College of Charleston
UNC Wilmington
Clarke Passes Single-Season Strikeout Record as No. 18 CofC Drops UNCW
5/9/2015 3:00:00 AM | Baseball
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – Junior ace Taylor Clarke eclipsed the College of Charleston single-season strikeout record as No. 18 CofC cruised past UNCW, 13-4, in the first of a three-game series between the top two teams in the Colonial Athletic Association on Friday night.
Game two of the series has been moved up from its originally scheduled start time to 1 p.m. on Saturday at Patriots Point.
After inauspiciously falling in a 3-0 hole in the top of the first, Charleston (36-10, 17-2 CAA) scored 13 unanswered runs to put another game between the teams in the CAA standings. CofC now sits two games ahead of UNCW (33-13, 15-4 CAA) and the rest of the league, with five remaining league games on the schedule.
Clarke (11-1) settled in after three unearned runs crossed in the top of the first to retire 17 straight hitters, with exclusion to a Cougar error. Clarke struck out 10 on the day, propelling his season count to a program-best 117, passing Nick Chigges who fanned 112 in 2007.
On the day, Clarke scattered just four hits without allowing a walk or an earned run over 7.1 innings pitched, managing his seventh straight quality start.
Offensively, Ryan Brown, Carl Wise, and Nick Pappas all amassed three hits to lead the Cougars, as all CofC hitters registered a hit or scored a run. Pappas and Blake Butler tied with a game-high three RBIs.
“Taylor Clarke was outstanding,” said head coach Monte Lee. “After giving up a big inning in the first, he doesn't walk a guy or give up a hit until the seventh. That's phenomenal for a guy to be able to bounce back and do that. I'm proud of all our guys. We gave up a big inning in the first, but responded in the bottom half and then threw up a big inning ourselves in the second. We played some very good defense; we swung the bats exceptionally well; we hit with two outs and two strikes. It was just an overall great effort.”
In the top of the first, a hit-by-pitch, single and Cougar error loaded the bases for UNCW, and Luke Dunlap knocked a triple into the corner in right to clear the bases, with all runs scoring unearned.
The Cougars responded right away with three consecutive singles – all to the right side – by Ryan Brown, Alex Pastorius, and Wise to take one run back in the bottom half.
After Clarke set the UNCW side down in order in the second, the Cougars went to work in the bottom half, ultimately plating five runs on four hits to seize the lead. Morgan Phillips drew a leadoff walk, and Erven Roper singled through the left side to give the Cougars two runners. Facing two outs, five straight Cougar hitters reached base to extend the rally and swing the Cougars on top, 6-3.
Clarke continued to quell the UNCW bats, and the Cougars added two more in the fifth after Butler was hit by a pitch and scored on a triple by Pappas in the ensuing at bat. Two outs later, Pappas scored on an RBI single by Bradley Jones, putting the Cougars up 8-3.
Charleston added another in the sixth, with Wise drawing a two-out walk and scoring on an RBI triple by Butler, marking the Cougars' seventh-of-nine runs scored with two-outs in the game.
The College blew the game further out of reach in the eighth, plating four more runs on four hits and punishing a Seahawk fielding error. The error gifted the Cougars a runner to start the inning, and CofC cashed in with singles by Brown, Wise, Butler (two RBIs), and Pappas (RBI). An RBI fielder's choice by Phillips drove the score to 13-3.
UNCW loaded the bases in the ninth, and managed a run on an RBI single by Kennard McDowell, but reliever Will Detwiler forced a groundball for a game-ending 4-6-3 double play. Detwiler went 1.2 innings with just one run after relieving Clarke with one out in the eighth.
Reigning CAA Pitcher of the Week Brandon Glazer will get the ball in game two on Saturday, as the Cougars look to lock up the series. The game was moved up from 3 p.m. to 1 p.m. due to unfavorable forecasts later in the afternoon.
POSTGAME NOTES
The Cougars were once again ranked in all five polls recognized by the NCAA, ranking as high as No. 18 according to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and USA Today Coaches Poll. Charleston was ranked No. 19 by both Baseball America and D1Baseball, and No. 20 by Collegiate Baseball.
Charleston eclipsed 10 hits for the 14th time in 15 games, and improved upon their team batting average which entered the game ranked fifth in the nation.
The Cougars were effective in leverage situations, batting .417 (5-for-12) with two outs, .481 (13-for-27) with runners on base, and .476 (10-for-21) with runners in scoring position.
The Cougars reached their leadoff hitter in six-of-eight offensive innings. UNCW was limited to one leadoff hitter on base.
The Cougars came from behind for the 15th time this season, improving to 15-8 despite allowing opponents to score first. The Cougars are 31-0 when leading after the sixth and 33-0 when leading after the seventh.
Taylor Clarke now possesses the single-game and single-season strikeout records for CofC. With the win, he moves into a tie for second all-time in single-season victories, only one behind Ryan Johnson who won 12 games in 2004.
Erven Roper extended his hitting streak to 14 games and has reached base successfully* in 22 straight games.
Nick Pappas has reached base* in 25 consecutive games and extended his hitting streak to 12 games.
*A reached-base streak includes base hits, walks, and hit by pitches. Reaching on an error or fielder's choice does not extend a reached-base streak.
