Phoenix, Cougars to Battle in Championship Game

Game 12: #1 Elon 12, #5 UNC Greensboro 4

(UNC Greensboro eliminated)

Box Score

Photos

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Elon punched its ticket to the championship game of the 2008 Bennett Hofford Family of Hotels Baseball Championship with a 12-4 victory over UNC Greensboro before 617 fans on Saturday afternoon at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park in Charleston, S.C. The Phoenix will face No. 2 seed College of Charleston for the Southern Conference crown on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

The No. 1 seed Phoenix exploded for seven runs in the first two innings to earn a date in the title game. After the first two batters were retired, Cory Harrilchak stroked a single up the middle and Bennett Davis homered to left center as Elon opened up a quick 2-0 lead.

Mike Lobacz opened the second inning with a home run to right field. Elon loaded the bases as Chris Dove walked, Donny Jobe singled up the middle and Davis was hit by a pitch. Dallas Tarleton walked to bring one run home. Clay Gibson replaced Greg Martin on the mound and surrounded a double to Chase Austin who cleared the bases as Elon took a 7-0 lead.

UNC Greensboro tallied a run in the second and third innings. In the second inning, Tim Carrier doubled down the line and, following walks to Pedro Leon and Ed Jayjack, Ray Quinones walked, scoring Carrier. In the third inning, Matt Gaski doubled and scored when Carrier singled to center field.

Harrilchak homered to right field to open the fourth inning to extend Elon’s lead to 8-2. Tarleton singled and scored on Austin’s double. Austin then scored on Greg Annarummo’s single through the left side to make the score 10-2 in the fourth inning.

Both teams scored runs in the sixth inning. Elon added a run when Tarleton scored on an error for Elon after earning a walk. UNC Greensboro scored on a sacrifice fly by Quinones which sent Corey Overholtzer home.  

Elon scored a run in the seventh inning when Harrilchak singled home Harry Austin. The Spartans scored a run in the bottom of the ninth inning when Carrier’s double scored Gaski to make the score 12-4

Kenneth Ferrer (4-3) picked up the win for Elon. Ferrer pitched 6.0 innings allowing seven hits and striking out seven. Jimmy Reyes relieved Ferrer in the seventh inning and yielded four hits and a run in 3.0 innings.

Martin (7-4) took the loss for UNC Greensboro. In 1.2 innings, the starter allowed six hits and two walks along with seven runs.

Harrilchak (11), Davis (17) and Lobacz (3) all belted home runs in the contest.

It marks the first time since 2003 that the championship game featured the top two seeds. No. 1 seed Western Carolina defeated No. 2 seed Georgia Southern 6-5 in 11 innings to claim the 2003 championship.

Elon will be attempting to capture its first Southern Conference title and automatic berth in the NCAA regionals since joining the conference in 2004. The Phoenix last appeared in the NCAA regionals in 2006. College of Charleston won the conference championship in 2006 and advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals that year.

Game 11: #2 College of Charleston 12, #3 Furman 11 (10 inn.)

(Furman eliminated)

Box Score

Photos

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Stuart Haywood launched a two-run home run in the top of the 10^th inning to break a 10-10 tie sending No. 2 College of Charleston (39-19) to a 12-11 victory over No. 3 seed Furman (33-24) before 1,443 fans in a semifinal contest in the Bennett Hofford Southern Conference Baseball Championship.

Mike Hentz doubled down the line with one out setting up Haywood’s game-winning blast over the center field wall. Furman battled back to score one run in the bottom of the 10^th inning and had runners at the corners when Brian Harrison grounded into a game-ending double play.

College of Charleston set the tone for the game by scoring three runs in the first inning. Clay McCord walked and scored on a throwing error for the game’s first run. Harrington’s triple plated Brandon Sizemore and Joey Bergman’s single brought in Sizemore with the game’s third run.

Furman answered in the bottom of the first inning with four runs. Bobby Hubbard walked and scored on a Cougar’s error after Matt Hemingway singled. Jay Jackson’s single brought Hubbard home with Furman’s second run. Jackson scored on Harrison’s hit and Campbell Lewis reached on a Cougar’s error allowing Harrison to score.

The Paladins added two more runs in the second inning. Singles by Connor Lind and Hubbard set up an RBI ground out by Reese Wade. Hemingway’s single scored Hubbard giving Furman a 6-3 lead.

College of Charleston added a run in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth inning to knot the score, 6-6.

The score remained tied until Harrison homered to center field to open the bottom of the eighth inning to give Furman a 7-6 lead entering the ninth.

The Cougars exploded to four runs on four hits including two home runs to take a 10-7 lead going into the bottom of the ninth. Haywood led off with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice and scored on McCord’s single to tie the game. Sizemore homered to give the Cougars a 9-7 lead. The next batter, Tice followed with a home run to boost the lead to 10-7.

But Furman wasn’t done yet. In the bottom of the ninth Hubbard singled, Lee and Hemingway walked to load the bases. Jackson’s sacrifice fly scored one run and Lewis singled up the middle to plate another. Hemingway scored on a passed ball to tie the score, sending the game into extra innings.

There were six home runs in the game including two each by Haywood and Harrison and one each by Sizemore and Tice.

College of Charleston’s Haywood was 4-for-5 at the plate with four RBI. Hemingway was 4-of-5 with two RBI and scored two runs for Furman.

Mike Lynn (3-0) pitched the final 1.1 innings, allowing two hits and one run, for the Cougars to earn the win. Ian Perry (5-5) was saddled with the loss after pitching the final 1.2 innings. He allowed five hits and a walk along with three runs.

College of Charleston advances to the championship game on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. while Furman was eliminated from the tournament.