May 26, 2010

click here for complete list of scores

CBI Live: SoCon Game 1: #2 CofC 12, #7 ASU 11 (11)

CBI Live: SoCon Game 2: #6 WCU 11, #3 GSU 4

CBI Live: SoCon Game 3: #1 The Citadel 9, #8 Furman 5

CBI Live
Reyes, Wood lead Elon past Samford

By Phil Stanton

CollegeBaseballInsider.com Co-Founder

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Someone had to make a play.

Pinch-runner David Wood stole third and scored on the overthrow in the bottom of the ninth as fourth-seeded Elon edged fifth-seeded Samford 1-0 Wednesday in the final game of the opening round of the Southern Conference Tournament at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.

The Phoenix (37-20) will meet top-seeded The Citadel on Thursday at 5 p.m. The Bulldogs (30-25) will face eighth-seeded Furman at 12:30 p.m.

Ryan Adams started the ninth with a double down the leftfield line and was replaced by Wood. After a walk to Scott Riddle, pinch-hitter Matt Kirchner was retired when his bunt attempt turned into a foul popout. Wood then got a great jump and took off for third. The throw sailed into left field, allowing Wood to scamper home with the game-winner.

“After we didn’t get the bunt down, he game me the green light,” Wood said. “I felt I could get a good jump off the lefty. I got a good jump and he threw it away. I got lucky.

“Late in the game, we had to make something happen,” Wood said. “I felt it was a good time to spark the team.”

Jimmy Reyes (10-3) earned the win, tossing nine scoreless innings with six hits, three walks and nine strikeouts.

“That’s probably as good as I’ve seen him,” said Elon head coach Mike Kennedy. “He’s been on a roll, he’s pitching well. He’s got a lot of confidence going right now.”

It was the second complete-game shutout this season for Reyes.

“The first game of the tournament, you want to get off to a good start,” Reyes said. “I kept telling myself ‘one pitch at a time’. If I was going out there for the 10th inning, it was still going to be the same mentality.”

Bulldog starter Jonathan Stephens was outstanding as well, allowing five hits and one walk in seven innings with a career-high nine strikeouts.

“These were two great efforts by two outstanding college pitchers,” Samford head coach Casey Dunn said. “They took advantage of an opportunity there at the end. It was just one of those things where it came down to a kind of fluke play and they were on the positive side of it.”

Riddle finished with two hits for the Phoenix.

Michael Johnson had two hits for Samford.

(photos courtesy of Southern Conference Media Relations Office)