UNC Greensboro Walks Off with Series Victory in Extra Innings
5/1/2011 1:02:00 AM | Baseball
GREENSBORO, N.C. - A two-out walk came around to hurt Georgia Southern (25-18, 13-7) Baseball after a deep fly ball by UNC Greensboro's (24-17, 13-7) Bobby Martin tipped off the glove of an outstreched Eagle outfielder for a walk-off double. The hit pushed the Sparans to a 7-6 series victory in 10 innings on Saturday, April 30th.
The bottom of the 10th opened with back-to-back strikeouts by Matt Murray (Spring City, Pa.) before John Hein drew a full-count walk. Murray had a similar situation in the ninth inning after retiring the first two men he faced before allowing a single to Eric Brindle. The junior pitcher struck out Ray Crawford to end the inning, but the long double off the bat of Martin in the 10th drove in the two-out runner.
Spartan Jarett Miller, who threw 4.2 scoreless innings in the series, earned the win after throwing the final two frames. Miller (4-2, 3.67 ERA) allowed just one hit and a walk but faced just one over the minimum to not allow an Eagle run in the ninth or tenth inning. Murray (4-2, 1.01 ERA) received the loss after allowing one run on two hits over the final 2.2 innings. The junior walked two batters and struck out four of the 12 Spartans he faced.
Neither starting pitcher made it to the fourth inning. Brandon Browne allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits and walked four batters before he was lifted. Andy Moye (Alpharetta, Ga.) gave up four runs on four hits and was removed after the third inning. Moye struck out three batters and walked three others on 80 pitches.
In a back-and-forth contest in which the Eagles scored all six of their runs in the first five innings, UNCG responded with runs of its own in the bottom half of all but one of those frames. The Spartans tallied a pair of unanswered runs in the sixth and 10th innings to rally from a 6-5 deficit after the first half of the game for the win.
Victor Roache (Ypsilanti, Mich.) hit two home runs and picked up a single to right to power the Georgia Southern offense with his three hits and three RBIs. Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) recorded four base hits, all singles, and scored a run on one of Roache's long balls. The Eagles also drew seven walks, led by Steve Cochrane's (Mooresville, N.C.) three, to only three strikeouts at the plate.
For the second day in a row both teams scored a run in the first inning. Georgia Southern scored a two-out run on a bases loaded walk when Michael Burruss (Marietta, Ga.) scored the run after reaching on a muffed ground ball by the shortstop. Third baseman Kris Richards showed off his range and made the play close at first base. A hit by Roache and a walk followed a fly out, loading the bases for Tom Richardson (Lilburn, Ga.). The junior catcher drew a full-count walk to plate the run.
Roache put the Eagles back on top 2-1 with a third inning leadoff home run, but UNCG responded with three runs in the bottom half of the third for a 4-2 Spartan lead. A walk, two hit batters and two hits combined to score three runs for UNC Greensboro before Andy Moye (Alpharetta, Ga.) coaxed a foul pop-up right of the first base bag to end the inning.
The Eagles came right back in the top of the fourth inning to tie the game at 4-4. Roache drove in the two runs with his second home run of the game after Phillips singled with two outs. The Spartans retook the lead with a single run in the bottom of the fourth before GSU scored two runs in the top of the fifth for a 6-5 lead.
UNC Greensboro tied the game at 6-6 an inning later with a sacrifice fly to left field. A leadoff single allowed Kris Richards to come around to score after a base hit and a walk by Trevor Edwards loaded the bases. Drew Gehringer drove the ball near the line in left field which Scooter Williams (Detroit, Mich.) had to race in on for the out.
Georgia Southern and UNC Greensboro will play the finale of the series Sunday at 1 p.m. The Eagles look to salvage a game in the series at UNCG Baseball Stadium.
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.
