STATESBORO, Ga. ? Georgia Southern got two hits apiece from the 2-4 batters in the line-up, but dropped an 11-3 decision to Columbia Sunday afternoon (March 16) at J.I. Clements Stadium. The Eagles fell to 9-8 overall.
Columbia (2-9) plated two runs in the first inning thanks to four singles in the first five at-bats. Andy Moye (Alpharetta/Alpharetta) got a flyout and groundout to end the threat.
Georgia Southern threatened in its half of the first. Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry) singled and Ty Wright (Montrose/West Laurens) was hit by a pitch. Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) lined a RBI double into the left field gap. Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) walked to load the bases. But Lions pitcher Geoff Whitaker worked out of the jam getting two flyballs and a groundout.
The Lions scored three more runs on five hits during the second inning. Wright threw out a runner at the plate trying to score for the first out of the inning. Columbia had four straight hits but the Eagles turned a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play to stop the damage.
Benedict cut into the Lions' lead when he hit his seventh home run of the year, a solo shot in the third inning to make it 5-2.
Columbia got a two-out RBI single in the sixth and seventh inning, extending the lead to 7-2. With a runner at second and two outs, Wright made a catch while slamming into the fence down the left field line to end the inning.
Shehan scored on a RBI groundout by A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) during the Eagles' half of the seventh. However, the Lions scored twice in the eighth and ninth inning for the final margin.
Wright, Shehan and Benedict had two hits apiece for the Eagles. Porter's first inning single extended his hitting streak to a team season-high 11 games.
Moye (2-2) allowed six runs on 12 hits in 5.1 innings. Charlie Strohecker (Alpharetta/Milton) gave up three runs (one earned) on six hits in 2.2 innings. Ryan Steidl (Randolph, N.J./Morris Knolls) allowed two runs in an inning but struck out two.
Whitaker (1-2) allowed two runs on eight hits in six innings. Clay Bartlett pitched the final three innings to earn his first save. Jason Banos had four hits, three RBI and two runs scored.
The four-game series concludes Monday afternoon (March 17), first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m.
