Baseball Drops Finale at Appalachian State
3/22/2009 4:21:00 AM | Baseball
BOONE, N.C. ? Freshman Matt Murray (Spring City, PA/Owen Roberts) pitched a season-high 7.1 innings but lost the pitching duel as Georgia Southern dropped a 3-1 decision at Appalachian State Sunday afternoon (March 22). The Eagles (16-4 overall, 3-1 Southern Conference) finish the 10-day Spring Break trip 4-2 and won their second straight SoCon series.
For the third straight game, Appalachian State (7-14, 2-9) struck first during the first inning. Rand Smith singled and would eventually score on a groundout. In the third Smith reached again, this time on a throwing error. He took third on a single and scored on a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.
Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry) reached to start the fourth. Consecutive singles by Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) and Ty Wright (Montrose/ABAC) scored Porter.
Benedict threw out his second runner (in as many innings) trying to steal for the second out of the sixth inning. During that same at-bat Jerod Faggart hooked a Murray pitch just inside the left field foul pole for a 3-1 lead.
The Eagles put a runner on base in the seventh, eighth and ninth inning but could not complete the comeback and a weekend sweep.
Murray (1-1) went a season-high 7.1 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits. He walked four and struck out two. Kyle Kamppi (Savannah/Benedictine), making his third appearance of the weekend, recorded the final two outs of the eighth.
“We got a good effort from Matt Murray and Kyle Kamppi out of the bullpen. We just couldn't get enough going offensively and didn't put a whole lot of pressure on their pitcher or defense all day,” said head coach Rodney Hennon. “You can tip your hat to (Josh) Dowdy, he pitched a heck of a game for them today.”
Eric Phillips (Carrollton/Carrollton) had two of the team's seven hits, a single in the seventh and ninth inning.
Dowdy (2-2) gave up one unearned run on five hits in six innings, before coming out of the game in the seventh after suffering an injury. Chris Patterson and Zach Quate (second save) pitched three scoreless innings of relief.
Harrow drove in two runs and Smith scored twice.
The Eagles return to J.I. Clements Stadium on Tuesday evening (March 24), playing host to Kennesaw State. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
