Team Effort Leads Baseball to First Conference Win
3/12/2011 4:24:00 AM | Baseball
STATESBORO, Ga. - Chris Beck (Jefferson, Ga.) threw seven solid innings and six different hitters drove in runs to lead the Georgia Southern Baseball team (9-5, 1-0) to a 7-1 victory over Furman (6-9, 1-2) in the Southern Conference opener. Andy Moye (Alpharetta, Ga.) and Shawn Payne (Stone Mountain, Ga.) both hit their first home runs of the season, while Ben Morgan (Evans, Ga.) went three-for-four at the plate.
Beck earned his second win of the season after allowing one run and five hits in seven innings of work. The sophomore right hander struck out nine batters while walking only one. Jarret Leverett (Eatonton, Ga.) threw the final two innings of the game and allowed only one hit while recording a strikeout.
The Eagles scored runs in every inning from the second inning to the sixth inning and added a single run in the eighth inning. Payne homered to lead off the eighth inning and reached base three other times to extend his streak to 43 consecutive games reached.
Moye led off the second inning with a well-hit single to left field. A base hit by Morgan drove in the senior captain scored the first run of the game after Moye reached third base on a balk and a passed ball. Furman tied the game in the top of third inning, 1-1, but Georgia Southern broke open the game with six unanswered runs to grab the win.
In the third inning the two teams traded runs and both were scored on a safety squeeze. J.B. Jenkins led off the top of the inning with an infield single and promptly stole second base. Two-straight sacrifice bunts scored Furman's only run of the game. Steve Cochrane (Mooresville, N.C.) led off the bottom half of the inning for Georgia Southern and reached third base after tagging up on a fly out. Tom Richardson (Lilburn, Ga.) laid down the sacrifice bunt to score the run.
Furman's Bobby Lyne was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs, two earned, in 3.1 innings. Lyne moved to 0-2 on the year after allowing seven hits and four walks while striking out two Eagles. Daniel Stallsmith pitched the rest of the way for the Paladins, allowing three runs and five hits.
The Eagles bunted well all night, reaching base or moving the runner over with five different bunts. Scooter Williams (Detroit, Mich.) laid down two sacrifice bunts in his first two at-bats and singled in the fifth inning. Williams scored in the fourth inning, after reaching base on an error. A fielder's choice and a walk by Payne loaded the bases before a RBI single by Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) plated Williams and a sacrifice fly drove in Payne.
Moye homered in the fifth inning to score another run. He drove his first career home run over the left-field wall. Phillips scored an unearned run in the sixth inning after his bunt turned into a hit down the third-base line. The junior captain reached second on a passed ball, stole third base and scored after Victor Roache (Ypsilanti, Mich.) got caught in a rundown between first and second base.
Georgia Southern returns to action Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and will honor former Eagle Head Coach Jack Stallings before the game. Tickets for the game are $1 in honor of Stalling's retired number. The series wraps up with a 1:30 p.m. first pitch on Sunday.
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 Eagle 102.9 FM in Statesboro and are also available online at GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com/Eaglevision beginning 30 minutes prior to first pitch. Ryan Chambers of the Georgia Southern Radio Network will call all the action.
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.
