Wofford stuns Furman with five-run 10th

Furman's Brett Harker will likely never forget his first Southern Conference game as a head coach - no matter how hard he tries. Mack Nathanson's second home run of the night capped a five-run 10th as Wofford stunned the Paladins 9-8 Friday in Spartanburg.
Friday's SoCon opener was set to be a showdown between two of the best starting pitchers in the league and it was for most of the game.
Furman's Will Gaddis fired strikes all night, but allowed three solo home runs. The last of those was Nathanson's first homer which gave the Terriers a 3-2 lead in the seventh.
After 107 pitches thrown, Wofford ace Adam Scott didn't come out to start the eighth and the Paladins rallied. Brandon Elmy belted a two-run home run to right-center with two out in the eighth, pushing Furman ahead 4-3.
With Furman clinging to the one-run lead and with Gaddis having thrown just 95 pitches, the senior came back out to try to close it out in the ninth. Wofford's McClain Bradley drew a leadoff walk before being erased on a fielder's choice.
For a second it seemed as if the Paladins had wrapped up a win on a strikeout-caught stealing double play. After first signaling out when it appeared Wofford's Carson Wain may have slid past the bag, the umpire quickly changed his signal to safe. Harker came out and questioned the call to no avail.
Wofford third baseman Max McDougald, who robbed Jake Crawford of an RBI-single earlier in the game, then stepped to the plate and stroked a single to right scoring Wain with the tying run. Crawford came on in relief of Gaddis and needed just one pitch for a flyout to force extra innings.
Furman (10-10, 0-1) answered in the top of the 10th. Thanks to a pair of Wofford (10-13, 1-0) errors and a two-run single by Dillon Love, the Paladins put up four runs.
With an 8-4 lead and their closer on the mound, things appeared comfortable for the Paladins heading to the bottom of the 10th. But the Terriers battered Crawford with two doubles and two singles sandwiched around two outs. Nathanson then capped the improbable comeback with a two-run homer to left.
Crawford (0-1), who had allowed just one run in 7 2/3 innings entering Friday, saw his ERA rise from 1.17 to 6.23.
Gaddis finished with one walk and 10 strikeouts in his 8 2/3 innings. Scott gave up two runs - on a two-run homer the opposite way by Jabari Richards - on six hits in seven innings. He had one walk and four strikeouts.
Due to a stormy weather forecast for Sunday, the teams will wrap up the series with a doubleheader Saturday at 2 p.m.

Game 19: Georgia St. 5, Furman 0

Georgia State scored a pair of runs in the first inning and made that lead hold up as the Panthers downed Furman 5-0 Tuesday in Atlanta.
Making his first start as a Paladin, former Spartanburg Methodist pitcher Nik Verbeke (0-1) didn't allow a hit in his two innings of work, but was done in by control issues.
After Georgia State's Ryan Blanton and Justin Jones walked leading off the game, three wild pitches, a flyout and a groundout allowed both of them to score.
That was all the scoring until the bottom of the eighth, when Georgia State's Jack Thompson sealed the win with a three-run home run.
Despite outhitting the Panthers 6-4, Furman (10-9) was shut out for the fourth time this season. The Paladins left 10 runners on base and hit into a pair of double plays.
Jordan Lee (1-0) scattered four hits over five innings to collect the win for Georgia State (11-10). Logan Barnette worked two hitless innings for his second save.
Jabari Richards and Brandon Elmy each had two hits to lead Furman.
The Paladins open Southern Conference play with a weekend series at Wofford. Game 1's first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday.

Quarles, Costa help Furman claim series win

One day after a sloppy loss, Furman's battery powered the Paladins up to a series win Sunday. Matthew Quarles tossed a complete game and catcher Jason Costa had a perfect day at the plate and behind it as Furman downed North Carolina A&T 7-3 at Latham Stadium.
After tossing seven shutout innings at No. 20 Ole Miss last Sunday, Quarles turned in another terrific effort. The senior right-hander from Greenwood, who's battled high pitch counts at times during his Furman career, threw 109 pitches Sunday. His bullpen-saving performance came a day after the Paladins used five pitchers in an 11-10 loss.
"Matthew Quarles really threw the ball exceptionally well," Furman coach Brett Harker said. "(Quarles' breaking ball) is a game-changer. It breaks late and hard. For it to be a slow pitch, it throws hitters off because it doesn't look like it's going to do much and it disappears."
Quarles (2-1) allowed a first-inning run Sunday before tossing seven scoreless innings in which he faced just two batters over the minimum. North Carolina A&T's No. 3 and 4 hitters, Myles Sowell and Adan Ordonez, hit back-to-back homers with one out in the ninth, but Quarles got a strikeout and a groundout to short for the second complete game of his career. He finished with nine strikeouts and no walks.
Costa began his 4-for-4 batting day with a double leading off the second. He later scored on Sky Overton's sac fly to tie the game 1-1.
The game remained tied until the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, Overton belted a three-run home run to put Furman (10-8) on top for good.
Following an error-filled day Saturday, the Paladins committed two more Sunday. However, Costa cleaned up those messes as he threw out Aggies trying to steal after each error.
Costa capped his monster game with a homer leading off the eighth.
"That's as dominant a performance you can have and not be a pitcher," Harker said of Costa's showing. "He completely took over that game."
Sowell finished with three hits for North Carolina A&T (10-8) to raise his batting average to .492, which ranks third-highest in the country. Ordonez had two hits and drove in two runs giving him 24 RBIs this season.
Furman returns to action Tuesday at Georgia State at 6 p.m.
Saturday: North Carolina A&T 11, Furman 10

On Saturday, Ordonez went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and North Carolina A&T took advantage of ugly play by the Paladins to even the series. Furman was charged with three errors, but "there should've been six or seven if you count balls that should've been outs," according to Harker.
"When you play like that, you're going to have to do something special in order to still win," Harker said after Saturday's game. "We came up a little short in pulling off a miracle."
After Furman took the lead with a five-run third, the Aggies answered with a six-run fourth. North Carolina A&T built an 11-5 lead through six innings before the Paladins began chipping away.
Furman scored three in the seventh before Carter Grote's two-run homer in the eighth sliced the lead to 11-10.
Sky Overton was hit by a pitch leading off the bottom of the ninth. He reached second on an error and third on a balk, but Aggies' reliever Noah Dyals struck out Dillon Love to end the game. Dyals came on following Grote's homer with one out in the eighth and only allowed the one hit batter to record his second save.
Grote, Overton, Jake Crawford and Cameron Whitehead each had two RBIs for the Paladins.
*Videos courtesy of Dan Scott.

Game 16: Furman 17, North Carolina A&T 2

A week after getting swept and going scoreless at Ole Miss, Furman busted out of its offensive woes in a big way Friday at Latham Stadium. The Paladins had a pair of six-run innings to roll on to a 17-2 win over North Carolina A&T.
Furman got back on track as did 2016 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year Jabari Richards. Back in the leadoff spot that he excelled in last year, Richards went 4-for-4, walked and was hit by a pitch. Richards, who entered Saturday having gone just 2-for-21 this season, also scored three runs and had two RBIs.
Richards led off Friday's game with a double and came around to score on an error to snap the Paladins' 33-inning scoreless streak.
"We just took a leap of faith on him (leading off again) and said 'hey, we're going to get you going,' and it paid off. ... I thought he put one out of here (to start the game), but it hit the top of the fence for a double," Furman coach Brett Harker said. "It just set the tone for the rest of the day. I thought the guys had quality at-bats, driving the ball all over the field."
Furman pushed the lead to 4-0 in the second thanks to RBI-singles by Jake Crawford and Richards. The Paladins put the game out of reach with six runs apiece in the fourth and fifth innings. Carter Grote and Brandon Elmy each had two-run doubles in the fourth. Grote had the big blow in the fifth when he tripled with the bases loaded.
Grote finished with a career-high five RBIs. Making his first start at second base, Dillion Love had three hits and two runs scored also for Furman (9-7). In limited action this season, Love is batting .500.
"Carter's just the heart and soul of our team and seeing him put some balls in the gap with runners on was really good to see," Harker said. "I tell the kids all the time, 'when you get opportunities, make the most of it,' and Dillon Love's doing that. He just looks like a different kid with the confidence he has right now."
That run support was more than enough for Paladins ace Will Gaddis (2-2), who hurled six scoreless innings. Gaddis allowed four hits, no walks and struck out seven.
"Will was really, really good and he was not happy when I took him out," Harker said. "Over the course of this year we're going to need to find outings here and there where he doesn't get extended. That's going to help him at the end of the year."
Adan Ordonez had a pair of doubles and Camden Williamson also had two hits for the Aggies (9-7).
Furman and North Carolina A&T are set to play game two of the series Saturday at 4 p.m.
*Video courtesy of Dan Scott.

Game 15: Ole Miss 1, Furman 0

A frustrating weekend series for Furman came to a close Sunday at No. 20 Ole Miss. Unfortunately for the Paladins, it followed the same script as the first two games. The Rebels shut out Furman for the third day in a row in a 1-0 victory.
It marked the fourth consecutive loss for the Paladins (8-7), who haven't scored in 33 innings.
Once again, Furman's offense could not take advantage of a good effort from its starting pitcher. Senior right-hander Matthew Quarles scattered seven hits over seven scoreless innings. He had one walk and five strikeouts.
"Matthew Quarles did everything he possibly could," Furman coach Brett Harker said. "We just struggled at the plate again.
"Credit their guys, they have really good arms. They'll be one of the most elite pitching staffs in the nation. That being said, we've got to figure out how to make adjustments."
Neither team scored until the bottom of the eighth. Kyle Watson greeted Furman reliever Heath Hawkins with a leadoff single. After a sacrifice bunt, the Paladins called on lefty releiver Billy Greenfield. The Rebels countered with pinch-hitter Michael Fitzsimmons, who singled to left scoring Watson with the game's lone run.
Furman's best scoring chance came in the ninth. With one out, Landon Kay walked and Brandon Elmy singled. The pair took third and second, respectively, on a ground out before Ole Miss reliever Dallas Woolfolk got John Michael Boswell to bounce out to second to end the game.
Ole Miss (11-5) starter Greer Holston allowed two hits in seven scoreless innings. He had two walks and six strikeouts. Andy Pagnozzi (2-0) struck out the side in the eighth to pick up the win, while Woolfolk recorded his fourth save.
Furman's offense finished the series with nine hits - all singles, no runs, five walks and 30 strikeouts.
"When you're facing those type of arms, it's not that you're going to put up 8 or 10 runs, it's just having more quality at-bats," Harker said. "We just didn't hit the ball that hard (in the series). It's easy to field 27-hoppers."
Furman pitching did have a solid showing in Oxford, Miss. The Paladins limited Ole Miss to just two extra-base hits in the series, a home run and a double that probably should've been ruled a single and two-base error.
After a rough first couple of games in which it committed four errors, which should've been five, the Paladins bounced back defensively Sunday. In addition to playing error-free baseball, Furman also turned five double plays.
The Paladins return to action Tuesday at 7 p.m. when they face South Carolina at Fluor Field.
*Video courtesy of Dan Scott.

Game 14: Ole Miss 5, Furman 0

The temperature at first pitch of Furman's game at Ole Miss Saturday was 40 degrees and the Paladins' offense remained just as cold. While Furman outhit the Rebels 4-3, Ole Miss won 5-0. After back-to-back shutouts for the 20th-ranked Rebels (10-5) in the series, the Paladins have gone 24 consecutive innings without a run.
For the second consecutive day, an Ole Miss starter worked eight scoreless innings and piled up strikeouts. Brady Feigl (2-1) allowed just three hits, one walk and struck out 10.
It was also a second straight day that Furman wasted a solid effort from its starter. Grant Schuermann (3-1) had a complete game, but suffered his first loss of the season. He allowed three earned runs and three hits and threw 99 pitches in his eight innings.
After Ole Miss' Colby Bortles led off the second with a walk, Michael Fitzsimmons had the lone extra-base hit of the game with a home run. The Rebels added two runs in the third on a double steal, which included a steal of home, and a Furman error. A passed ball in the eighth led to another unearned run.
After just one hit over the first seven innings, the Paladins (8-6) had three hits over the final two but couldn't score in running their losing streak to three games.
Furman will try to salvage the final game of the series Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
*Video courtesy of Dan Scott.

Game 13: Ole Miss 2, Furman 0

In a pitcher's duel Friday night in Oxford, Miss., Ole Miss starter David Parkinson took a no-hitter into the eighth inning to lead the 20th-ranked Rebels past Furman 2-0 in the opening game of a weekend series.
Furman ace Will Gaddis (1-2) had his best performance of the season, but deserved a better fate. The only runs of the night were scored after happenings beyond Gaddis' control.
"That was the best Will's looked (this season) and it isn't even close. His breaking stuff was on and his fastball was good," Furman coach Brett Harker said. "We were uncharacteristically sloppy in the field. There should've been four errors."
In the third inning, Gaddis appeared set for a seven-pitch inning when Will Golson hit a two-out groundball to short. However, Golson reached on an error that was later inexplicably changed to a single. Ryan Olenek lined the next pitch for a base hit to right that Furman's David Webel tried to field barehanded but overran. Webel's error allowed Golson to come home with the first run.
The Rebels (9-5) had a man on first and two out in the fifth when Olenek hit a hard grounder that was headed right for Furman second baseman Sims Griffith but hit the umpire instead. By rule, that's a dead ball single. Tate Blackman followed with an RBI-single to make it 2-0. Gaddis threw 13 more pitches after the groundball off the umpire, but got out of a bases-loaded jam with no further damage.
"Baseball can be cruel. That being said, I guess none of that matters because we couldn't scratch one (run) anyway," Harker said. "Give their guy credit. He's really good. He had four pitches working and pounded the (strike) zone.
"I thought we did a poor job of expanding the zone with him. We swung at pitches that we don't normally swing at."
While Gaddis was trying to keep the Paladins (8-5) close, Parkinson was mowing them down. Over the first seven innings, the lone Furman batter reached when Carter Grote was hit by a pitch leading off the fourth. Grote was thrown out trying to steal second.
The Paladins got their first hit when Brandon Elmy singled to center on the first pitch of the eighth inning. The inning ended two batters later when Jake Crawford bounced into a controversial 5-4-3 double play. After umpires reviewed a possible foul ball catch that clearly hit the ground earlier in the inning, there was no review of the double play in which it appeared Crawford may have beaten the throw to first.
Furman tried to rally off Ole Miss closer Will Stokes in the ninth. Pinch-hitters Trent Alley and Jason Costa singled and walked, respectively, leading off. After David Webel struck out trying to sacrifice bunt, Grote followed with a rocket liner right to Ole Miss third baseman Colby Bortles who fired to second for a game-ending double play.
"Not getting that bunt down in the ninth was really frustrating because we know that's what he's really good at," Harker said. "With all those things we didn't do right, we lose 2-0 at Ole Miss. That tells you the type of team we're capable of being. We just need to clean those things up."
Parkinson (3-1) allowed one hit and no walks in eight scoreless innings for Ole Miss. The former Florence-Darlington Tech standout had a career-high nine strikeouts. Stokes collected his fourth save.
Gaddis gave up two runs, one earned, on six hits in seven innings for Furman. He had two walks and six strikeouts.
Game two of the series is scheduled for Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
*Video courtesy of Dan Scott.