Eagles Bounce Spartans, 8-3
3/27/2010 11:06:00 PM | Baseball
STATESBORO, Ga. - Georgia Southern's Matt Murray pitched seven-plus innings and A.J. Wirnsberger hit a two-run homer as the Eagles defeated UNC Greensboro 8-3 in a Southern Conference game on Saturday (March 27) at J.I. Clements Stadium.
Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) was 2-for-3 with three RBI to lead the Eagles, who were clinging to a 4-3 lead before posting four insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Georgia Southern improved to 13-11 overall and 6-2 in the conference with its second consecutive win. The Spartans dropped to 11-11 and 0-5 with their sixth straight loss.
Murray (3-1), a Spring City, Pa., native opened the game with 4.2 perfect innings, retiring the first 14 batters consecutively. Murray finished the game allowing three earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts, no walks and one hit batter. Relievers Dexter Bobo (Cumming, Ga.) and Colin Snow (Alpharetta, Ga.) worked two perfect innings to close out the game for the Eagles.
“I was proud of Matt [Murray]. After kind of a rough outing last week (against Wofford), it was good to see him bounce back and pick himself up today,” said head coach Rodney Hennon. “We got him some runs early which I thought was big. He did a nice job for us, and I thought both of the guys who came out of the bullpen did a nice job as well.”
Meanwhile, Georgia Southern collected eight hits and drew seven walks from four Spartan pitchers, who also hit four batters.
A crowd of 1,529 watched as the Eagles jumped out to a quick lead in the bottom of the first. Kyle Blackburn (Marietta, Ga.) drew a two-out walk and Wirnsberger followed with his team-leading eighth home run of the season, a blast that cleared the fence just to the left of the scoreboard in left-center field.
After Steve Cochrane (Mooresville, N.C.) walked and stole second, Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) delivered an RBI single to put Georgia Southern up 3-0.
The Eagles added another run and chased Spartan starter Tyler Hollstegge in the bottom of the fourth. Michael Burruss (Marietta, Ga.) led off with a single and advanced to second on a passed ball. The redshirt-freshman then moved to third on Roman Grimaldi's (Duluth, Ga.) groundout to the first baseman before scoring on an Arthur Owens' (Fayetteville, Ga.) sacrifice fly to right field.
Murray retired the first 14 batters he faced on six strikeouts, five grounders and three fly balls. With two out in the top of the fifth, Zach Leach lined a 0-1 pitch into the left field for UNCG's first hit of the day. Drew Gehringer followed with an infield single that put runners on first and second, but Murray got a groundball to the third baseman to end the inning.
Trailing 4-0, the Spartans scored their first two runs in the top of the sixth. Kris Richard led off the inning with his first home run of the season and Joey Frabasile added an RBI groundout to the shortstop.
After Richards led off the top of the eighth with a double, Murray gave way to Bobo. Richards moved to third on a balk before Bobo got the first out of the inning on a comebacker to the mound. Harry Slade followed with an RBI groundball to the second baseman and the next batter flew out to center field to end the inning.
With its lead cut to 4-3, Georgia Southern batted around in the bottom of the eighth. Shawn Payne (Stone Mountain, Ga.) led off with a single, stole second, and advanced to third on Grimaldi's sacrifice bunt. Owens was hit by a pitch before Kevin Bowles (Statesboro, Ga.) beat out a bunt single that scored Payne.
After Blackburn walked to load the bases, Wirnsberger lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to plate Owens. Phillips followed with a groundball to the shortstop, but his throw to the second baseman for the force out sailed into right field, allowing two unearned runs to score, pushing the score out to 8-3.
Snow pitched the ninth inning and retired the side in order on a strikeout and two groundballs to the third baseman.
Hollstegge (0-2) was charged with the loss. In 3.2 innings, he allowed four runs (all earned) on four hits with two strikeouts, four walks and two hit batters.
With inclement weather expected in the Statesboro area late tomorrow, the teams moved the finale game up to a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday (March 28).
Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) was 2-for-3 with three RBI to lead the Eagles, who were clinging to a 4-3 lead before posting four insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Georgia Southern improved to 13-11 overall and 6-2 in the conference with its second consecutive win. The Spartans dropped to 11-11 and 0-5 with their sixth straight loss.
Murray (3-1), a Spring City, Pa., native opened the game with 4.2 perfect innings, retiring the first 14 batters consecutively. Murray finished the game allowing three earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts, no walks and one hit batter. Relievers Dexter Bobo (Cumming, Ga.) and Colin Snow (Alpharetta, Ga.) worked two perfect innings to close out the game for the Eagles.
“I was proud of Matt [Murray]. After kind of a rough outing last week (against Wofford), it was good to see him bounce back and pick himself up today,” said head coach Rodney Hennon. “We got him some runs early which I thought was big. He did a nice job for us, and I thought both of the guys who came out of the bullpen did a nice job as well.”
Meanwhile, Georgia Southern collected eight hits and drew seven walks from four Spartan pitchers, who also hit four batters.
A crowd of 1,529 watched as the Eagles jumped out to a quick lead in the bottom of the first. Kyle Blackburn (Marietta, Ga.) drew a two-out walk and Wirnsberger followed with his team-leading eighth home run of the season, a blast that cleared the fence just to the left of the scoreboard in left-center field.
After Steve Cochrane (Mooresville, N.C.) walked and stole second, Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) delivered an RBI single to put Georgia Southern up 3-0.
The Eagles added another run and chased Spartan starter Tyler Hollstegge in the bottom of the fourth. Michael Burruss (Marietta, Ga.) led off with a single and advanced to second on a passed ball. The redshirt-freshman then moved to third on Roman Grimaldi's (Duluth, Ga.) groundout to the first baseman before scoring on an Arthur Owens' (Fayetteville, Ga.) sacrifice fly to right field.
Murray retired the first 14 batters he faced on six strikeouts, five grounders and three fly balls. With two out in the top of the fifth, Zach Leach lined a 0-1 pitch into the left field for UNCG's first hit of the day. Drew Gehringer followed with an infield single that put runners on first and second, but Murray got a groundball to the third baseman to end the inning.
Trailing 4-0, the Spartans scored their first two runs in the top of the sixth. Kris Richard led off the inning with his first home run of the season and Joey Frabasile added an RBI groundout to the shortstop.
After Richards led off the top of the eighth with a double, Murray gave way to Bobo. Richards moved to third on a balk before Bobo got the first out of the inning on a comebacker to the mound. Harry Slade followed with an RBI groundball to the second baseman and the next batter flew out to center field to end the inning.
With its lead cut to 4-3, Georgia Southern batted around in the bottom of the eighth. Shawn Payne (Stone Mountain, Ga.) led off with a single, stole second, and advanced to third on Grimaldi's sacrifice bunt. Owens was hit by a pitch before Kevin Bowles (Statesboro, Ga.) beat out a bunt single that scored Payne.
After Blackburn walked to load the bases, Wirnsberger lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to plate Owens. Phillips followed with a groundball to the shortstop, but his throw to the second baseman for the force out sailed into right field, allowing two unearned runs to score, pushing the score out to 8-3.
Snow pitched the ninth inning and retired the side in order on a strikeout and two groundballs to the third baseman.
Hollstegge (0-2) was charged with the loss. In 3.2 innings, he allowed four runs (all earned) on four hits with two strikeouts, four walks and two hit batters.
With inclement weather expected in the Statesboro area late tomorrow, the teams moved the finale game up to a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday (March 28).
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