Furman trips ASU's baseball team 3-1
by Staff Reports
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Hector Crespo became Appalachian State’s all-time stolen bases leader in the Mountaineers’ 3-1 loss to Furman Friday at Latham Stadium.
Crespo beat out an infield single to lead off the game and promptly swiped second base for 86th steal of his career, which broke Appalachian State’s all-time record of 85 set by Will Shellman from 1991-94.
Crespo’s record-breaking performance was the highlight of a frustrating ballgame for the Mountaineers, which left 10 men on base in the loss, including five in the final two innings.
Appalachian State pitcher Jamie Nunn was outdueled by Furman starter Nate Smith (1-0), who surrendered just one run and struck out seven in 7 2/3 innings to earn the win and hand Nunn, who pitched seven innings, (3-1) the tough-luck loss.
Trailing 3-1 in the top of the eighth inning, Appalachian loaded the bases with three-straight two-out singles. The three-consecutive hits chased Smith from the game in favor of reliever Ben Carlson, who struck out freshman Jaylin Davis to end the Mountaineers’ threat.
Singles by Dillon Dobson and Crespo put the tying run on base for Appalachian again in the top of the ninth. But with two outs, William Head struck out on a called third strike on a 3-2 pitch.
Appalachian State (7-3, 2-2 SoCon) outhit Furman, 10-7, but committed two costly errors that led directly to the Paladins’ first run in the bottom of the second inning. The Mountaineers managed just one extra-base hit, a double by Greenville native Will Callaway, who came around to score the Mountaineers’ only run of the ballgame in the fourth.
Callaway finished 3-for-4 to pace Appalachian’s 10-hit attack while Crespo and Davis added two hits apiece. Davis drove in the Mountaineers’ lone run with an infield single that brought Callaway home from third base in the fourth.
Hunter Burton and Jarrod Rickman had two hits apiece and Taylor Johnson and Alex Abrams both drove in runs for Furman (11-3, 3-1 SoCon).
The teams continue their three-game Southern Conference series at 4 p.m. Saturday at Latham Stadium.