Friday's Baseball Roundup

ETSU 9, Western Carolina 2
After a rain delay that lasted a little over a hour, the ETSU baseball team returned to the win column on Friday with a 9-2 victory over Western Carolina. Friday's win improves ETSU's record to 23-9 overall and 4-3 in conference action. Playing for the first time in almost a week, the ETSU offense totaled 15 hits in the win over the Catamounts, which is tied for the second most by the team in a game this season. Cody Miller paced the Bucs by going 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs and three RBI. Cooper Torres also had a three-hit night in a 3-for-5 effort at the plate with two runs scored. Blake Jacklin (2-for-5), Grant Gallagher (2-for-4) and Tristan Curless (2-for-2) also had multi-hit outings for the Bucs in the win.

Davis Wright matched a career-high with nine strikeouts over 5.2 innings in the starting role on Friday night, but Western Carolina's offense was limited to eight singles for a second consecutive game as the Catamounts dropped their series-opener at mountain-rival ETSU 9-2 in Southern Conference action at Thomas Stadium. Wyatt Stanley drove a two-out single to right field in the top of the first inning to allow Trent Turner to score as the Catamounts jumped in front 1-0 in the opening frame. ETSU took a lead it would never relinquish in the bottom of the third inning as Cody Miller tied the game with a lead-off solo home run with the go-ahead unearned marker scoring on a wild pitch as the Buccaneers led 2-1 through three.

Charleston Southern 5, Mercer 4

It was a back-and-forth battle at OrthoGeorgia Park on Friday night, with Charleston Southern breaking a 4-4 tie in the ninth inning with a solo home run to take game one of the series. Titan Kamaka (1-for-4), Brant Baughcum (1-for-4) and Eli Stephens (1-for-3) each homered to power the Bears at the plate. Kyle Lewis (3-0) got the win for the Bucs in relief, while Craig Kalkbrenner (0-2) took the loss for Mercer. 

Ohio 8, VMI 5

VMI Baseball dropped game one in its series to Ohio Friday night at Bob Wren Stadium. The Keydets (21-14, 4-5 SoCon) inched towards a comeback but could not catch up to the Bobcats in an 8-5 defeat. VMI scored five runs off eight hits with five RBIs. James Newsome and Boston Torres combined for all five runs.
Newsome sparked VMI's offense with a home run and a double, finishing the day with a pair of RBIs and runs

Samford 9, The Citdael 8 (11 inn.)
Samford entered the bottom of the 11th inning trailing, 8-6. Jake Souders singled to left field to start the rally. Souders moved to second base on a wild pitch and Parker McDonald walked. Trey Higgins was then hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Matthew Strand then doubled to left center field to drive in Souders and McDonald to knot the score at 8-8. With one out, Higgins scored when Michael Gupton reached on a fielder's choice, giving Samford the 9-8 walk-off win.

The Citadel lost in extra innings on a close play at the plate, falling 9-8 to the Samford Bulldogs in the series opener on Friday night. Travis Elliott went 4-for-4 at the plate. Four Bulldogs, including Travis Elliott, had multi-hit games, who went 4-for-4 at the plate and achieved two RBIs. Phillips Daniels recorded three hits from the lead-off spot, including two doubles.  He increases his total to eight doubles, which leads the team. Lane Tobin hit his team-leading third home run and a double. Aryan Patel went 2-for-4 and had a game-high three stolen bases.