Baseball Rallies in the Seventh to Defeat #21 Georgia Tech
3/28/2012 2:01:00 AM | Baseball
ATLANTA - A four-run rally in the seventh inning propelled the Georgia Southern Baseball team to a 5-3 win over #21 Georgia Tech Tuesday night. The pitching staff struck out six batters in the final three innings to give the Eagles just their second win this season when trailing after the sixth inning.
Georgia Southern (12-13) held an early 1-0 lead but trailed by two runs before a bases clearing two-out double from Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) in the seventh inning put them on top 5-3. Jarret Leverett (Eatonton, Ga.) (2-1) got the Eagles out of a jam in the fifth inning with two of his four strikeouts and picked up the win after 2.2 scoreless innings of work. Chris Beck (Jefferson, Ga.) (S, 1) closed the door in the ninth inning with a perfect frame and tallied two strikeouts in his first career save.
Georgia Tech (15-10) got a great six innings from starter Josh Heddinger (1-2) before he loaded the bases with two walks in the seventh inning. Heddinger had allowed only one run on three hits in his first six frames before being tagged with the loss after allowing four runs in the seventh. Alex Cruz allowed the three-RBI double to Phillips in the inning, his only hit allowed in 2.1 inning of relief.
The Yellow Jackets offense tallied seven hits and scored three early runs to give Heddinger an early two-run lead; but left nine runners on base, including four in the final five innings, in their first loss at home in the all-time series since 2009.
Georgia Southern struck first with a run in the first inning on a two-out single from Stryker Brown (Dalton, Ga.). The Eagles put a runner into scoring position before the hit with a one-out single by Michael Burruss (Marietta, Ga.) and a wild pitch.
Georgia Tech took a 2-1 lead with a pair of runs in the second inning after the first four batters reached safely to start the inning. Mott Hyde and Paul Kronenfield both plated runs with base hits. Daniel Palka was hit by a pitch to open the inning and Jake Davies singled on a hit-and-run to put runners on the corners before the RBI singles.
The Yellow Jackets added another run in the fifth inning to take a two-run lead. Brandon Thomas led off the frame with a single to right field, and Daniel Palka drove him in with a single through the right side of the infield. Leverett came on in relief after the RBI base hit and got the Eagles out of the jam with a fielder's choice and a pair of strikeouts.
Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech meet for the final time in the 2012 regular season tomorrow at 6 p.m. Josh Adams (Bath, S.C.) (0-1, 6.95) will take the mound against Cole Pitts at Russ Chandler Stadium.
The game can also be heard on the Boomer 103.7 FM and inside the stadium on 88.1 FM. Audio for all games is also available on the web and subscription video is available for all home games at GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com/Eaglevision.
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