Eagles Win Pitchers Duel

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Georgia Southern pitchers matched a season-low, allowing just one run in a 3-1 win at North Florida Tuesday night (April 1). The Eagles improved to 16-10 overall.

The Eagles took advantage of three early runs and held off the Ospreys. In fact, the single-digit win was just the second time this year GS won a game scoring less than 10 runs. The one run allowed matched a season-low (1-0 loss in 10 innings at Georgia Tech).

A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) hit a one-out double in the second, giving him 12 straight games with a base hit. He advanced to third on a groundout and scored on Brian Pierce’s (Roswell/Roswell) two-out single.

Ty Wright (Montrose/West Laurens) launched a shot over the scoreboard in left field to start the third inning, his sixth round-tripper of the year to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. David Richardson (Dahlonega/Lumpkin County) walked to chase starter John Frawley. Relief pitcher Jonathan Turner tried a pickoff throw over to first but it sailed past Andy Warren allowing Richardson to advance to third. He scored on Griffin Benedict’s (Dunwoody/St. Pius) sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead.

Travis Martin hit a two-out home run in the fourth off Michael Hester (Evans/Greenbrier). In the fifth UNF got a leadoff single. Hester struck out Robbie Collier but issued consecutive walks to load the bases. Head coach Rodney Hennon brought in A.J. Gilbert (Marietta/Kell). The sophomore left-hander worked out of the jam by getting a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play.

The Ospreys put two more runners on base with one down in the sixth. Gilbert took advantage of another groundball to Pierce at shortstop for an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play, the second of three turned by the Eagles defense.

Blake Nation (Brooks/Starr’s Mill) came on with two down in the eighth and used one pitch to get out of the inning, stranding a runner on second. The Ospreys (15-12) put runners on the corners with two outs in the ninth but Nation got a force out to end the game.

“Once the game started I just went out and tried to throw strikes and didn’t feel nervous at all (in first collegiate start). My goal tonight was to go out, throw strikes and try to get ahead of the hitters. Gilbert, Strohecker and Nation did a great job in relief tonight to finish off the win,” said Hester.

Wright and Wirnsberger each finished with two of the team’s seven hits. However, Jeremy Beckham (Griffin/Griffin) saw his 11-game hitting streak end going 0-for-3. Hester (1-0) earned the win, allowing one run on three hits. Gilbert, Charlie Strohecker (Alpharetta/Milton) and Nation combined to blank UNF from the fifth inning on.

Frawley (0-1) was charged for three runs (two earned) on three hits in two innings. Chad Knight had three hits and Martin added two.

Category: Baseball

Published on Tuesday, 01 April 2008 00:12