Some of the local college baseball numbers on the day with Jones getting it done for Elon Phoenix/Ryan Hedrick(SG) off to a good start for Presbyterian/Marcus Shoemaker(NWG) goes 8-8 for LR

Casey Jones, who was a member of the Western Guilford Hornets up until his senior in high school, has had another big day for the Elon Phoenix baseball team….Elon(3-0) took two games from Penn State today and Jones was 3-6 on the afternoon with 3 runs scored and 3 RBI…Elon is off to a good start and Jones is getting the job done and he had some help today from former Grimsley Whirlie Kory Shumate….Shumate drove in key run for Elon in Game One and he will be key part of the Elon puzzle for this season….Shumate arrived at Elon by way of Charlotte and Louisburg, where his day Keith coaches….

Shumate, Jones, with a 14-game hitting streak as of today’s activities vs. Penn State and the Phoenix also have Alec Bankhead(Greensboro Day School) on board and he is the son of former UNC Tar Heel and Seattle Mariner, Scott Bankhead….Elon has some good local talent and they ought to be the team to beat and watch in the Triad this season…..

UNCG defeated High Point University on Friday and then HPU came back and got UNCG today, 12-2….UNCG has Keaton Haack(Northwest Guilford) and HPU, will have to some checking on them….Guilford got a doubleheader sweep from Bluefield State today and the Quakers are due to be at home for a Sunday afternoon contest and that will prove to be a cold one….Not much local talent on Guilford’s squad this season and since the Quakers lost Macon Smith, they will be a team with a bit of a different look this year….

Outside the Triad, but still dealing with former Greensboro area players, Brendan Nail(Page High School) got the start today for Western Carolina vs. the Purdue Boilermakers….In his first inning of college baseball as a pitcher, Nail got a strikeout and two ground outs and he gave up no runs and no hits in that first inning on the mound as college baseball pitcher…And he was throwing against Purdue….Nail ends up going three innings and he gave up 4 runs on three hits and left with a chance to win with Western Carolina on top 7-4 when Nail left the game and he exited with a runner on second base….
Caleb Robinson(Eastern Guilford) went 1-3 with 2 runs and 1 RBI for Western Carolina and WCU wins 17-6 in Game One today over Purdue…Caleb Robinson 0-3 with an RBI back on Friday….

A little news about most of our local teams and we could still use more from Wes Gullet over at Greensboro College and he has to be some sort of relative of Don Gullet, the former Cincinnati Reds pitcher…Need a word on N.C. A&T and WSSU too and wonder those others are doing???

More on players with Adam Swim(Northwest Guilford) and Zac MacAneney(Western Alamance) at UNCG and Tyler Britton(High Point Christian Academy) at HPU…

*****Ryan Hedrick from Southern Guilford got his college career off to a good start this weekend for Presbyterian. PC went 4-0 vs Delaware State. Hedrick was 4-14 over the weekend with 3 RBI’s and 3 RS.*****

*****Marcus Shoemaker(Northwest Guilford HS) had a great day at the plate on Saturday in a doubleheader at Lenoir Rhyne…. 8 for 8, for Shoemaker*****.

Game Two Numbers from the Western Carolina-Purdue game:
Game One Recap: Nobles Fans Career-High 11 in Series-Clinching Victory
Western Carolina sophomore reliever B.J. Nobles struck out a career-best 11 in six relief innings as the Catamounts downed Purdue, 15-4, to claim the series with the Boilermakers with a victory in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader.

Nobles came on in the fourth inning and tossed six scoreless innings, scattering three hits to pick up his first seasonal victory – and the second of his WCU career. The Raleigh, N.C., product struck out the first four batters he faced out of the bullpen and retired seven-straight hitters between the seventh and ninth innings.

Freshman Brendan Nail threw three innings in his first career start on the mound for WCU, surrendering four runs on six hits with two walks and a pair of strikeouts.

Trailing 3-2 entering the bottom of the third inning, Western Carolina seized control of game one with a five-run frame. The Catamounts had the bases loaded with two outs when J.D. Long reached on an infield single to plate the game-tying run.

Then, freshman Caleb Robinson singled to the shortstop to plate a run, and the force throw looking for the third out sailed high and allowed two more runs to score. Strong then drove his first of two, two-RBI doubles to the gap in left center field to make it 7-3.

The two teams traded runs in the fourth before WCU got a two-spot in the home half of the fifth on a RBI triple by Strong and aMatt Smith RBI single through the right side to stretch the Catamount lead to six, 10-4.

Leading 11-4, the Catamounts pushed across four runs with two outs in the eighth inning to provide the final tally. Austin Atwell started the two-out rally with a double down the right field line before freshman Brett Pope drove him home on a single up the middle. Long collected his second RBI of the day on a single into center field to score Pope and move Kramer Ferrell, who was hit by a pitch, into scoring position. Freshman Spencer Holcomb then delivered his first collegiate base hit with a two-RBI single into left field. Holcomb finished 1-for-1 with a walk in his two trips to the plate.

For Purdue, starter Brett Haan (0-1) took the loss after allowing seven runs – only three of which were earned – on nine hits with four strikeouts and a walk in two and two thirds innings. Kyle Van Hoeck worked a third of a frame before Shane Bryant tossed the final five innings, allowing eight runs on 10 hits with two Ks and one free pass.

The two hitters at the bottom of Purdue’s lineup – Jeff Evak and Harry Shipley – both had two hits apiece on 2-for-4 showings at the dish, Shipley posting an RBI. Justin Gubser drove in two runs on a 1-for-3 outing, belting solo home run to open scoring in the second inning.

Box Score

2014 Western Carolina Catamount Baseball
Purdue at Western Carolina (Game 1)
Feb 14, 2015 at Cullowhee, N.C. (Hennon Stadium)

Purdue 4 (0-2)

Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
VILARDO dh...............  4  0  0  0   0  2  0  0   1
 LEWIS ph................  1  0  1  0   0  0  0  0   0
KRIEG 3b.................  2  1  1  0   2  1  1  2   0
 KENNEDY ph..............  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
JOHNSON cf...............  4  0  1  0   0  3  3  0   1
 SANDER ph...............  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   1
PICCHIOTTI lf............  3  0  0  0   0  2  2  0   1
GUBSER c.................  3  1  1  2   0  0  7  0   1
WOOD 1b..................  3  0  1  0   0  1  9  0   0
STRONG 2b................  4  0  0  0   0  2  2  2   3
EVAK rf..................  4  2  2  0   0  2  0  0   0
SHIPLEY ss...............  4  0  2  1   0  0  0  3   0
HAAN p...................  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 VAN HOECK p.............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 BRYANT p................  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
Totals................... 34  4  9  3   2 13 24  8   8

Western Carolina 15 (2-0)

Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Bradley Strong 2b........  6  1  4  5   0  0  0  2   0
Matt Smith cf............  6  0  2  1   0  2  2  0   5
Danny Bermudez c.........  5  2  2  0   0  2 13  1   1
Jacob Hoyle 1b...........  5  1  2  1   0  2  7  1   0
Austin Atwell lf.........  3  2  1  1   1  0  2  0   2
Brett Pope 3b............  5  2  2  1   0  0  0  0   0
Kramer Ferrell rf........  4  2  2  0   0  1  1  0   0
J.D. Long ss.............  4  3  2  2   0  0  0  3   0
Caleb Robinson dh........  3  2  1  1   0  0  0  0   0
 Spencer Holcomb ph......  1  0  1  2   1  0  0  0   0
Brendan Nail p...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 B.J. Nobles p...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  2  0   0
Totals................... 42 15 19 14   2  7 27  8   8

Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
Purdue.............. 021 100 000 -  4  9  2
Western Carolina.... 025 121 04X - 15 19  0
-------------------------------------------

E - WOOD(1); SHIPLEY(1). LOB - Boilermakers 8; Catamounts 8. 2B - KRIEG(1);
EVAK 2(3); B. Strong 2(2); Atwell(1); Ferrell(2). 3B - B. Strong(1). HR -
GUBSER(1); Hoyle(1). HBP - WOOD; Ferrell; Long. SH - PICCHIOTTI(1). SF -
GUBSER(1); Atwell(1).

Purdue                 IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
HAAN................  2.2  9  7  3  1  4 17 19
VAN HOECK...........  0.1  0  0  0  0  1  1  1
BRYANT..............  5.0 10  8  7  1  2 24 27

Western Carolina       IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Brendan Nail........  3.0  6  4  4  2  2 13 18
B.J. Nobles.........  6.0  3  0  0  0 11 21 21

Win - Nobles (1-0).  Loss - HAAN (0-1).  Save - None.
WP - HAAN; BRYANT; Nail; Nobles. HBP - by HAAN (Long); by Nail (WOOD); by BRYANT
(Ferrell). BK - BRYANT.
Umpires - HP: Robert Dunnigan  1B: Kevin Morgan  3B: Josh Millsaps
Start: 11:31 am   Time: 2:55   Attendance:
Weather: Partly cloudy, temps mid 30s
Nail faced 2 batters in the 4th.
Game: WCU02141

Game Two Numbers on WCU-Purdue:
Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina rapped out 19 base hits including six for extra bases en route to a season-opening, 17-6, victory Friday afternoon over the Purdue Boilermakers at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. The Catamounts scored two-or-more runs in four frames to tally their 10th-straight home victory, winning their season-opener for a seventh-consecutive year.

True freshman Brett Pope finished a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate with four singles, a double and four runs scored while junior J.D. Long collected a career-best four hits on five at bats with two RBI and a pair of runs scored to pace the Catamount offense. Junior Danny Bermudez, who threw out two would-be base stealers from behind the plate, drove home three on 2-for-4 hitting with a solo home run while sophomore Matt Smith collected two hits including a double and circling the base paths on his first collegiate home run.

All told, WCU had eight batters collect hits in the winning effort with five posting multi-hit games.

Sophomore starter Bryan Sammons (1-0) scored the victory on the mound for Western Carolina, scattering seven hits over five and a third innings. The southpaw surrendered five runs – only one of which was earned – with three strikeouts against two walks. Junior reliever Jonathan Waszakstruck out five including four-straight in two and two thirds frames while junior Taylor Durandallowed two base hits with a strikeout in tossing the ninth inning.

Purdue (0-1) capitalized on an early WCU error to take a 1-0 lead in the opening inning on Friday afternoon. Lead-off man Michael Vilardo reached on a misplayed ball in the infield before moving to third on the game’s first hit, a Brandon Kreig chopping single up the middle. The Boilermakers’ third batter, Kyle Johnson, then dropped a single into shallow right centerfield to score Vilardo for the early advantage.

The lead was short-lived, though, as the Catamounts answered with a two-spot in the home half of the first. Smith lifted a one-out single to left center field before moving to third when WCU loaded the bases on a Bermudez HBP and an infield single by senior Jacob Hoyle. Smith scored on an infield fielder’s choice by transfer Austin Atwell with a throwing error allowing Bermudez to scamper home.

Vilardo struck again in the top of the second with a two-out, two-RBI double to right center field to push Purdue back in front, 2-1. Vilardo was one of two Boilers with two hits in the opener with outfielder Kyle Johnson also finishing, 2-for-5.

However, the Catamounts surged back in front on the strength of a four-run home half of the second inning to take a lead they would never relinquish. Pope opened the barrage with a single to right field before Long doubled down the right field line to put two in scoring position. Senior Bradley Strong brought home the two runners on a two-RBI single through the right side to make it 3-2, WCU. With Strong aboard, Smith hit his first career home run on a shot that cleared the fence in right center field to cap the four-run burst.

After Purdue got one back in the top of the fourth inning to trim the margin to two, 6-4, the Catamounts erupted in a decisive, six-run fifth inning. Bermudez opened the scoring with a solo home run that carried the “Purple Monster” down the left field line. Later with two aboard, redshirt junior transfer Kramer Ferrell bounced a ground-rule double over the fence in left center to score two in Pope and Hoyle.

Scoring continued when freshman Caleb Robinson drove home Ferrell from third on a fielder’s choice with Long and Strong later coming home thanks to a pair of stolen bases and a Purdue throwing error.

The Boilermakers tacked on a run in the top of the sixth inning on Evan Kennedy’s sacrifice fly to right field to make it 12-5 through six innings.

In the seventh, the Catamounts again hung a crooked number on the scoreboard to further put the game out of reach with four runs on five hits. Long plated his third run of the day on a single through the right side with redshirt freshman Pierce Suttles delivering his first collegiate base hit on a RBI single up the middle. Bermudez drove home two on a single through the left side to make it 16-5.

Both teams would scratch the scoreboard in the eighth inning with Purdue loading the bases but scoring just once. Vilardo recorded his third RBI of the day on an infield single with Long collecting his second RBI to score Pope who doubled, capping the game’s scoring.

Strong ended the game in the ninth with a 4-3 double-play, the second turned by the Catamount defense in the winning effort.

Purdue starter Gavin Downs (0-1) – one of five Boilermakers to toe the rubber on Friday – suffered the loss after surrendering six runs – five earned – on six hits through two innings of action. Reliever Brian Ghiselli struck out three in two and a third innings with Tim McElroy, Kyle Van Hoeck and Alex Lyons combining to strikeout four over the final three and two thirds.

WCU and Purdue will wrap-up the three-game nonconference series with a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 11:15 am at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.

Box Score

Catamount Baseball 2015
Purdue at Western Carolina
Feb 13, 2015 at Cullowhee, N.C. (Hennon Stadium)

Purdue 6 (0-1)

Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
VILARDO, Michael 2b......  5  1  2  3   0  1  1  3   3
KRIEG, Brandon 3b........  5  0  1  0   0  2  0  2   1
JOHNSON, Kyle cf.........  5  0  2  1   0  2  3  0   3
PICCHIOTTI, Jack c.......  4  0  1  0   0  0  6  0   0
 GUBSER, Justin ph.......  1  0  1  0   0  0  0  0   0
WOOD, Kyle 1b............  4  0  0  0   0  2  8  1   1
 SNIDANKO, Ted ph........  1  0  1  0   0  0  0  0   0
CARLSON, Brett dh........  1  1  1  0   2  0  0  0   0
 SANDER, Daniel dh.......  2  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   0
STRONG, Cody lf..........  4  2  0  0   1  1  1  0   1
EVAK, Jeff rf............  1  1  1  0   1  0  2  0   0
 LEWIS, Jordan ph/rf.....  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
SHIPLEY, Harry ss........  2  1  1  1   0  0  3  3   0
 KENNEDY, Evan ss/ph.....  0  0  0  1   0  0  0  0   0
 GRANT, Hayden ss........  0  0  0  0   1  0  0  0   0
DOWNS, Gavin p...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 GHISELLI, Brian p.......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 McELROY, Tim p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 VAN HOECK, Kyle p.......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 LYONS, Alex p...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 35  6 11  6   5  9 24  9  10

Western Carolina 17 (1-0)

Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Bradley Strong 2b........  6  2  1  2   0  1  3  5   2
Matt Smith cf............  5  2  2  2   0  2  1  0   0
Danny Bermudez c.........  4  2  2  3   0  0  8  3   0
Jacob Hoyle 1b...........  4  1  1  0   0  1  8  0   1
Austin Atwell lf.........  4  0  0  1   0  1  1  0   2
 Matthew Koehler lf......  1  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   0
Brett Pope 3b............  5  4  5  0   0  0  1  1   0
 Reece Strong 3b.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Kramer Ferrell rf........  5  2  2  2   0  1  2  0   0
J.D. Long ss.............  5  3  4  2   0  0  3  3   2
Caleb Robinson dh........  3  0  0  1   0  0  0  0   0
 Pierce Suttles dh.......  2  1  2  1   0  0  0  0   0
Bryan Sammons p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2   0
 Jonathan Waszak p.......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 Taylor Durand p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 44 17 19 14   0  7 27 14   5

Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
Purdue.............. 120 101 010 -  6 11  3
Western Carolina.... 240 060 41X - 17 19  3
-------------------------------------------

E - VILARDO 2(2); PICCHIOTTI(1); B. Strong(1); Pope(1); Long(1). DP -
Catamounts 2. LOB - Boilermakers 10; Catamounts 5. 2B - VILARDO(1);
PICCHIOTTI(1); EVAK(1); M. Smith(1); Pope(1); Ferrell(1); Long(1). HR - M.
Smith(1); Bermudez(1). HBP - LEWIS; Bermudez; Hoyle. SH - EVAK(1). SF -
KENNEDY(1). SB - B. Strong(1). CS - KRIEG(1); CARLSON(1).

Purdue                 IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
DOWNS, Gavin........  2.0  6  6  5  0  0 11 12
GHISELLI, Brian.....  2.1  4  4  4  0  3 12 13
McELROY, Tim........  0.2  1  2  0  0  1  4  4
VAN HOECK, Kyle.....  2.0  5  4  4  0  1 11 11
LYONS, Alex.........  1.0  3  1  1  0  2  6  6

Western Carolina       IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Bryan Sammons.......  5.1  7  5  1  2  3 22 25
Jonathan Waszak.....  2.2  2  1  1  3  5  9 14
Taylor Durand.......  1.0  2  0  0  0  1  4  4

Win - Sammons (1-0).  Loss - DOWNS (0-1).  Save - None.
WP - GHISELLI 2(2); McELROY(1); Waszak 2(2). HBP - by DOWNS (Bermudez); by
GHISELLI (Hoyle); by Waszak (LEWIS).
Umpires - HP: Kyle Cothran  1B: Brad Newton  3B: Lindy Hall
Start: 3:10 pm   Time: 3 hours   Attendance: 317
Weather: Mostly sunny, breezy, cool
Game notes:
2015 Season Opener
Game: WCU0213 

2 thoughts on “Some of the local college baseball numbers on the day with Jones getting it done for Elon Phoenix/Ryan Hedrick(SG) off to a good start for Presbyterian/Marcus Shoemaker(NWG) goes 8-8 for LR

  1. Ryan Hedrick from Southern Guilford got his college career off to a good start this weekend for Presbyterian. PC went 4-0 vs Delaware State. Hedrick was 4-14 over the weekend with 3 RBI’s and 3 RS.

  2. Former NW Guilford star Marcus Shoemaker had a great day at the plate on Saturday in a double header at Lenoir Rhyne. 8 for 8.

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