Offense Keys Sweep of Wofford
4/27/2008 4:24:00 AM | Baseball
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? A day of offensive highlights keyed Georgia Southern's sweep of Wofford Sunday afternoon (April 27), winning 12-6 and 19-12 at Russell King Field. Following the Southern Conference sweep, the Eagles improved to 25-18 overall and 10-8 in the league.
Head coach Rodney Hennon picked up his 400th career victory following the game one win, keyed by a grand slam from Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius). Ty Wright (Montrose/West Laurens) pulled off another impressive feat, hitting for the cycle in four consecutive innings during game two.
Ben Austin would strike out the side in the first inning, but not before Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry) hit a solo home run during the second at-bat. His blast to the left field gap was his fifth homer of the year.
Kyle Kamppi (Savannah/Benedictine Academy) needed just five pitches, including a strikeout of Sterling Dye, to retire the Terriers in the first. Austin struck out the side again, benefitting from two check-swing third strikes, in the second then Keith Munns lined a RBI single in the Terriers' half to tie the score.
GS quickly regained the lead in the third. Kevin Bowles (Statesboro/Statesboro) drew a leadoff walk. Wright ripped a single back up the middle then Porter drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Two batters later Benedict nailed his first career grand slam, a shot to the right field gap. His 10th round-tripper of the year made it 5-1.
Two batters later A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) hammered a shot to straight away centerfield, his team-leading 15th homer. David Richardson (Dahlonega/Lumpkin County) hit a two-out double and scored on Brian Pierce's (Roswell/Roswell) single as the Eagles batted around for a 7-1 lead.
Josh McKinney led off the third with his second homer of the series to make it 7-2.
The Eagles plated two more runs in the sixth. Porter singled to start the sixth. He stole second then on ball four to Benedict stole third. On the play Munns' throw to third sailed into left field allowing Porter to score. Two batters later Wirnsberger ripped a RBI triple to the right field gap.
A passed ball on strike three with two outs in the sixth allowed Kyle Behrendt to score from third. Sterling Dye hit a leadoff homer in the seventh to make it 9-4.
An error and two doubles led to three more runs in the Eagles' half of the eighth. Porter drew a leadoff walk and Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) reached on Michael Gilmartin's error, putting runners at second and third. They scored on Benedict's double. Pinch-runner Jake Ware (Statesboro/Statesboro) came home on Jeremiah Parker's (Carrollton/Carrollton) RBI double.
Gilmartin hit a 2-run homer in the ninth for the final margin.
Porter had two hits and matched a career-high of four runs scored. Benedict set a personal-best with six RBI. Wirnsberger and Richardson had two hits apiece.
Kamppi improved to 4-2 on the year allowing three runs (two earned) off seven hits. He matched his career-high of six innings pitched, striking out four. Tony Chisman (Conyers/Salem) worked the final three innings for his first collegiate save.
Austin (4-4) was charged for seven runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings. He walked five and struck out a career-high 10 batters.
The Eagles used two hits and two errors to plate four runs right off the bat in game two. After Wright hit a leadoff single he stole second. The throw from Munns sailed down to second and no one covered, allowing Wright to go to third. Shehan was at the plate with a 1-1 count when the umpires called a halt to the game after spotting lightning. After a nearly 45-minute rain delay Shehan walked. Benedict followed with a walk then Parker reached on Shane Kirkley's fielding error. Richardson lined a two-out single to right scoring two.
That would be the first of four consecutive innings the Eagles scored.
Wofford (20-25, 4-14) hit three consecutive doubles to start its half of the first, cutting the Eagles' lead in half. Wright launched a 2-run homer off the scoreboard in the second then Porter followed with a solo shot. Richardson added a RBI single later in the frame.
In the third Wright added a RBI triple. During the next frame he accomplished the rare feat during the fourth, but it was the second time this month an Eagle hit for the cycle in consecutive innings (Richardson at College of Charleston). The junior DH lined a 2-run double to center to cap a 5-run frame.
The Eagles batted around in the seventh, sending 11 to the plate. Richardson hit a 2-run double then Pierce delivered a sacrifice fly. Bowles and Porter hit RBI singles to make it 19-9.
Wofford followed suit scoring runs in each of the first five innings, cutting the Eagles' lead to five, but the pitching staff blanked the Terriers in the sixth and seventh. A 3-run homer by Mo Seay capped the Terriers' scoring.
Wright finished 5-for-5 with a hit by pitch before being lifted in the ninth for a pinch-hitter. His career-high hit total was one shy of tying the GS single-game hits record. He scored three times and drove in five.
“I knew going into the last at-bat I needed a double. I got a pitch I could drive and as soon as it went to the gap I was going for two,” said Wright. “This was a big conference series sweep for us as we return home for a nice homestand.”
Richardson added four hits in six at-bats with two runs and career-high tying five RBI. Bowles recorded career-highs of three hits and four runs scored.
Aaron Eubanks (Moultrie/Colquitt County) picked up the win in relief, improving to 5-1. Andy Moye (Alpharetta/Alpharetta) gave up four runs on eight hits in 2.1 innings.
Behrendt went 5-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBI. Tom Dolinak (2-1) allowed 10 runs ? seven earned ? on 10 hits in three innings.
The Eagles return to J.I. Clements Stadium to begin an eight-game homestand, playing host to Jacksonville Wednesday night (April 30). First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
-GS-
Head coach Rodney Hennon picked up his 400th career victory following the game one win, keyed by a grand slam from Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius). Ty Wright (Montrose/West Laurens) pulled off another impressive feat, hitting for the cycle in four consecutive innings during game two.
Ben Austin would strike out the side in the first inning, but not before Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry) hit a solo home run during the second at-bat. His blast to the left field gap was his fifth homer of the year.
Kyle Kamppi (Savannah/Benedictine Academy) needed just five pitches, including a strikeout of Sterling Dye, to retire the Terriers in the first. Austin struck out the side again, benefitting from two check-swing third strikes, in the second then Keith Munns lined a RBI single in the Terriers' half to tie the score.
GS quickly regained the lead in the third. Kevin Bowles (Statesboro/Statesboro) drew a leadoff walk. Wright ripped a single back up the middle then Porter drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Two batters later Benedict nailed his first career grand slam, a shot to the right field gap. His 10th round-tripper of the year made it 5-1.
Two batters later A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) hammered a shot to straight away centerfield, his team-leading 15th homer. David Richardson (Dahlonega/Lumpkin County) hit a two-out double and scored on Brian Pierce's (Roswell/Roswell) single as the Eagles batted around for a 7-1 lead.
Josh McKinney led off the third with his second homer of the series to make it 7-2.
The Eagles plated two more runs in the sixth. Porter singled to start the sixth. He stole second then on ball four to Benedict stole third. On the play Munns' throw to third sailed into left field allowing Porter to score. Two batters later Wirnsberger ripped a RBI triple to the right field gap.
A passed ball on strike three with two outs in the sixth allowed Kyle Behrendt to score from third. Sterling Dye hit a leadoff homer in the seventh to make it 9-4.
An error and two doubles led to three more runs in the Eagles' half of the eighth. Porter drew a leadoff walk and Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) reached on Michael Gilmartin's error, putting runners at second and third. They scored on Benedict's double. Pinch-runner Jake Ware (Statesboro/Statesboro) came home on Jeremiah Parker's (Carrollton/Carrollton) RBI double.
Gilmartin hit a 2-run homer in the ninth for the final margin.
Porter had two hits and matched a career-high of four runs scored. Benedict set a personal-best with six RBI. Wirnsberger and Richardson had two hits apiece.
Kamppi improved to 4-2 on the year allowing three runs (two earned) off seven hits. He matched his career-high of six innings pitched, striking out four. Tony Chisman (Conyers/Salem) worked the final three innings for his first collegiate save.
Austin (4-4) was charged for seven runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings. He walked five and struck out a career-high 10 batters.
The Eagles used two hits and two errors to plate four runs right off the bat in game two. After Wright hit a leadoff single he stole second. The throw from Munns sailed down to second and no one covered, allowing Wright to go to third. Shehan was at the plate with a 1-1 count when the umpires called a halt to the game after spotting lightning. After a nearly 45-minute rain delay Shehan walked. Benedict followed with a walk then Parker reached on Shane Kirkley's fielding error. Richardson lined a two-out single to right scoring two.
That would be the first of four consecutive innings the Eagles scored.
Wofford (20-25, 4-14) hit three consecutive doubles to start its half of the first, cutting the Eagles' lead in half. Wright launched a 2-run homer off the scoreboard in the second then Porter followed with a solo shot. Richardson added a RBI single later in the frame.
In the third Wright added a RBI triple. During the next frame he accomplished the rare feat during the fourth, but it was the second time this month an Eagle hit for the cycle in consecutive innings (Richardson at College of Charleston). The junior DH lined a 2-run double to center to cap a 5-run frame.
The Eagles batted around in the seventh, sending 11 to the plate. Richardson hit a 2-run double then Pierce delivered a sacrifice fly. Bowles and Porter hit RBI singles to make it 19-9.
Wofford followed suit scoring runs in each of the first five innings, cutting the Eagles' lead to five, but the pitching staff blanked the Terriers in the sixth and seventh. A 3-run homer by Mo Seay capped the Terriers' scoring.
Wright finished 5-for-5 with a hit by pitch before being lifted in the ninth for a pinch-hitter. His career-high hit total was one shy of tying the GS single-game hits record. He scored three times and drove in five.
“I knew going into the last at-bat I needed a double. I got a pitch I could drive and as soon as it went to the gap I was going for two,” said Wright. “This was a big conference series sweep for us as we return home for a nice homestand.”
Richardson added four hits in six at-bats with two runs and career-high tying five RBI. Bowles recorded career-highs of three hits and four runs scored.
Aaron Eubanks (Moultrie/Colquitt County) picked up the win in relief, improving to 5-1. Andy Moye (Alpharetta/Alpharetta) gave up four runs on eight hits in 2.1 innings.
Behrendt went 5-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBI. Tom Dolinak (2-1) allowed 10 runs ? seven earned ? on 10 hits in three innings.
The Eagles return to J.I. Clements Stadium to begin an eight-game homestand, playing host to Jacksonville Wednesday night (April 30). First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
-GS-
Georgia Southern Football Media Availability (3/3/26)
Tuesday, March 03
The GATA Zone - Women's Basketball Post Season
Tuesday, March 03
2026 Only For Southern
Thursday, February 26
2026 Georgia Southern Football Ticket Video
Wednesday, February 25
