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Daysh Powers Furman Past UNC-Asheville, 10-6
April 18, 2007
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Joe Daysh went 2-for-3 and belted a first inning grand slam to power Furman past UNC-Asheville, 10-6, in baseball action Wednesday evening at Furman Stadium.
Daysh, who entered the contest with only seven RBI in 132 at bats on the season, keyed a six-run Paladin first inning with his second career grand slam, a line shot over the left field fence to help Furman overcome a 2-0 deficit en route to the win. The Paladin senior second baseman added a sacrifice fly in the third inning and doubled in the seventh.
The victory was the second in the last three games for Furman (11-26) but only the third in the last 15 outings for the Paladins, who banged out 15 hits for the second straight game. Furman collected 15 hits in a 12-7 loss at Tennessee on Tuesday.
The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for UNC-Asheville (17-24).
Bobby Hubbard went 2-for-3 with three RBI, and Joey Rodgers, Tony Maccani, Jay Jackson, Will Stembridge, and Paul Ortenzo also collected two hits each for the Paladins.
J.P. Goldsberry (1-1) earned his first collegiate victory after working five innings and surrendering three runs on three hits. He walked two. The freshman righthander did not pitch in 2006 after undergoing Tommy John surgery his senior season at Tampa Preparatory School.
Ian Parry earned his second save after pitching the final three innings and allowing just one hit, a solo home run by Elliott Arrington in the eighth inning.
UNC-Asheville starter and losing pitcher Josh Lett (0-4) took the mound with a 2-0 lead in the first after Arrington's two-out, two-run double, but the junior lefthander retired just one batter in the bottom of the first before getting chased. WIth one out, Rodgers reached on a bunt single, and Hubbard delivered a two-run home run to left field to tie the game at 2-2. Maccani, Jackson, and Stembridge followed with consecutive singles to load the bases, and Daysh then sent a Lett offering over the left field fence to cap the six-run frame.
Daysh registered his fifth RBI on the contest in the third after Jackson singled with one out and advanced to third on a Stembridge single before coming home on a Daysh sacrifice fly to center field.
Furman took advantage of a pair of Bulldog errors in the fourth to score three runs and stretch its lead to 10-2. Connor Lind walked to lead off, and Rodgers followed with a bunt that Bulldog pitcher Dan Weller fielded but threw wild of first base, allowing Rodgers and Lind to advance to second and third base, respectively. Hubbard followed with a fly ball that Bulldog left fielder Rob Vernon dropped, allowing Lind and Rodgers to score. Hubbard then advanced to third base on a passed ball and came home on a Maccani single up the middle through a drawn in UNCA infield.
A solo home run by Edmund Locklear in the fifth made it 10-3, and the Bulldogs used a another long ball, a two-run blast by Matt Henson in the sixth off Mason Smith, to slice the Paladin advantage to 10-5. After loading the bases with one out, Smith avoided further trouble before striking out Locklear and retiring Brett Robinson on a infield pop.
Parry came on in the seventh and retired the Bulldogs in order. After giving up a solo home run in the eight, he pitched around a Paladin error in the ninth to nail down the victory.
