Brown Leads Eagles Past Spartans, 6-4
3/27/2010 2:50:00 AM | Baseball
STATESBORO, Ga. - Georgia Southern's Jake Brown pitched his second complete game of the season, and third of his career, and Kyle Blackburn hit a two-run homer to stage a 6-4 Eagle rally over UNC Greensboro on Friday (March 26) in a Southern Conference matchup at J.I. Clements Stadium.
After spotting the Spartans an early 3-0 lead, the Eagles battled back and took the lead with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning on an RBI single by Arthur Owens (Fayetteville, Ga.).
Georgia Southern improved to 12-11 overall and 5-2 in the conference while UNCG dropped to 11-10 and 0-4.
Brown (4-2) allowed three earned runs on seven hits en route to his second complete game of the season. The Forest Hill, Md., native struck out seven and walked three.
Blackburn (Marietta, Ga.) was 2-for-3 with two RBI and Michael Burruss (Marietta, Ga.) was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles as the Eagles collected 11 hits off of two Spartan pitchers. Owens and Steve Cochrane (Mooresville, N.C.) were also 2-for-4.
With a crowd of 1,612 in attendance, Brown needed just 18 pitches to get through the first two innings. He retired the first six batters he faced on five groundballs and an infield popup.
The Spartans broke the scoreless tie in the top of the third. Harry Slade had an RBI infield single and Ed Jayjack added a sacrifice fly as the Spartans used three hits, two walks and an error to score three times.
Spartan starter Warren Slack (1-5) had a three-hit shutout through four innings. Georgia Southern scored its first run in the bottom of the fifth when Burruss led off with a double and scored on Roman Grimaldi's (Duluth, Ga.) one-out single.
The Eagles tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Kevin Bowles (Statesboro, Ga.) led off with a single and Blackburn followed with his seventh homer of the season to bring the ballgame even at 3-3.
Georgia Southern took the lead and chased Slack with two runs in the bottom of the seventh. After Burruss led off with a double and Grimaldi drew a one-out walk, Slack gave way to Blake Hassebrock. Owens greeted the reliever with a run-scoring single that gave the Eagles a 4-3 advantage.
Grimaldi then advanced to third on a fielder's choice by Bowles and scored on a wild pitch, increasing Georgia Southern's lead to 5-3.
In the top of the eighth, UNCG used two singles and a fielder's choice to set up an RBI groundout by Jayjack that sliced the Eagles' cushion to 5-4.
Georgia Southern added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. Cochrane led off with a single, moved to second on Eric Phillips' (Carrollton, Ga.) sacrifice bunt, advanced to third when Burruss grounded out to the second baseman and scored on Shawn Payne's (Stone Mountain, Ga.) single.
A one-out walk gave the Spartans life in the top of the ninth, but Brown quickly slammed the door by getting the final two outs of the game on grounders to the shortstop and third baseman.
Slack was charged with the loss. In 6.1 innings, he allowed five runs (all earned) on eight hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
The three-game series will continue on Saturday (March 27) at 2:30 p.m.
After spotting the Spartans an early 3-0 lead, the Eagles battled back and took the lead with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning on an RBI single by Arthur Owens (Fayetteville, Ga.).
Georgia Southern improved to 12-11 overall and 5-2 in the conference while UNCG dropped to 11-10 and 0-4.
Brown (4-2) allowed three earned runs on seven hits en route to his second complete game of the season. The Forest Hill, Md., native struck out seven and walked three.
Blackburn (Marietta, Ga.) was 2-for-3 with two RBI and Michael Burruss (Marietta, Ga.) was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles as the Eagles collected 11 hits off of two Spartan pitchers. Owens and Steve Cochrane (Mooresville, N.C.) were also 2-for-4.
With a crowd of 1,612 in attendance, Brown needed just 18 pitches to get through the first two innings. He retired the first six batters he faced on five groundballs and an infield popup.
The Spartans broke the scoreless tie in the top of the third. Harry Slade had an RBI infield single and Ed Jayjack added a sacrifice fly as the Spartans used three hits, two walks and an error to score three times.
Spartan starter Warren Slack (1-5) had a three-hit shutout through four innings. Georgia Southern scored its first run in the bottom of the fifth when Burruss led off with a double and scored on Roman Grimaldi's (Duluth, Ga.) one-out single.
The Eagles tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Kevin Bowles (Statesboro, Ga.) led off with a single and Blackburn followed with his seventh homer of the season to bring the ballgame even at 3-3.
Georgia Southern took the lead and chased Slack with two runs in the bottom of the seventh. After Burruss led off with a double and Grimaldi drew a one-out walk, Slack gave way to Blake Hassebrock. Owens greeted the reliever with a run-scoring single that gave the Eagles a 4-3 advantage.
Grimaldi then advanced to third on a fielder's choice by Bowles and scored on a wild pitch, increasing Georgia Southern's lead to 5-3.
In the top of the eighth, UNCG used two singles and a fielder's choice to set up an RBI groundout by Jayjack that sliced the Eagles' cushion to 5-4.
Georgia Southern added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. Cochrane led off with a single, moved to second on Eric Phillips' (Carrollton, Ga.) sacrifice bunt, advanced to third when Burruss grounded out to the second baseman and scored on Shawn Payne's (Stone Mountain, Ga.) single.
A one-out walk gave the Spartans life in the top of the ninth, but Brown quickly slammed the door by getting the final two outs of the game on grounders to the shortstop and third baseman.
Slack was charged with the loss. In 6.1 innings, he allowed five runs (all earned) on eight hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
The three-game series will continue on Saturday (March 27) at 2:30 p.m.
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