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Elon Dumps Furman 8-6 In Saturday Baseball Action
May 6, 2006
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Robert Rodebaugh's three-run double in the eighth inning broke a 5-5 tie and lifted Elon to an 8-6 win over Furman in Southern Conference baseball action Saturday evening at Furman Stadium.
Rodebaugh, who doubled twice, homered, and drove in four runs in the contest, delivered the decisive hit off Paladin reliever Nick Hollstegge to cap a five-run rally for Elon (38-13, 18-5 SoCon), which pulled to within percentage points of first place College of Charleston following the Cougars' 5-4 loss to Georgia Southern Saturday evening.
The loss dropped Furman (28-16, 13-7 SoCon) to only a half game advantage over fourth place Georgia Southern.
Elon's big eighth inning rally came after pinch runner Austin Boehme was picked off second base for the second out. Jory Snyder followed with a single to left field to put runners at first and second, and Paul Bennett delivered a two-out, two-run triple down the left field line off Hollstegge to tie the game at 5-5.
After an unsuccessful Furman appeal at third base, Elon skipper Mike Kennedy, who also coaches third base and who had received a warning earlier in the contest by home plate umpire Ward Ulmer, charged the Paladin dugout, where he was confronted by Paladin head coach Ron Smith. Both coaches were ejected for unsportsmanlike behavior.
Following the approximate five minute delay, Hollstegge issued back-to-back walks to Donny Jobe and and Adam Weaver to load the bases, and Rodebaugh cleared the bases by stroking a 3-2 offering into the left center field gap.
Ryan Basham (4-1), who recorded the final two outs of the seventh inning, earned the victory courtesy of Elon's five-run eighth. Chad Tilley recorded his ninth save of the campaign after allowing a run on a pair of hits over the final two innings.
Hollstegge (1-1) was charged with the loss after yielding four runs on three hits and two walks in just 1/3 of an inning. The Paladin bullpen collapse spoiled a solid performance by Paladin starting pitcher Mason Smith, who went 5.0 innings, allowing only one run on five hits while striking out five.
Led By Rodebaugh's 3-for-4 performance, the Phoenix collected 12 hits in the contest, including two each by Chris Vasami, Ryan Addison, and Patrick Irvine.
Case Cassedy paced Furman's 10-hit attack with three hits, including a pair of doubles, and three RBI.
Furman wasted little time in grabbing an early lead as the Paladins tallied a pair of unearned runs in the first inning. With one out Andrew Greene singled and stole second. Cassedy followed with a walk, and the Paladins executed a double steal to move both players in scoring position. After A.J. Davidiuk struck out, Phoenix second baseman Donny Jobe snagged a grounder off the bat of Jay Jackson, but first baseman Chris Vasami failed to handle the throw, allowing Greene and Cassedy to score.
It remained 2-0 until the Furman fifth when Cassedy's double down the right field line scored Greene from first base to make it 3-0.
Elon got on the board in the sixth on Rodebaugh's leadoff home run over the centerfield fence, his second in two games, cutting the Paladin advantage to 3-1.
Furman answered with a run in the sixth after Will Stembridge led off with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice and to third on a groundout before coming home on Marcus Rose' bloop single into short right field.
The Phoenix sliced the Furman advantage to 4-3 with a pair of unearned runs in the seventh off Paladin reliever Ryan Hudson. With runners as second and third with one out, Paladin shortstop A.J. Davidiuk failed to handle a grounder off the bat of Jobe, allowing Snyder and Addison to score.
Cassedy's RBI single to center field gave Furman a 5-3 lead in the seventh, but the Phoenix turned the game around with its five-run eighth.
The two teams play the final game of the series on Sunday beginning at 1:00 p.m.
