Baseball Pulls Within a Run but Falls to #21 Georgia Tech Wednesday
2/24/2011 2:02:00 AM | Baseball
STATESBORO, Ga. - #21 Georgia Tech (3-2) led 5-0 after three and a half innings before the Georgia Southern Baseball team (3-2) rallied within one run in the middle innings, but was unable to find the magic of Tuesday night falling 7-4 on Wednesday, February 23rd in front of another great crowd of 2,345.
Sophomore Al "Scooter" Williams (Detroit, Mich.) made his first appearance of the season and started in right field, knocking out three singles. Williams, who showed a strong arm all day, threw out a runner in the fifth inning on what looked to be a sacrifice fly, but ended a double play to end the inning.
The Eagles used two home runs and an unearned run to pull within a run, 5-4, after the sixth inning. Steve Cochrane (Mooresville, N.C.), who has hit in every game this season, launched his second-career home run in the fourth inning, putting Georgia Southern on the board. An error, two hits and a fielder's choice allowed Ben Morgan (Evans, Ga.) to score an unearned run in the fifth inning.
Victor Roache (Ypsilanti, Mich.) cut the Yellow Jackets lead to a single run with a solo homer in the sixth inning. The Eagles threatened to tie the game and erase Matt Grimes' solid performance on the mound for Georgia Tech when two men reached scoring position in the seventh inning.
Williams led off with his third-straight single and reached second base after one out on a base hit by Michael Burruss (Marietta, Ga.). Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) moved both runners into scoring position with a ground out to the second baseman that was nearly booted, but a pop up by Cochrane ended the threat.
Grimes started the game for the Yellow Jackets and nearly retired the side in order the first time through. The freshman pitcher allowed five hits and two earned runs in 5.1 innings, striking out only three Eagles in 93 pitches. Conner Kendrick and Jacob Esch threw out of the bullpen and neither allowed a run. Kendrick gave up three hits in 2.2 innings, and Esch picked up his first save of the season after setting down the side in order in the ninth inning.
Justin Hess (Panama City, Fla.), who made his first start of the season on the mound for GSU, set down the side in order in the first inning. Hess worked out of a jam in the second inning, striking out the final two batters after two runners reached scoring position with one out. The sophomore pitcher gave up a three-run homer to Daniel Palka in the third inning. He allowed just those three runs in three innings of work.
Five other pitchers threw out of the bullpen for Georgia Southern with only Joe Lower (West Palm Beach, Fla.) recording more than two outs. Lower ate up four innings and allowed just one run on two hits in relief.
A walk in both the eighth and ninth inning came around to hurt the Eagles and stymie any chance at a late rally. Georgia Tech scored a single run in each inning. A double by Jake Davies in the eighth inning plated Brandon Thomas, who had walked with two outs. DeAndre Smelter led off the ninth inning with a walk and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Palka.
Georgia Southern will be back in action this weekend in a three-game series against North Carolina Central. The series gets underway Friday night at 6 p.m. and will continue all weekend with single games on Saturday and Sunday, both at 1:30 p.m.
To order baseball tickets for upcoming games call the Georgia Southern Athletic Ticket Office at 800-GSU-WINS. Single games tickets are available at the gate for $8 for adults and $4 for youth (3-12).
All games can be heard on 102.9 FM in Statesboro and online at GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com/Eaglevision beginning 30 minutes prior to first pitch. Ryan Chambers of the Georgia Southern Radio Network will have the call live from J.I. Clements Stadium this weekend.
Fans may follow Georgia Southern Baseball by visiting GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com/baseball or check in at twitter.com/GSAthletics or facebook.com/GSAthletics for short updates.
