Sunday, May 4
Elon, N.C.
1:00 p.m.
Davidson College
27-14, 17-5
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Ryan Lowe
Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com
'Cats Earn Crucial Series Win Over Elon, 7-5
5/4/2014 4:19:00 PM | Baseball
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ELON, N.C. – Forrest Brandt homered and drove in three runs and Ryan Lowe went 4-for-5, as Davidson won its 10th-straight Southern Conference baseball series and clinched at least second place in the league with a 7-5 victory over Elon, Sunday afternoon at Latham Park.
The win improved Davidson's SoCon record to 17-5, guaranteeing the Wildcats at least a runner-up finish in the regular season standings and a berth against a play-in team in the SoCon Tournament.
It will be Davidson's highest conference finish since it finished second in the Big South in 1992. The Wildcats last finished as high as second in the SoCon when the league used a divisional format in 1987.
Davidson will return to Wilson Field for its final two home games of the season, hosting UNC Asheville Wednesday at 6 p.m., and NC Central Thursday at 11 a.m., but will conclude the regular season vying for the SoCon regular season title at first-place Western Carolina (32-14, 16-4). The teams will open the three-game series Thursday, May 16 at 5 p.m., and then conclude it with a doubleheader Friday, May 16 starting at 2 p.m. WCU will first play one more SoCon series at Georgia Southern this weekend
The 'Cats also improved to 27-14 overall for their most wins since winning a program-record 28 in both 1988 and 1992.
By winning back-to-back games over defending SoCon Champion Elon (26-21, 12-12 SoCon), after dropping Friday's opener, Davidson claimed its first series over the Phoenix since 2012, and its first at Elon since winning the lone game played in 2009. However, it was the 'Cats' first three-game series victory in Elon since the Phoenix joined the SoCon in 2004.
The Wildcats led by as many as six runs before Elon battled back in the late innings.
Davidson jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, as Lowe and Brandt (2-for-4, BB, 2 SB) hit back-to-back doubles with two outs, scoring Lowe. Brandt then stole third base and catcher Chris Hall's throw sailed into the outfield, allowing Brandt to trot home.
Elon halved the advantage in the bottom of the first, as left fielder Casey Jones (1-for-4) hit an RBI-triple, but the Phoenix were unable to score in the second inning despite loading the bases. Second baseman Andrew Pope (1-for-3, RBI, BB) made a diving stop to keep a ball hit by second baseman Sebastian Gomez (1-for-5) in the infield, and Pope was then able to make the toss to shortstop Sam Foy (0-for-5), who was able to turn the double play and end the inning.
RHP Nick Neitzel (7-0) settled in from there for the 'Cats, striking out the side the next inning and retiring nine of the next 10 batters total without allowing another hit. He finished allowing two runs on four hits and three walks with five strikeouts in five-plus innings, as he walked the first and only batter he faced in the sixth.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats continued to pad their lead, scoring in the third through six innings. Brandt drove in Pope on a fielder's choice play, and first baseman David Daniels (1-for-4) added another run in the fourth on an RBI-single, giving Davidson a 4-1 advantage.
Brandt led the fifth inning off with his 10th home run of the season, and then the 'Cats added two more in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Pope and an RBI-single by Lowe for a 7-1 lead.
Elon got back into the game with three runs in the bottom half of the sixth, as centerfielder Ryan Cooper (1-for-3) drove in one with a sacrifice fly and pinch-hitter Chris King (2-for-2, 3 RBI) drove in two with a double, making it a 7-4 game.
The Phoenix turned to their closer, LHP Ryan Pennell in the seventh inning, and he kept Davidson scoreless by striking out three and yielding just a hit, walk and hit batsmen.
King homered in the bottom of the ninth off RHP Michael Goldberg (7), but Goldberg allowed only one other batter to reach, and he struck out Jones, the leading hitter in the Southern Conference, with a full count for the final out and the save. Davidson's 13 saves this season are a program record.
LHP Jake Stalzer (5-4) suffered the loss allowing all seven Davidson runs (five earned) on seven hits and four walks with three strikeouts.
ELON, N.C. – Forrest Brandt homered and drove in three runs and Ryan Lowe went 4-for-5, as Davidson won its 10th-straight Southern Conference baseball series and clinched at least second place in the league with a 7-5 victory over Elon, Sunday afternoon at Latham Park.
The win improved Davidson's SoCon record to 17-5, guaranteeing the Wildcats at least a runner-up finish in the regular season standings and a berth against a play-in team in the SoCon Tournament.
It will be Davidson's highest conference finish since it finished second in the Big South in 1992. The Wildcats last finished as high as second in the SoCon when the league used a divisional format in 1987.
Davidson will return to Wilson Field for its final two home games of the season, hosting UNC Asheville Wednesday at 6 p.m., and NC Central Thursday at 11 a.m., but will conclude the regular season vying for the SoCon regular season title at first-place Western Carolina (32-14, 16-4). The teams will open the three-game series Thursday, May 16 at 5 p.m., and then conclude it with a doubleheader Friday, May 16 starting at 2 p.m. WCU will first play one more SoCon series at Georgia Southern this weekend
The 'Cats also improved to 27-14 overall for their most wins since winning a program-record 28 in both 1988 and 1992.
By winning back-to-back games over defending SoCon Champion Elon (26-21, 12-12 SoCon), after dropping Friday's opener, Davidson claimed its first series over the Phoenix since 2012, and its first at Elon since winning the lone game played in 2009. However, it was the 'Cats' first three-game series victory in Elon since the Phoenix joined the SoCon in 2004.
The Wildcats led by as many as six runs before Elon battled back in the late innings.
Davidson jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, as Lowe and Brandt (2-for-4, BB, 2 SB) hit back-to-back doubles with two outs, scoring Lowe. Brandt then stole third base and catcher Chris Hall's throw sailed into the outfield, allowing Brandt to trot home.
Elon halved the advantage in the bottom of the first, as left fielder Casey Jones (1-for-4) hit an RBI-triple, but the Phoenix were unable to score in the second inning despite loading the bases. Second baseman Andrew Pope (1-for-3, RBI, BB) made a diving stop to keep a ball hit by second baseman Sebastian Gomez (1-for-5) in the infield, and Pope was then able to make the toss to shortstop Sam Foy (0-for-5), who was able to turn the double play and end the inning.
RHP Nick Neitzel (7-0) settled in from there for the 'Cats, striking out the side the next inning and retiring nine of the next 10 batters total without allowing another hit. He finished allowing two runs on four hits and three walks with five strikeouts in five-plus innings, as he walked the first and only batter he faced in the sixth.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats continued to pad their lead, scoring in the third through six innings. Brandt drove in Pope on a fielder's choice play, and first baseman David Daniels (1-for-4) added another run in the fourth on an RBI-single, giving Davidson a 4-1 advantage.
Brandt led the fifth inning off with his 10th home run of the season, and then the 'Cats added two more in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Pope and an RBI-single by Lowe for a 7-1 lead.
Elon got back into the game with three runs in the bottom half of the sixth, as centerfielder Ryan Cooper (1-for-3) drove in one with a sacrifice fly and pinch-hitter Chris King (2-for-2, 3 RBI) drove in two with a double, making it a 7-4 game.
The Phoenix turned to their closer, LHP Ryan Pennell in the seventh inning, and he kept Davidson scoreless by striking out three and yielding just a hit, walk and hit batsmen.
King homered in the bottom of the ninth off RHP Michael Goldberg (7), but Goldberg allowed only one other batter to reach, and he struck out Jones, the leading hitter in the Southern Conference, with a full count for the final out and the save. Davidson's 13 saves this season are a program record.
LHP Jake Stalzer (5-4) suffered the loss allowing all seven Davidson runs (five earned) on seven hits and four walks with three strikeouts.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Neitzel, Nick (7-0)
L: Jake Stalzer (5-4)
S: Goldberg, Michael (7)
Batting:
2B: Lowe, Ryan 1 ; Brandt, Forrest 1 ; Miller, Lee 1
HR: Brandt, Forrest 1
RBI: Pope, Andrew 1 ; Daniels, David 1 ; Lowe, Ryan 1 ; Brandt, Forrest 3
SH: Daniels, David 1 ; Becker, Nathan 1 ; Gerow, Daniel 1
SF: Pope, Andrew 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Pope, Andrew 1 ; Lowe, Ryan 1 ; Brandt, Forrest 2 ; Miller, Lee 2 ; Gerow, Daniel 1
SB: Lowe, Ryan 1 ; Brandt, Forrest 2
HBP: Miller, Lee 1
Batting:
2B: Chris King 1
3B: Casey Jones 1
HR: Chris King 1
RBI: Casey Jones 1 ; Ryan Cooper 1 ; Chris King 3
SF: Ryan Cooper 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sebastian Gomez 1 ; Casey Jones 1 ; Tyler McVicar 1 ; Nick Zammarelli 1 ; Chris King 1
Game Leaders
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