Eagles Split Doubleheader at Kennesaw State
4/30/2009 3:56:00 AM | Baseball
KENNESAW, Ga. ? Georgia Southern's late rally fell short in game one losing 13-10 at Kennesaw State but rebounded for a 12-6 win in the nightcap Wednesday (April 29) at Stillwell Stadium. The Eagles improved to 31-12 overall while Kennesaw State dropped to 25-17.
Game 1
Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry) started the Eagles off with a 2-run single with two down in the first inning. The Owls took advantage of an error and six hits to score five runs and take a 5-2 lead.
Andrew Martin hit a sacrifice fly then Curtis Van Wyck drove in a run on a RBI single. Jon White lined a 2-run double to put the Owls ahead 9-2.
The Eagles loaded the bases in the third with no one out, but a foul pop up and ground ball double play saw GS come away empty. KSU added three more runs, two in the third and another on a sacrifice fly in the fourth, before the Eagles finally responded.
Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) hit a solo homer in the fifth to start the Eagles' scoring. Chris Banker (Martinez/Chattahoochee Valley CC) drew a bases loaded walk then Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell) reached on a fielding error by third baseman Jon White to bring home another run. Ty Wright (Montrose/ABAC) hit his second grand slam of the season, a monster blast to left field, cutting the deficit to three.
Kyle Blackburn (Marietta/Walton) lined a two-out RBI single in the sixth making it a two-run game. Kennesaw added an insurance run in the eighth for the final margin.
Andy Moye (Alpharetta/Alpharetta) suffered his first loss of the year, falling to 5-1. He allowed 11 runs (seven earned) on 12 hits in 2.1 innings, walking four and striking out three. Tony Chisman (Conyers/Salem) allowed one run on just one hit in three innings of relief. Charles Matthews (Athens/Spartanburg Methodist) matched a season-high outing, giving up one run in 2.2 innings.
Benedict had three hits while Kevin Bowles (Statesboro/Statesboro), Porter and Eric Phillips (Carrollton/Carrollton) added two hits apiece.
Sean Fream (1-0) earned the win despite allowing six runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings. Kenny Faulk earned his fourth save. Ric Bishop went 4-for-5 at the plate while Van Wyck, Robbins and White added three hits apiece.
Game 2
Benedict lined a RBI double in the first to score Wright and a 1-0 lead. With the run driven in, Benedict moved into a tie for ninth place on the all-time RBI list.
Two doubles and a single plated the first two Owls in the first inning. Colin Snow (Alpharetta/Alpharetta) worked out of a bases loaded jam, getting a flyball to end the threat.
Kennesaw staged a two-out rally in the third, capped by White's 2-run double extending the lead to 4-1.
Blackburn hammered an opposite field solo home run in the fourth, his fourth homer of the year. The Eagles loaded the bases in the fifth with two outs. A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bryant) lifted a 2-run single over the head of third baseman White to tie the game. In the sixth Jonathan King (Athens, TN/Young Harris) walked and would score on Benedict's RBI double.
The Eagles exploded for seven runs in the seventh inning. Porter hit a towering home run to start the frame, his team-leading eighth round-tripper. King added a 2-run double, Wright followed with a RBI double, Benedict lined a RBI single then Porter added two more RBI on a single to right field, extending the lead to 12-4.
KSU got two of the runs back in the seventh and threatened when it loaded the bases in the eighth off Kyle Kamppi (Savannah/Benedictine). However, the senior right-hander struck out Martin then got a groundout to end the threat.
Michael Hester (Evans/Greenbrier) earned the win in relief pitching 2.2 scoreless innings of relief. He improved to 3-0 overall, giving up one hit, one walk while striking out four. Snow allowed four runs in three innings. Kamppi pitched two scoreless innings to close out the win.
Benedict finished with four hits and seven on the day. He took sole possession of ninth place on the all-time RBI list (174). Porter added three hits and three RBI in the game. Wirnsberger, Pierce and Wright added two hits apiece as the Eagles finished with 16.
Zach Griffith (0-1) gave up four runs in two innings, suffering the loss. Roques finished 4-for-5 in game two.
The Eagles return to J.I. Clements Stadium for a three-game Southern Conference series against Furman. Saturday's (May 2) doubleheader is scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. first pitch.
