Baseball Rallies From an Eight-Run Deficit for Tuesday Win
5/17/2011 11:32:00 PM | Baseball
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Down 9-1 after a six-run fifth inning, the Georgia Southern Baseball team (31-21) rallied with 13 runs in the final three frames to win 14-9 over Charleston Southern (27-26) on Tuesday, May 17th.
The Eagles won their final non-conference game when they nearly eclipsing a school record with 17 walks, and after Victor Roache (Ypsilanti, Mich.) tied a school and Southern Conference record with 27 home runs. He also drove in seven runs, two shy of tying the single-mark, and scored two runs in six at-bats.
GSU tallied a walk shy of the school record set against Coppin State in 2009 and against Virginia Tech 1975. Roache homored twice, one a grand slam in the seventh the other a three-run shot in the ninth inning, to tie not only the school record but the Southern Conference record for single season home run. The sophomore outfielder tied with Ben Abner, who hit 27 in 1984, for the GSU record and Brandon Waring for the SoCon mark. Former Eagle Tommy Peterman had previously held the mark after hitting 26 long balls in 1996.
The Eagles used eight walks and a hit by pitch along with two hits to score nine runs in the seventh inning and take their first lead of the day at 10-9. All nine runs scored with two outs in the inning after two walks opened the inning before a fielder's choice tallied the first out.
Shawn Payne (Stone Mountain, Ga.) walked after the second out and loaded the bases for Roache's grand slam over the scoreboard in left field. Two more walks and a hit by pitch reloaded the bases and four more runs scored on a walk and a three-run double off the bat Ben Morgan (Evans, Ga.).
Josh Adams (Bath, S.C.) retired the side in order over the final four innings to lock down his second win of the season against the Buccaneers. Adams (W, 7-6) went five innings, allowing three runs on four hits all in the fifth inning. Justin Hess (Panama City, Fla.) made his fifth start of the season, allowing five earned runs on six hits over four innings of work.
Tyler Vick pitched well in the start for Charleston Southern, allowing one hit and three walks over the first three frames. The next four men out of the bullpen all allowed a run or more with Cory Deighan being tagged with the loss. Deighan (L, 1-2) allowed three runs one a single hits while walking two batters without recording an out.
Charleston Southern jumped ahead 3-0 after the third inning scoring two runs on a wild pitch. Georgia Southern got a run back in the fifth inning but six more Buccaneers came across in the bottom half of the inning to extend their lead to 9-1, but it would be all Georgia Southern from there on out.
Georgia Southern will set its sights Appalachian State next. The Eagles will take on the Mountaineers in the final Southern Conference home series of the year starting on Thursday at 6 p.m.
All Georgia Southern Baseball 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.
