Eagles Erase Early Deficit but Fall to Mountaineers in Finale
3/14/2010 10:07:00 PM | Baseball
STATESBORO, GA - Georgia Southern erased an early nine-run deficit before giving up four late-inning runs that allowed Appalachian State to escape with a 16-12 win in a Southern Conference game on Sunday (March 14) at J.I. Clements Stadium.
The Mountaineers (11-2, 1-2) took an 11-2 lead into the bottom of the third inning, but the Eagles (8-8, 2-1) stormed back to tie the game at 12 in the fifth.
Appalachian State regained the lead with an unearned run in the top of the seventh and then added three insurance runs in the final two innings to salvage the finale of the three-game series.
A crowd of 1,855 watched as the two teams combined to use 11 pitchers who surrendered 28 runs on 33 hits, 14 of them for extra-bases. There were also 13 walks, four hit batters and six errors that resulted in six unearned runs.
Georgia Southern collected 15 hits off of four Mountaineer pitchers, who issued three walks and hit four batters. Kyle Blackburn (Marietta, Ga.) was 4-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs and Shawn Payne (Stone Mountain, Ga.) was 4-for-6 with an RBI and three runs.
Meanwhile, Appalachian State had 18 hits and drew 10 walks from seven Eagle pitchers. Jerod Faggart was 4-for-6 with two solo homers and four runs to pace the Mountaineers.
After dropping a doubleheader on Saturday (March 13), Appalachian State went through four Eagle pitchers in the first three innings. During that span, the Mountaineers sent 27 men to the plate and scored 11 runs (nine earned) on nine hits, seven walks and two errors.
Trailing 11-2, Georgia Southern batted around and scored four runs on four hits in the bottom of the third. Blackburn had a two-run double, Steve Cochrane (Mooresville, N.C.) had a sacrifice fly and Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) had an RBI double as the Eagles cut Appalachian State's lead to 11-6.
Faggart's second homer put the Mountaineers up 12-6 in the fourth, but Georgia Southern sent 11 men to the plate and scored six runs on six hits in the fifth. Blackburn had two hits in the inning, which also featured a three-run double from Arthur Owens (Fayetteville, Ga.). Victor Roache (Ypsilanti, Mich.) drew a bases-loaded walk, Payne had an RBI triple and Kevin Bowles (Statesboro, Ga.) contributed a one-run single as the Eagles knotted the score at 12.
Appalachian State's Jeremy Dowdy led off the top of the seventh with a single and then scored all the way from first when the Eagles misplayed Ryan Stetson's single to left field. David Towarnicky added a two-run single in the eighth and the Mountaineers posted an unearned run in the ninth.
Georgia Southern had runners on first and second with two out in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings, but Appalachian State closer Chris Patterson escaped trouble each time to earn his sixth save of the season.
Taylor Miler (3-0), the Mountaineers' third pitcher of the game, worked 1.1 scoreless innings for the win. He allowed two hits with no strikeouts or walks. He hit two batters.
Charles Matthews (0-1), an Athens, Ga., native, the Eagles' sixth pitcher of the day, was charged with the loss. In 1.1 innings, he gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits with no strikeouts or walks.
Appalachian State sent 11 men to the plate and scored five runs on six hits and an error in the top of the first. The Mountaineers opened the inning with two singles and two doubles. Georgia Southern starter Trent Franzago (Bryon, Ga.) lasted just one-third of an inning, giving up five runs (four earned) on five hits.
Blackburn had an RBI single in the bottom of the first as the Eagles took advantage of two Appalachian State errors to score two unearned runs. The Mountaineers added two runs in the second and five more in the third for an 11-2 lead.
Six different Appalachian State players had at least two hits apiece. Doug Jones was 3-for-5 three RBIs and a run, Stetson was 3-for-6 with two runs, Wes Hobson was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and four runs, Towarnicky was 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a run, and Dowdy was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs.
Bowles and Phillips were both 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run.
Georgia Southern will start a five-game road trip at Kennesaw State on Tuesday (March 16) at 6 p.m. The Eagles will return home on March 23 to face South Carolina at 7 p.m.
The Mountaineers (11-2, 1-2) took an 11-2 lead into the bottom of the third inning, but the Eagles (8-8, 2-1) stormed back to tie the game at 12 in the fifth.
Appalachian State regained the lead with an unearned run in the top of the seventh and then added three insurance runs in the final two innings to salvage the finale of the three-game series.
A crowd of 1,855 watched as the two teams combined to use 11 pitchers who surrendered 28 runs on 33 hits, 14 of them for extra-bases. There were also 13 walks, four hit batters and six errors that resulted in six unearned runs.
Georgia Southern collected 15 hits off of four Mountaineer pitchers, who issued three walks and hit four batters. Kyle Blackburn (Marietta, Ga.) was 4-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs and Shawn Payne (Stone Mountain, Ga.) was 4-for-6 with an RBI and three runs.
Meanwhile, Appalachian State had 18 hits and drew 10 walks from seven Eagle pitchers. Jerod Faggart was 4-for-6 with two solo homers and four runs to pace the Mountaineers.
After dropping a doubleheader on Saturday (March 13), Appalachian State went through four Eagle pitchers in the first three innings. During that span, the Mountaineers sent 27 men to the plate and scored 11 runs (nine earned) on nine hits, seven walks and two errors.
Trailing 11-2, Georgia Southern batted around and scored four runs on four hits in the bottom of the third. Blackburn had a two-run double, Steve Cochrane (Mooresville, N.C.) had a sacrifice fly and Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) had an RBI double as the Eagles cut Appalachian State's lead to 11-6.
Faggart's second homer put the Mountaineers up 12-6 in the fourth, but Georgia Southern sent 11 men to the plate and scored six runs on six hits in the fifth. Blackburn had two hits in the inning, which also featured a three-run double from Arthur Owens (Fayetteville, Ga.). Victor Roache (Ypsilanti, Mich.) drew a bases-loaded walk, Payne had an RBI triple and Kevin Bowles (Statesboro, Ga.) contributed a one-run single as the Eagles knotted the score at 12.
Appalachian State's Jeremy Dowdy led off the top of the seventh with a single and then scored all the way from first when the Eagles misplayed Ryan Stetson's single to left field. David Towarnicky added a two-run single in the eighth and the Mountaineers posted an unearned run in the ninth.
Georgia Southern had runners on first and second with two out in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings, but Appalachian State closer Chris Patterson escaped trouble each time to earn his sixth save of the season.
Taylor Miler (3-0), the Mountaineers' third pitcher of the game, worked 1.1 scoreless innings for the win. He allowed two hits with no strikeouts or walks. He hit two batters.
Charles Matthews (0-1), an Athens, Ga., native, the Eagles' sixth pitcher of the day, was charged with the loss. In 1.1 innings, he gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits with no strikeouts or walks.
Appalachian State sent 11 men to the plate and scored five runs on six hits and an error in the top of the first. The Mountaineers opened the inning with two singles and two doubles. Georgia Southern starter Trent Franzago (Bryon, Ga.) lasted just one-third of an inning, giving up five runs (four earned) on five hits.
Blackburn had an RBI single in the bottom of the first as the Eagles took advantage of two Appalachian State errors to score two unearned runs. The Mountaineers added two runs in the second and five more in the third for an 11-2 lead.
Six different Appalachian State players had at least two hits apiece. Doug Jones was 3-for-5 three RBIs and a run, Stetson was 3-for-6 with two runs, Wes Hobson was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and four runs, Towarnicky was 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a run, and Dowdy was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs.
Bowles and Phillips were both 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run.
Georgia Southern will start a five-game road trip at Kennesaw State on Tuesday (March 16) at 6 p.m. The Eagles will return home on March 23 to face South Carolina at 7 p.m.
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