Baseball Loses in Ninth Inning to App State

STATESBORO, Ga. – Georgia Southern gave up a pair of ninth inning runs, losing 5-3 to Appalachian State Saturday night (April 12). An announced crowd of 2,495 – the third-largest crowd in J.I. Clements Stadium history watched the Southern Conference contest.

Wes Hobson led off the ninth with a single off Blake Nation (Brooks/Starr’s Mill). Rand Smith hit a potential double play ball but the relay throw to first sailed past Jeremiah Parker (Carrollton/Carrollton) and Smith advanced to second. A pinch-hit double by Andrew Franco and RBI single from Adam Beasley proved to be the difference.

Georgia Southern (18-15 overall, 5-6 SoCon) had a chance to break the tie score during the eighth. Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) singled to start the frame and then Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) was hit by a pitch. That brought in Garrett Sherrill from the bullpen. Parker perfectly executed a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. However, Sherrill worked out of the jam with a flyball and grounder to end the inning.

Ty Wright (Montrose/West Laurens) lined a two-out double in the ninth but Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry), the potential tying run, flew out to end the game.

Hobson started the scoring with a 2-run homer in the second inning. In the third Kyle Kamppi (Savannah/Benedictine Military) made quick work of the Mountaineers throwing just six pitches.

GS got on the board in its half. Jeremy Beckham (Griffin/Griffin) lined a single up the middle. He stole second then advanced to third on Wright’s flyball to the warning track. Porter lined a two-out double down the left field line to bring home Beckham.

The Mountaineers (17-19, 2-9) added a sacrifice fly in the fourth for a 3-1 lead. During the fifth A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant), working out of a 1-for-24 slump, hit a solo homer to start the frame. His 10th home run of the year cut the deficit to one.

Shehan and Benedict hit back-to-back doubles to start the sixth, tying the score at 3-all.

Kamppi struck out a career-high seven batters in a career-long six innings pitched. He allowed three runs on six hits and did not walk a batter. Tony Chisman (Conyers/Salem) pitched two hitless innings, striking out three. Nation (1-3) suffered the loss.

Porter tallied three hits and Shehan added two as both teams finished with nine hits.

Sherrill (1-2) gave up the one hit in two innings. Aubrey Edens allowed three runs on six hits in five innings, striking out six. Hobson had three hits and two RBI.

Category: Baseball

Published on Saturday, 12 April 2008 00:08