College of Charleston
Furman
Offense Powers Baseball to Doubleheader Sweep of Furman
4/24/2011 12:15:00 AM | Baseball
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – Redshirt-junior 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla.) had a pair of home runs and six RBIs on the afternoon as the College of Charleston swept visiting Furman University by scores of 10-6 and 9-6 Saturday afternoon at Patriots Point. The Cougars improve to 26-15 on the season, 10-7 in the SoCon. Furman falls to 19-22, 9-10. The two teams will meet for game three of the series Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
Furman jumped out to an early lead in game one, plating a pair of runs in the opening frame. Aaron Thompkins knocked a RBI double to left, while Taylor Johnson brought home Thompkins with a RBI single to right. Charleston cut the deficit in half with a RBI single by redshirt-junior LF Jose Rodriguez (Hialeah, Fla.) in the bottom of the first and took a 3-2 lead in the second on a two-run double to right center by Leeds that scored junior 1B Marty Gantt (N. Augusta, S.C.) and senior CF Cole Rakar (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.).
The Paladins rallied back in the third with a pair of runs for a 4-3 lead on a RBI triple to right by Thompkins and a RBI single up the middle by Johnson. Charleston responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame, taking a 5-4 lead that it would not relinquish. Senior SS Jamie Holler (Rock Hill, S.C.) lined a RBI single to center, scoring Rodriguez and a sacrifice fly by Rakar plated junior 2B Rob Harding (Columbia, S.C.).
Charleston put the game out of reach in the fifth, scoring four runs with two outs and surging out to a 9-4 advantage. Gantt singled up the middle and after stealing second, scored on a RBI double to right center by Rakar. Redshirt-junior DH Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J.) was hit by a pitch and Leeds doubled down the left-field line to score Rakar. Redshirt-freshman RF Daniel Aldrich (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) plated Kral and Leeds with a two-run double to right for the 9-4 lead.
Furman scored single runs in the sixth and eighth, while a solo home run to right center by Kral led off the seventh for the Cougars. Junior LHP Josh Renfro (Bradenton, Fla.) earned the win for the Cougars, scattering eight hits and allowing five runs with five strikeouts and three walks in 6-2/3 innings. Leeds and Rodriguez had three hits apiece for the Cougars.
In game two, a four-run seventh inning evaporated a 6-5 deficit as the Cougars roared back for a 9-6 win. Senior RHP Casey Lucchese (Lexington, Ky.) earned the win in relief for Charleston improving to 2-0 on the season, while Leeds knocked a pair of home runs in the win, giving him 14 on the season.
Furman put runs on the board in the second straight game, taking a 1-0 lead on a RBI groundout by Reese Wade in the top of the first. Charleston responded with two in the bottom of the frame for a 2-1 lead. Kral singled to right and Leeds depositied a 2-1 pitch over the wall in left off Furman starter Daniel Stallsmith.
Charleston jumped out to a 4-1 lead with two runs in the fourth on a two-run homer by Aldrich after Leeds doubled to left to open the inning. Furman knotted the game at 4-4 with three runs in the fifth and took a 6-4 lead in the sixth before a solo blast to left center by Leeds cut the deficit to one run. The four-run seventh started with a walk to Holler, a single by Gantt and Rakar getting hit by a pitch to load the bases for Kral. Kral answered with a bases-clearing three-run double to right center and Aldrich capped the inning with a RBI single to right.
Kral, Leeds and Aldrich each had three RBIs in the nightcap, while Charleston junior starter David Peterson (Walnut Creek, Calif.) allowed six runs – five earned – on eight hits with four strikeouts in 6-2/3 innings.
