Eagles Shut Out Phoenix 6-0 for Series Victory
4/23/2011 11:09:00 PM | Baseball
STATESBORO, Ga. - Georgia Southern Baseball (24-15, 13-4) scored four unearned runs in the first five innings and shut out Elon (25-16, 14-6) 6-0 to take the second game in the series on Saturday, April 23rd. The Eagles tallied their fifth shutout of the season, the most since tallying four in 2003.
Andy Moye (Alpharetta, Ga.) and Joe Lower (West Palm Beach, Fla.) combined for a six-hit shutout and struck out a combined nine batters while allowing only two walks. Moye made his seventh start on the mound and left with his fifth win after allowing five hits in seven innings.
The senior pitcher scattered the hits and did not allow more than one in an inning. He struck out seven Elon batters and walked only two. Lower shut the door with a scoreless final two frames, striking out the final batter he faced in the ninth inning.
After six runs crossed the plate in the first three innings on Friday, Saturday's contest got off to a quiet start with only one run scoring in the same period. The Eagles scored that run in the third on a walk by Brent Pugh (Atlanta, Ga.), a wild pitch and two passed balls.
Georgia Southern extended its lead to 4-0 with three more unearned runs in the fifth inning. An error and a wild pitch scored the first two runs before Victor Roache (Ypsilanti, Mich.) put a third run on the board after sending a two-out pitch over the right field fence near the batter's eye for a home run.
Shawn Payne (Stone Mountain, Ga.) doubled with one out to start the scoring and reached third on a failed pick-off attempt. Michael Burruss (Marietta, Ga.) hit a ground ball at the shortstop to score Payne and a defensive misplay allowed him to reach safely. Burruss came around to score with a stolen base, a fly out and a wild pitch.
Payne homered in his next plate appearance in the seventh inning, snapping a streak of 32.1 scoreless innings by the Phoenix bullpen to put GSU up 5-0. The senior outfielder drove in the sixth Eagle run in the eighth inning with a single to center field plating Ben Morgan (Evans, Ga.), who doubled with one out in the inning.
Thomas Girdwood picked up his fourth loss of the season but did not allow an earned run in six innings. He held the Eagles to three hits and struck out four batters while allowing three walks. Three pitchers finished the final two innings for Elon and allowed a combined two runs and two hits.
The series continues Sunday at 1:30 p.m. as Georgia Southern looks for the series sweep at J.I. Clements Stadium. Georgia Southern Baseball games can be heard live on Eagle 102.9 FM and are also available online at GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com/Eaglevision with broadcasts 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.
