FROM CBB NEWS SOURCES
FAU 6 Miami (FL) 3
CORAL GABLES, FL – Florida Atlantic right-hander Michael Obradovich struck out a season-best seven batters, allowing just three runs in eight outstanding innings and All-America candidate William Block hit two home runs in the Owls’ 6-3 win over No. 1 Miami.
Florida Atlantic (19-11) bolstered its 2008 resume with a road win over the nation’s best team. FAU is averaging 41 victories per season since 1999, during that span the Owls have qualified for NCAA Regional play six times.
Miami (27-3), ranked No. 1 by Baseball America, lost for just the second time in 24 home games this season.
It was the first time an FAU team, regardless of sport, defeated a No. 1 opponent.
Eight of FAU’s first ten batters reached base against Miami starter John Housey (3-1).
FAU Recap
Miami (FL) Recap
UNC 5 NC A&T 0
CARY, N.C. — North Carolina senior right-hander Mike Facchinei and four relievers combined for a three-hit shutout, as the No. 4 Tar Heels defeated in-state foe North Carolina A&T, 5-0, Wednesday evening at the USA Baseball National Training Complex. Sophomore first baseman Dustin Ackley and sophomore right fielder Tim Fedroff combined for five hits and five runs batted in to pace the Carolina offense.
For the second day in a row, UNC (26-7) found itself locked in a pitcher’s duel, as Facchinei and Aggie righty Marquis Frink traded zeros for the first five innings. Facchinei (2-0) was especially effective, facing just two over the minimum through a career-long 6.1 innings and matching a career-high eight strikeouts, despite throwing just 71 pitches.
South Carolina 7 Clemson 1
Columbia, S.C. – James Darnell went 4-for-4 with two homers and five RBI and Justin Smoak tied the South Carolina school record for career home runs with a solo homer as well as the Gamecocks defeated Clemson 7-1 on Wednesday evening at Sarge Frye Field in front of 5,763 fans. Carolina is 22-10 on the year while the loss drops Clemson to 18-14 on the season. South Carolina has defeated the Tigers all three games this year and will meet Clemson for the fourth and final time next Wednesday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
Along with the home runs from Smoak and Darnell, designated hitter Phil Disher added one as well as Carolina finished with four home runs on the evening. Darnell now leads the team on the year with 12 homers with Disher at 10 and Smoak at nine for the season. Smoak has 48 career home runs and is now tied with Hank Small (1972-73-74-75) for the career mark at South Carolina. Smoak hit 17 as a freshman and 22 as a sophomore.
South Carolina Recap
Clemson Recap
UVA 7 Liberty 3
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia baseball team rallied from an early three-run deficit to knock off Liberty, 7-3, Wednesday evening at Davenport Field. After the Flames scored three runs in the first two innings, the Cavaliers’ pitching staff buckled down to allow just one base hit over the final seven innings.
Virginia starting pitcher Jeff Lorick (So., Duluth, Ga.) settled down after a rough beginning and went five innings, giving up three runs (two earned) and three hits while striking out three as he improved to 3-1 this season. Jake Rule (Sr., Waynesboro, Va.) pitched a perfect sixth inning before Robert Morey (Fr., Virginia Beach, Va.) tossed the final three innings to earn his second save. Morey gave up a hit and a walk while striking out a career-high five batters.
Coastal Carolina 5 NC State 4
RALEIGH, N.C. – The 21st-ranked Coastal Carolina University baseball team (25-7) scored four runs in the sixth and held on for a big 5-4 win over North Carolina State (21-10) April 9 in Doak Field. Coastal snapped N.C. State’s seven-game winning streak as the Chanticleers’ used seven pitchers to strike out eight Wolfpack hitters.
The Wolfpack struck first in the third. Tommy Foschi singled up the middle with one out. Sophomore Austin Fleet (Edmond, Okla./Santa Fe) struck out Dallas Poulk, but gave up singles to Ryan Pond and Matt Payne, which scored Foschi and gave N.C. State a 1-0 lead. Foschi then brought home two runs with a double down the left field line in the fourth, scoring Pat Ferguson and Chris Schaeffer and giving NCSU a 3-0 lead.
Coastal Carolina Recap
NC State Recap
GT 9 UGA 4
Boston College 13 Northeastern 6
LYNN, Mass. – Eric Campbell went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI on his 21st birthday to lead Boston College past Northeastern, 13-6 in the Beanpot semifinal matchup at Fraser Field. The Eagles will play the winner of the nightcap between Harvard and Massachusetts next Wednesday at Fenway Park.
BC extended its win streak to seven games and now owns an 18-14 overall record, while Northeastern dropped to 11-14-1.
BC Recap
Northeastern Recap
High Point 12 Wake Forest 8
High Point scored eight runs over the final three innings en route to a 12-8 victory over Wake Forest on Wednesday afternoon at Hooks Stadium.
The Panthers raised their season record to 12-20 after earning their third consecutive win and eighth in their last 10 games. The loss was the Demon Deacons seventh consecutive loss dropping their season mark to 12-19. The two teams split the 2008 season series at a game apiece, with each team winning on the road.
“I’m just very proud of our crew,” said HPU head coach Sal Bando, Jr. “They show a lot of fight, they show a lot of heart, they show a lot of character. We were in a really dark place, but we are in a really good place right now. We are riding the wave and I’m extremely proud of them.”
High Point Recap
Wake Forest Recap
Maryland 12 Mount St. Mary’s 3
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Terps scored seven runs on eight hits in the first inning, including back-to-back home runs from Gerry Spessard and AJ Casario, to cruise to a 12-3 win against the visiting Mount Saint Mary’s Mountaineers Wednesday evening.
The victory was the Terps’ 20th of the season and 11th straight against non-conference opponents.
Eight of the Terps’ nine starters had a first-inning hit off Mountaineers starting pitcher Costa Kapothanasis.
Steve Braun (Granada Hills, Calif./Pierce CC) led things off with a sharp double down the left-field line and scored two batters later on a Jensen Pupa (Germantown, Md./Northwest) RBI single to center. Chad Durakis (Cockeysville, Md./St. Paul’s) drove in two runs with a single to left, making it 3-0 Maryland (20-14).
UMD Recap
Mount St. Mary Recap
Duke 10 UNC-Greensboro 0
DURHAM, N.C. – Christopher Manno struck out nine batters over five innings and combined with three other Blue Devils for a two-hit shutout to lead Duke to a 10-0 win over UNC Greensboro Wednesday afternoon at Jack Coombs Field.
Manno (3-0) fanned nine hitters for the second straight start while giving up just one hit and three walks over five scoreless innings. UNC Greensboro (19-12, 5-4 SoCon) put just seven balls in play against the Blue Devil southpaw, two of which were botched sacrifice bunts while two others were popups in foul territory. The performance marked the third time this season that Manno struck out at least nine batters in a single game and improved his strikeout average to 13.04 punchouts per nine innings.
Va Tech 9 VCU 1
BLACKSBURG, Va. – Four Virginia Tech pitchers combined to scatter eight hits over nine innings while walking none to lift the Hokies to a 9-1 non-conference victory over VCU on Wednesday night at English Field.
Usual reliever Justin Wright (Chesterfield, Va.) got his first collegiate start for the Hokies and left the game in the third with Tech up 4-0, so fellow freshman Jesse Hahn (Groton, Conn.) was credited with the win after pitching effectively in relief for 2.2 innings to move to 2-3 on the year. Freshman Sean McDermott (Walpole, Mass.) and redshirt sophomore Rob Waskiewicz (Manchester, Md.) each contributed two innings of scoreless work.
