Baseball Drops Doubleheader at Elon

ELON, N.C. – Georgia Southern could not hold onto early leads in both games Sunday (April 6) at Elon, losing 11-10 and 12-8 in Southern Conference play. The Eagles (16-14 overall, 4-5 SoCon) lost for the sixth time in the last seven games, including five straight in league play.

Jeremiah Parker (Carrollton/Carrollton) hit a leadoff home run in the second inning, his sixth homer of the year. A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) followed with a double and eventually scored on Jeremy Beckham’s (Griffin/Griffin) two-out single.

Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) followed Parker’s lead, hammering a shot over the scoreboard in centerfield to start the third. Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) dropped a single in right field. Parker was down 0-2 but Jesse Lewter hit him with a pitch. Wirnsberger hit a sharp grounder to third baseman Bennett Davis, whose throw to second baseman Donny Jobe went wide to load the bases. David Richardson (Dahlonega/Lumpkin County) hit a sacrifice fly for a 4-0 lead.

Elon scored twice in the third when Jobe hit a RBI triple and scored on Davis’ sacrifice fly. However, the Eagles responded in their half of the fourth. Ty Wright (Montrose/West Laurens) hammed a solo shot down the left field line that just stayed fair, his seventh of the year. Singles from Jonathan King (Athens, TN/McMinn County) and Shehan in addition to Benedict getting hit by a pitch loaded the bases. Parker delivered a 2-run single for a 7-2 lead.

The Phoenix scored two more in the fourth. Dallas Tarleton hit a RBI double then Pat Irvine hit a run-scoring single.

GS loaded the bases on a single, walk and intentional walk to Shehan. Benedict brought home another run on a walk but a flyball ended the scoring threat. Elon took advantage of a single and two walks by Justin Davis (Pulaksi/Metter) to load the bases with one out. Neal Pritchard hit the first grand slam by a GS opponent this year to tie the score.

Jobe hit a RBI double with one down in the sixth to put the Phoenix ahead 9-8. The Eagles took advantage of an error and two wild pitches by Jared Kernodle to take the lead. Kernodle entered the game having allowed just two runs on the year and one wild pitch. Richardson reached on a one-out walk and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell) reached on a fielder’s choice and scored on Wright’s groundout. The Phoenix scored once in the eighth to tie the game then scored a walk-off hit in the ninth.

Cory Harrilchak reached on a leadoff single in the ninth, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and eventually scored the game-winner on Tarleton’s RBI double.

Kyle Kamppi (Savannah/Benedictine Academy) gave up four runs on six hits in four innings, striking out a career-high five. Tony Chisman (Conyers/Salem) struck out the side in the seventh. Blake Nation (Brooks/Starr’s Mill) suffered the loss, falling to 1-2, after allowing two runs on three hits in 1.1 innings.

The Eagles jumped on Lewter for six runs (five earned) in 3.1 innings. Thomas Girdwood (1-0) picked up the final out of the ninth to earn the win.

Wright hit his fourth leadoff home run to start game two. Richardson singled, went to second on Shehan’s hit by pitch and scored on Benedict’s RBI single.

Elon scored four runs with two outs off Andy Moye (Alpharetta/Alpharetta) in the first. After a hit batter and walk to start the frame, Moye battled back for an infield popup and strikeout. But Harrilchak hit a 3-run homer. Pritchard hit a RBI single three batters later for a 4-2 lead.

The Phoenix (25-7, 10-2) plated four more runs in the third inning, two coming off Pritchard’s home run, then three additional runs in the sixth all coming with two outs.

A two-out rally by the Eagles in the seventh helped cut into the deficit. Shehan ripped a RBI single up the middle. Later in the frame Kyle Blackburn (Marietta/Walton) lined a RBI single then two batters later Pierce hit a 2-run double into the left field gap to make it 11-6.

After Elon scored another run in the seventh, Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry) hit a 2-run pinch-hit single down the right field line in the eighth. Roman Grimaldi (Duluth/Northview) made his first collegiate pitching appearance and threw a scoreless eighth inning.

Richardson finished with five hits, including matching a career-high four in the nightcap. Shehan added four hits in the opener, five in all on the day. Wright scored four runs and hit two homers. Moye (2-3) allowed seven runs on six hits in 2.1 innings to suffer the loss.

Daniel Britt (3-1) earned the win despite allowing six runs on 12 hits in 6.2 innings. Harrilchak had three hits in the nightcap, six on the day.

Category: Baseball

Published on Sunday, 06 April 2008 00:08