Home Runs Send Cougars Past Eagles in Finale
4/4/2010 8:07:00 PM | Baseball
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Georgia Southern scored eight runs on 13 hits, but five College of Charleston home runs sealed an 11-8 win in the final game of the Southern Conference series Sunday afternoon (April 4) at Patriots Point.
With the sweep, Charleston improved to 23-7 and 8-4 in league play, while the Eagles fell to 15-14, 7-5. Both starters were of record as Eagle starter Andy Moye (Alpharetta, Ga.) drew the loss moving to 3-3 on the season, while Cougar starter David Peterson picked up the win moving to 3-2 on the year. Tom Schiller, making his second appearance of the series, recorded the save.
Thomas Brittle closed the game 3-for-4 with a three-run home run and two runs scored. Cole Rakar, Matt Leeds and Baker Knox each added two hits apiece for Charleston. Meanwhile, Michael Burruss (Marietta, Ga.) went 3-for-5 with a RBI and run scored, as A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) and Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) were both 2-for-5. Kyle Blackburn (Marietta, Ga.) finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs and a RBI.
A productive first inning put Georgia Southern in the lead, 3-0, as the Eagles used four hits on seven at-bats to jump out in front. With one out, Kevin Bowles (Statesboro, Ga.) got things rolling with a single up the middle that was followed by a single to left field by Blackburn. GS got on the board in the next at-bat as Wirnsberger doubled to left scoring driving in Bowles and moving Blackburn to third base. A groundout from Phillips and RBI single from Burruss gave the Eagles a 3-0 lead entering the bottom of the first.
In their first at-bat in the bottom of the second, the Cougars put a run on the scoreboard with a Leeds home run to right center, drawing the score to 3-1. The Eagles took the run back in the third when Burruss, who reached on an infield single, scored on a Steve Cochrane (Mooresville, N.C.) single to center field.
But the bottom half of the third would spark the Cougars who would score eight runs in the next two innings. Greg Blake opened the inning with a solo shot to left center. After Rakar doubled to left center, Rob Kral homered to the same spot, tying the game 4-4.
Georgia Southern took the lead back in the fourth using a Blackburn double to score Arthur Owens (Fayetteville, Ga.) who singled to right field. But a five-run bottom half put Charleston in front to stay. The Cougars sent 10 batters to the plate and used a solo homer from Knox and a three-run shot from Brittle to take the lead, 8-5. Charleston picked up its fifth run of the inning off a Leeds single that plated Kral, pushing its lead out to 9-5.
After a scoreless fifth from both teams, Georgia Southern cut its deficit scoring two runs in the sixth. A triple from Wirnsberger scored Blackburn unearned who then scored on a double from Phillips in the next at-bat.
The Eagles sliced its deficit even further adding a run in the seventh, making it a one run ballgame. But that would be the last threat by GS in the ballgame. Two hit batsmen and a wild pitch put two Eagle runners in scoring position allowing a groundout from Owens to score Victor Roache (Ypsilanti, Mich.), cutting the score to 9-8.
Charleston added two more runs to the board in the seventh and eighth on Knox and Raker RBI doubles for the final 11-8 margin.
Georgia Southern has a break from midweek action and continues this six-game road trip with a three-game series at Elon, April 9-11. First pitch on Friday is slated for 7 p.m.
With the sweep, Charleston improved to 23-7 and 8-4 in league play, while the Eagles fell to 15-14, 7-5. Both starters were of record as Eagle starter Andy Moye (Alpharetta, Ga.) drew the loss moving to 3-3 on the season, while Cougar starter David Peterson picked up the win moving to 3-2 on the year. Tom Schiller, making his second appearance of the series, recorded the save.
Thomas Brittle closed the game 3-for-4 with a three-run home run and two runs scored. Cole Rakar, Matt Leeds and Baker Knox each added two hits apiece for Charleston. Meanwhile, Michael Burruss (Marietta, Ga.) went 3-for-5 with a RBI and run scored, as A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) and Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) were both 2-for-5. Kyle Blackburn (Marietta, Ga.) finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs and a RBI.
A productive first inning put Georgia Southern in the lead, 3-0, as the Eagles used four hits on seven at-bats to jump out in front. With one out, Kevin Bowles (Statesboro, Ga.) got things rolling with a single up the middle that was followed by a single to left field by Blackburn. GS got on the board in the next at-bat as Wirnsberger doubled to left scoring driving in Bowles and moving Blackburn to third base. A groundout from Phillips and RBI single from Burruss gave the Eagles a 3-0 lead entering the bottom of the first.
In their first at-bat in the bottom of the second, the Cougars put a run on the scoreboard with a Leeds home run to right center, drawing the score to 3-1. The Eagles took the run back in the third when Burruss, who reached on an infield single, scored on a Steve Cochrane (Mooresville, N.C.) single to center field.
But the bottom half of the third would spark the Cougars who would score eight runs in the next two innings. Greg Blake opened the inning with a solo shot to left center. After Rakar doubled to left center, Rob Kral homered to the same spot, tying the game 4-4.
Georgia Southern took the lead back in the fourth using a Blackburn double to score Arthur Owens (Fayetteville, Ga.) who singled to right field. But a five-run bottom half put Charleston in front to stay. The Cougars sent 10 batters to the plate and used a solo homer from Knox and a three-run shot from Brittle to take the lead, 8-5. Charleston picked up its fifth run of the inning off a Leeds single that plated Kral, pushing its lead out to 9-5.
After a scoreless fifth from both teams, Georgia Southern cut its deficit scoring two runs in the sixth. A triple from Wirnsberger scored Blackburn unearned who then scored on a double from Phillips in the next at-bat.
The Eagles sliced its deficit even further adding a run in the seventh, making it a one run ballgame. But that would be the last threat by GS in the ballgame. Two hit batsmen and a wild pitch put two Eagle runners in scoring position allowing a groundout from Owens to score Victor Roache (Ypsilanti, Mich.), cutting the score to 9-8.
Charleston added two more runs to the board in the seventh and eighth on Knox and Raker RBI doubles for the final 11-8 margin.
Georgia Southern has a break from midweek action and continues this six-game road trip with a three-game series at Elon, April 9-11. First pitch on Friday is slated for 7 p.m.
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