off Radford starter Kyle Starr (2-3) and taking second on a wild pitch. Jeremy Synan singled up the middle to drive in Jones, and Tommy Foschi beat out a bunt attempt for a hit that put runners at second and third. Nate Cockman, making his first college start, walked to load the bases, and Drew Martin singled to left to drive in a pair. Devon Cartwright bunted Martin and Cockman to second and third, respectively, and Ryan Pond made it 5-0 with a single to center field.

Tyren Rivers singled in a run and Alex Gregory knocked one in with an RBI groundout, both in the top of the third off Wolfpack starter Sam Brown (3-1), who worked five innings, allowed five hits, walked two and struck out a career-high seven to earn the win.

Casario Drives in Six Runs in 14-1 Victory Against UMES

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Sophomore AJ Casario went 3-for-5 and drove in a season-high six runs as the University of Maryland baseball defeated Maryland-Eastern Shore, 14-1, at Shipley Field Wednesday evening, extending its record non-conference winning streak to 13.

Casario (Pine Hill, N.J./Overbrook) plated the first runs of the game, belting a two-run double to left field in the bottom of the second off UMES starter Dan Sterling. Steve Braun (Granada Hills, Calif./Pierce CC) added an RBI single in the frame to give the Terps a 3-0 lead after two innings.

The Terps (22-17) added five runs in the bottom of the third to pull away.

With the bases loaded and no outs, Dan Benick (Glen Lyon, Pa./Nanticoke) hit a potential double-play ball back to Sterling. Sterling got the force at home, but catcher Ryan Coppi's throw hit Benick in the back on the throw to first, advancing all the runners an extra base and scoring Mike Moss (Bethesda, Md./Walter Johnson).

Blue Devil Offense Keeps Rolling In 16-2 Win Over Campbell

BUIES CREEK, N.C. -- Nate Freiman and Gabriel Saade combined for six RBI and five runs to lead Duke to a 16-2 win over Campbell Wednesday evening at Taylor Field.

Freiman collected four hits in six at bats, while Saade mashed a triple and a single while also picking up his 15th stolen base of the season. The four-hit game was the fourth straight multi-hit outing for Freiman, who has raised his batting average 60 points to a team-leading .393 during that span. Since returning to the lineup six games ago, Freiman is batting .500 with 14 RBI, two home runs and four doubles.

Of Duke's 20 hits in the game, eight went for extra-bases. Catcher Matt Williams had two extra-base knocks with a pair of doubles, while shortstop Jake Lemmerman hammered his second career home run. In addition to Freiman and Saade, four other Blue Devils collected multiple hits, including sophomores Alex Hassan and Ryan McCurdy who each turned in three hits. Hassan has now collected at least one hit in all 21 of Duke's non-conference games this season.

Jonathan Foreman (2-0) picked up the win after holding Campbell (15-23) to one run on five hits over five complete innings. Ryan Perry, Grant Monroe and Kyle Butler each contributed scoreless innings in relief to take the game into the ninth, with Monroe and Butler combining to retire six straight in the seventh and eighth. Dennis O'Grady closed out the ninth by striking out three batters to offset an RBI double by the Fighting Camels in the inning.

#10 South Carolina Blanks Clemson 6-0 Wednesday

Clemson, SC - Senior righthander Nick Godwin pitched 7.2 scoreless innings to lead #10 South Carolina to a 6-0 victory over Clemson on Wednesday night in front of 5,938 fans at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The Gamecocks, who won all four matchups in 2008, improved to 27-10. The Tigers, who suffered their first shutout of the season, fell to 18-19.

Godwin improved to 4-2 on the season, as he threw 7.2 scoreless innings, allowing three singles and three walks with seven strikeouts. Justin Sarratt (1-2) suffered the loss in his first career start, as he allowed nine hits and five runs in 3.1 innings pitched. Trey Delk pitched 5.2 solid innings out of the bullpen. The former Gamecock pitcher allowed just four hits, no earned runs, and one walk with three strikeouts.

The Gamecocks got on the scoreboard first with a run in the third inning when James Darnell hit a sacrifice fly to center that scored Whit Merrifield, who led off the inning with a single.