Baseball Finishes Non-Conference Slate with Win
KENNESAW, Ga. - The Georgia Southern Baseball team finished their non-conference slate with a 7-3 victory over Kennesaw State Tuesday night. The Eagles outscored the Owls 4-1 over the final five innings to pick up their third-straight victory and their third-straight season series sweep.
Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) sparked the scoring with his 326th career hit, a solo home run that extended Georgia Southern's (29-24) one-run lead to 4-2. The hit tied the all-time school record set by Scott Henley in 2001. Three batters later T.D. Davis (Evans, Ga.) cashed in back-to-back walks and plated Chase Griffin (Leesburg, Ga.) with a RBI single.
The Eagles added two more runs in the eighth inning after Andrew Austin walked the bases loaded to start the frame. GSU jumped ahead 7-3 after a wild pitch and a bases loaded walk by reliever Zack Griffith.
However, the Eagles had to hold on in the ninth inning after Kennesaw State (29-22) put runners on the corners and the tying run in the on-deck circle. With no outs on the scoreboard, Jarret Leverett (Eatonton, Ga.) came on in relief and retired the first three batters he faced in order. Leverett (S, 5) struck out two of the three batters he faced for his fifth save of the season.
Georgia Southern struck for two runs off of Owl's starter Nathan Harsch to start the game. The Eagles scored both tallies on Garren Palmer's (Dalton, Ga.) two-out single. Leadoff hitter Scooter Williams (Detroit, Mich.) was caught in a run down trying to score the first run of the game but allowed two runners to move into scoring position before he was tagged out.
Harsch got both runs back in the second inning. Andy Chriscaden started the rally with a double into the left field corner and scored the first of two runs on back-to-back singles by Will Howard and Max Pentecost. Howard moved to second on his hit after the relay throw got away from Davis and stole third base before scoring on the Pentecost single.
The Eagles broke a 2-2 tie with an unearned run in the third inning. Phillips dropped a ball down the right field line for a one-out double and scored on a two-out throwing error. The lead gave Sam Howard (Cartersville, Ga.) his third win of the season. The first of five relievers, Howard (3-1) threw 2.2 one-hit innings in relief of starter Heath Durand (Martinez, Ga.).
Georgia Southern concludes the regular season and Southern Conference play at Wofford this weekend. The Eagles will play one game on Friday and a doubleheader on Saturday against the Terriers.
All baseball games this season can be heard on the Boomer 103.7 FM and inside J.I. Clements Stadium on 88.1 FM. Audio for all games is also available on the web and subscription video is available for all home games at GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com/Eaglevision.
Fans can follow their Eagles at GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com or receive short updates at facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics or on Google+ at gplus.to/GSAthletics.
- Category: Baseball
- Published on Tuesday, 15 May 2012 04:26
