Baseball Loses for First Time on Friday

CHARLESTON, S.C. – For the first time on a Friday night this year, Georgia Southern Baseball suffered a loss as the Eagles dropped a 6-2 decision at The Citadel. The 28th-ranked Eagles slipped to 29-10 overall and 12-5 in the Southern Conference.

In the 10th weekend series for the Eagles this year, it marked the first series opening loss (9-1 record).

The Eagles put a leadoff runner on base in the first and second but came away empty, but thanks to two-out hitting by Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry) in the third GS took a 2-0 lead. Kevin Bowles (Statesboro/Statesboro) singled with one out then two batters later Eric Phillips (Carrollton/Carrollton) doubled down the left field line. Porter singled a 2-2 pitch back up the middle off Wes Wrenn to score both.

Sid Fallaw lined a two-out RBI double in the fourth to cut the deficit in half.

GS threatened in the fifth to chase Wrenn, loading the bases with one out. Will Southwell (Moultrie/Colquitt County) lined a shot down the right field line. Sonny Meade caught the ball in foul territory. Bowles tried scoring from third, however, a Meade-to-Chris McGuiness-to Richard Jones relay was in time to get Bowles out and end the inning. From there Wrenn kept the Eagles in check.

In the sixth the Bulldogs (24-16, 11-8) used two-out hitting to chase starter Chris Mederos (Valdosta/Gordon College). Richard Jones lined a leadoff triple. He scored on a groundout by Matt Simonelli. Johnny Dangerfield hit a RBI single then Nick Orvin followed with a 2-run double. The Bulldogs added an unearned run on Simonelli’s groundout in the seventh for the final margin.

Porter finished 2-for-4 with the two RBI. Phillips and Bowles added two hits apiece as the Eagles held a 10-9 edge in that category. Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) went 0-for-4, snapping his career- and team season-high 17-game hit streak.

Mederos (8-1) was charged for five runs on eight hits in 5.2 innings. He walked two and struck out six. Charles Matthews (Athens/Spartanburg Methodist) turned in his second-longest outing of the season, giving up the one unearned run on one hit in 2.1 innings. He fanned two and did not walk a batter.

Wrenn (7-1) gave up just the two runs on 10 hits in eight innings. The senior improved to 4-1 all-time against the Eagles. Bryan Altman and Jones had two hits apiece.

Game two of the series is slated for a 2 p.m. start on Saturday (April 25).

Category: Baseball

Published on Friday, 24 April 2009 21:10