Moye, Bowles Lead Eagles to 4-2 Win Over Jacksonville
4/16/2009 2:01:00 AM | Baseball
STATESBORO, Ga. ? Andy Moye (Alpharetta/Alpharetta) pitched seven strong innings and Kevin Bowles (Statesboro/Statesboro) delivered the eventual game-winning hit, leading Georgia Southern to a 4-2 non-conference win over Jacksonville Wednesday night (April 15) at J.I. Clements Stadium. The 27th-ranked Eagles improved to 25-9 overall, despite only three base hits.
JU (23-11) held a 2-1 lead in the seventh and threatened for more. After Moye hit Chris Connelly with one out, the sophomore rebounded to strikeout Jamaal Hawkins looking. On a throw over to first, Moye's throw sailed down the first base line, allowing Connelly to third. Moye responded by getting Kyle Fleming on a groundout to end the threat. The Eagles then manufactured a pair of runs which proved to be the game-winner.
Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell) drew a one-out walk then Jonathan King (Athens, TN/Young Harris) was hit by a Clay Kollenbaum pitch. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch then on a 1-1 count Bowles dropped a 2-run single into shallow centerfield.
The Eagles got an insurance run in the eighth. Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry) drew a leadoff walk then a throwing error by pitcher Chris Kaminski towards second base on Will Southwell's (Moultrie/Colquitt County) third sacrifice bunt of the game put Porter in scoring position. A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bryant) dropped a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. With the infield drawn in, Pierce hit a grounder to shortstop Hawkins but it was just enough to allow Porter to score for the final margin.
Kyle Kamppi (Savannah/Benedictine) worked around a two-out infield single by Hawkins to earn his sixth save. With nine career saves, Kamppi now ranks ninth on the Georgia Southern all-time list.
In the second inning GS struck first. Eric Phillips (Carrollton/Carrollton) reached on a throwing error by Hawkins to start. Porter walked then Southwell executed a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Carson Andrew uncorked a wild pitch which allowed Phillips to score.
Alex Martinez hit a two-out, 2-run homer in the fourth to give the Dolphins a 2-1 lead. Andrew and Kyle Kriech held the Eagles in check through six, both allowing just one hit.
“My fastball came out really well tonight and I was hitting my locations, now I can go out and build on this performance and throw like I know I can. You have to credit our defense as well, they have played great day in and day out,” said Moye. “After I threw the ball away (in the seventh, allowing a runner to advance to third), I knew I had to bear down and get the final out to give our team a chance... This is another confidence-building win heading into a key Southern Conference series this weekend.”
Moye (4-0) gave up two runs on five hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out seven. The innings pitched was the second-longest outing of his career while the seven Ks tied for third-best. Colin Snow (Alpharetta/Alpharetta) worked out of a two-on jam in the eighth, getting a line drive to end the frame.
Bowles, King and Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) accounted for the hits. Benedict extended his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games. However, Ty Wright (Montrose/ABAC), who hit a line drive right at third baseman Glen Johnson to start the game, and Pierce had their streaks end at 16 and 10 games, respectively.
Kollenbaum (1-1) was charged for two runs on one hit as the JU pitching staff hit two batters and walked six Eagles. Johnson had two of the team's seven hits.
The Eagles return to Southern Conference play this weekend, playing host to Davidson. First pitch on Friday night (April 17) is scheduled for 7 p.m.
