Baseball Splits at Furman

GREENVILLE, S.C. – A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) recorded four hits in the nightcap, including two RBI, as Georgia Southern rallied for a 6-3 win in the nightcap at Furman Friday night (May 16). The Eagles, who lost the opener 10-2, improved to 32-22 overall and 16-10 in the Southern Conference. With the win and other losses around the league GS guaranteed no worse than a fourth-place finish in the SoCon standings.

The Paladins (30-22, 16-10) threatened in the second inning of game two. Drew Murray (LaGrange/LaGrange) gave up a walk and single to start the frame. Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell) teamed with Jeremy Beckham (Griffin/Griffin) to start a 6-4-3 double play. Murray got Jay Jackson on a popup to end the inning.

Reese Wade delivered a two-out, RBI single in the third. Matt Hemingway lined a leadoff single in the fourth. He eventually scored on Brian Harrison’s sacrifice fly.

To start the sixth, Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) became the second Eagle ever to join the 20 home run/20 stolen base club. Shehan hammered his 20th round-tripper to make it 2-1. Shehan also moved with one run scored (78) of tying the season record.

Jeremiah Parker (Carrollton/Carrollton) reached on a one-out error. He scored on Wirnsberger’s RBI triple to tie the game. David Richardson (Dahlonega/Lumpkin County) walked and stole second, but Mason Smith recorded back-to-back strikeouts on a called third strike to end the threat.

Jackson lined a two-out, RBI double in the seventh to put the Paladins ahead by one. But the Eagles came through on two-out hitting to take the lead.

Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) singled up the middle to start the eighth. Parker executed a sacrifice bunt then Wirnsberger lined a RBI single to tie the game. Two batters later Pierce reached on a bunt single. Beckham hit a liner to Jackson at first base. He could not field it cleanly which allowed Beckham to reach and Wirnsberger to score. Ty Wright (Montrose/West Laurens) and Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry) walked, bringing home another run to make it 5-3.

Blake Nation (Brooks/Starr’s Mill) ran into trouble in the eighth after giving up consecutive singles and a wild pitch put both runners in scoring position. Consecutive groundouts to Wirnsberger at third base kept runners in check. Nation walked Jackson to load the bases but retired Brian Harrison on a fly ball to Richardson in center to end the threat.

Parker hammered a solo shot in the ninth. His 12th home run of the year made it 6-3. Nation, on his 21st birthday, gave up a two-out walk but got a groundout to end the game.

“I felt pretty good out there. My fast ball was lively and I thought my slider came back. It wasn’t there against UNC Greensboro but I felt it was working tonight,” said Nation. “Tonight Drew did a good job of keeping us in game two and Tony (Chisman) came through tonight as well.”

Wirnsberger matched a career-high of four hits, the fourth time of his career reaching that total. He drove in two runs. Pierce finished with two hits as the Eagles held an 11-8 edge in game two.

Murray allowed three runs on six hits in six strong innings of work, walking two and striking out five. Tony Chisman (Conyers/Salem) pitched a scoreless inning to earn his first collegiate win. Nation gave up two hits in two innings, picking up his seventh save.  

During game one, the Eagles were held without an extra-base hit for the first time this year. The Eagles threatened in the first when Porter walked and Dick Howser Award finalist Shehan singled up the middle. Porter advanced on a fly ball but GS could not push a run across.

Furman manufactured a run in its half when Marcus Rose doubled to start, went to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a groundout. In the third Brian Harrison hit a leadoff double. He went to third on a sacrifice bunt then Kyle Kamppi (Savannah/Benedictine) walked Rose. Bobby Hubbard hit a grounder down the first base line. Parker threw home in time to nail Harrison. But a wild pitch during the next at-bat brought home Furman’s second run.

Pierce singled to start the fifth. Beckham executed a sacrifice bunt moving Pierce into scoring position. Porter worked the count full with two outs before lining a RBI single up the middle to score Pierce.

Jackson left the game after pitching six strong innings, and the Eagles wasted no time tying the game. Pierce lined a one-out single to right then stole second. Wright walked to put runners at first and second. Porter came through again lining a 3-2 fastball up the middle to score Pierce and tie the score at 2-all.

Campbell Lewis hit a leadoff single in the seventh, then advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt. A fielding error by Porter allowed the Paladins to put two runners in scoring position. Connor Lind bounced a 2-run single through the drawn-in infield. Bobby Hubbard lined a 2-run double just out of Porter’s reach then Reese Wade lined a RBI single up the middle to make it 7-2. The Paladins scored three more runs in the eighth for the final margin.

For the first time this year Georgia Southern was held without an extra-base hit, recording seven singles. Porter had two with two RBI. Pierce also had two hits and scored both runs. Wright, Beckham and Shehan accounted for the other hits.

Kamppi (5-4) pitched six solid innings but ran into problems in the seventh. He was officially charged for six runs (five earned) on six hits in 6.1 innings, striking out three to one walk.

Jackson received a no-decision, allowing one run on four hits in six innings, striking out eight. Spencer Hale picked up the win, improving to 2-1. Lind had three hits and two RBI. The 1-3 batters in the Paladins lineup accounted for seven RBI.

The Eagles will go for the series win on Saturday (May 17), first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m.

Category: Baseball

Published on Friday, 16 May 2008 00:23