Eagles Win Game Two Against Furman, Split Doubleheader
5/3/2009 12:34:00 AM | Baseball
STATESBORO, Ga. ? Georgia Southern Baseball lost for the first time all year when leading after seven innings during game one, but rebounded for a game two victory against Furman on Saturday afternoon (May 2) at J.I. Clements Stadium. The Eagles improved to 32-13 overall and 14-7 in the SoCon while Furman dropped to 20-23 and 8-15.
Game 1 ? Furman 11, Georgia Southern 7
Both teams were without a hit until the bottom of the second inning. A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bryant) launched a home run into the trees beyond the left field fence, his seventh homer of the year and first in nearly a month.
The Paladins got a RBI single from Matt Hemingway in the fourth and a sacrifice fly from Will Miller in the fifth. The Eagles took a 2-1 lead in the fourth when Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell) reached on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded.
In the sixth, GS scored three times. Eric Phillips (Carrollton/Carrollton) doubled to start and scored on Phillip Porter's (Marietta/Sprayberry) run scoring single. Kyle Blackburn (Marietta/Walton) ripped a 2-run homer for a 5-2 lead.
Furman erased the lead and took it for good thanks to an eight-run eighth inning, the first time in 24 games the Eagles led after seven innings and did not finish off the win. An error would eventually lead to four unearned runs in the frame. Wirnsberger hammered a 2-run homer in the bottom half of the eighth, the seventh time in his career he recorded a 2-home run game.
Chris Mederos (Valdosta/Gordon College) gave up two runs on four hits in seven innings ? matching the second-longest outing of his career. He walked two and struck out six but received a no-decision. Kyle Kamppi (Savannah/Benedictine) was charged for six runs on four hits but did not record an out in the eighth, falling to 2-2 on the year.
Wirnsberger finished with a season-high three hits in four at-bats, along with three RBI and two runs scored. Blackburn's two hits were a season-high.
Ian Parry gave up five runs on nine hits in six innings of work. Jay Friedman (2-3) earned the win despite allowing a run in an inning.
Hemingway finished with two hits and three RBI. Brian Harrison added two hits and scored three times.
Game 2 ? Georgia Southern 14, Furman 2
Junior Jake Brown (Forest Hill, MD/Pitt CC) pitched the team's first nine-inning complete game in two years, leading the Eagles to a win in the nightcap.
Phillips lined a RBI double in the first inning, then with two runners on Porter hammered a 3-run blast to straightaway centerfield. He regained the team home run lead with his ninth on the year.
In the second, the Eagles loaded the bases with two outs. Phillips ripped a 2-run single to left field then Porter followed with a RBI single making it 7-0.
Randy J. Williams (Valdosta/Andrew College) hit a 2-run homer to centerfield in the fifth, then Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) launched a solo homer to start off the sixth inning, a 10-0 lead.
Furman had not gotten a base hit off Brown since back-to-back singles in the first inning. During the seventh Brown gave up a leadoff walk then RBI double to Miller. J.B. Jenkins added a RBI single but that would be the last hit Brown allowed.
The Eagles got those runs back and more in their half of the seventh. Ty Wright (Montrose/ABAC) reached on an infield single, scoring Williams. After an error and walk loaded the bases, Phillips ripped a bases-clearing triple down the left field line. His first collegiate triple not only matched a season-high in hits but improved on his RBI season-high total.
“Today I just wanted to put the ball in play and try to make things happen. I've tried to keep that same approach,” said Phillips. “(In between games) Coach told us to forget about the previous game, and come out and win this one. This win in game two was huge. Now we can carry the momentum over and go for a series win tomorrow.”
Phillips finished with six hits on the day and three runs scored to go with his six RBI. Porter recorded two hits in game two and set a new high with four RBI as the Eagles out-hit Furman 16-4.
Bowles finished with three hits and three runs scored. Benedict scored four times and Pierce added two hits in the win.
Brown scattered the two runs on four hits. He walked three and struck out five in the longest outing of his collegiate career, improving to 5-3.
Kevin Gaid (0-1) was charged for seven runs on six hits in 1.2 innings. Four different Paladins recorded a base hit.
The Eagles go for the series win on Sunday afternoon (May 3), first pitch scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
