Parker's Walk-Off Single Sends Eagles to 6-5 Win
5/4/2008 4:13:00 AM | Baseball
STATESBORO, Ga. ? With the bases loaded and one out in the ninth Jeremiah Parker (Carrollton/Carrollton) hit a grounder down the third base line. Ty Wright (Montrose/West Laurens) slid and beat Matt Arnold’s throw home as Georgia Southern pulled out a 6-5 Southern Conference win over The Citadel. The Eagles (28-19 overall, 12-9 SoCon) took 2-of-3 from the Bulldogs over the weekend.
Wright was hit by a Matt Reifsnider (4-4) pitch to start the ninth. Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry) sacrificed Wright to second then Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) was intentionally walked. Matt Crim, the Friday night starter, walked Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) to load the bases. Parker hit a soft grounder down the third base line. Wright broke for home and on the slide was called safe by home plate umpire Ed Haggray.
Down 5-2 in the ninth, The Citadel used an error and single to bring Richard Jones to the plate. He took a Blake Nation (Brooks/Starr’s Mill) pitch over the centerfield fence to tie the game. With runners at the corners and two outs, Nation got Kyle Jordan on a lineout to end the frame.
The Eagles struck first, the first time in the series doing so. A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) reached on a fielder’s choice in the second. David Richardson (Dahlonega/Lumpkin County) hammered a 2-1 pitch off the batters eye in centerfield. His second home run of the series and ninth overall made it 2-0. For the second straight game Richardson extended his hitting streak on a home run, now at 13 games.
Shehan singled up the middle with one down in the third. Benedict reached on a throwing error by second baseman Conrad Kellahan, which moved Shehan to third. Parker singled home Shehan then Wirnsberger brought home Benedict on a single to centerfield.
Jones put the Bulldogs on the board, hitting a one-out solo home run in the fourth. The Eagles got that run back in their half of the fifth thanks to two-out hitting. Parker doubled down the left field line. Wirnsberger singled to left. Brian Shubsda’s throw was high, allowing Parker to slide under catcher Sid Fallaw to make it 5-1.
The Citadel threatened in the seventh. After Andy Moye (Alpharetta/Alpharetta) retired the first two batters, consecutive singles put the first two batters of the lineup on board. Head coach Rodney Hennon brought in Tony Chisman (Conyers/Salem). Sonny Meade hit a RBI single then a hit batter loaded the bases. Nation needed just one pitch to get Chris McGuiness on a grounder to Parker at first base and end the threat.
In the eighth Citadel got back-to-back singles to start. Nation recovered by striking out the side swinging.
Parker, who recorded his first career walk-off hit, finished 3-for-3 with two RBI. Wirnsberger added two hits and two RBI. Richardson also drove in two runs.
Moye turned in a season-best performance, striking out a season-high eight batters in 6.2 innings, his longest outing of the year. He 
allowed two runs on seven hits. Nation (3-3) gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits in 2.1 innings.
Sonny Meade finished with three hits for The Citadel (24-23, 12-12).
The Eagles continue an eight-game stretch at home on Monday afternoon (May 5), playing host to Mercer. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
