GEIORGIA SOUTHERN 10, JACKSONVILLE 6
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. ? Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) delivered three extra-base hits and four RBI to support a strong outing by John Ducey (Augusta/Westside) as Georgia Southern defeated Jacksonville 10-6 Tuesday (Feb. 13). The Eagles improved to 4-2 overall while JU dropped to 4-2.
Not only did Georgia Southern keep its streak alive of out-hitting each opponent so far this season (15-11), it won at JU for the first time since 2001.
Jacksonville got a leadoff hit from Logan James in the first inning. Ducey, a senior transfer making his first appearance in an Eagle uniform, got a lineout for the first out then enticed a groundball from Mike McCallister for a 4-3 inning-ending double play.
In the second, Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) lined a leadoff single. Shehan slammed a 3-1 fastball over the left field fence, spotting the Eagles an early 2-0 lead. It was Shehan’s first home run this year and the first runs allowed by Dolphin starter Matt Gardner on the season.
JU tied the game in its half of the third. Matt Lopez was hit by a pitch to start the frame then took second on Brad Simmons’ single. John Tiner dropped down a sacrifice bunt on a 2-2 count, advancing the runners. James brought home the first run on a RBI groundout. Pete Clifford ripped a two-out RBI double into the left field gap.
The Eagles regained the lead for good in the fourth. Benedict reached on a catcher’s interference. With one out, Jeremiah Parker (Carrollton/Carrollton) lifted a flyball to center, but the ball popped out of Tiner’s glove in centerfield. With runners at first and second, Chris Hollis (Loganville/Faith Academy) lined a two-out RBI single to right.
With two outs in the sixth, Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell) skipped a line drive off the top of the left field fence for his first career home run. His first RBI of the season extended the Eagles’ lead to 4-2.
A two-out rally in the seventh increased the Eagles’ lead. Adam Rapoza struck out the first two batters of the seventh, but then A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) and Benedict lined back-to-back singles. Shehan lined a double over McCallister’s head in right field, plating both runs. Parker followed with another run-scoring double down the right field line. Pierce’s RBI single to left field, made it 8-2.
Matt Miller (Canton/Woodstock) scored on a sacrifice fly by Benedict in the eighth, then Shehan, who doubled to start the top of the ninth, scored on a Hollis sacrifice fly.
The Dolphins plated four runs off Burt Barto (Columbus/Columbus) in the ninth before Kyle Kamppi (Savannah/Benedictine) came on in relief and finished off the win.
Ducey (1-0) gave up the two runs on six hits in six innings of work. He walked one and struck out two. Shehan and Wirnsberger tallied three hits apiece; and Benedict, Parker and Pierce added two each.
Gardner (1-1) gave up three runs on five hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out four. Clifford led the Dolphins had three hits.
The Eagles continue their Jacksonville trip on Wednesday (Feb. 14) playing at North Florida, first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m.
GARDNER-WEBB 9, APPALACHIAN STATE 7
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. ? Gardner-Webb stole an Atlantic Sun-record nine bases to defeat Appalachian State University baseball, 9-7, in an eight-inning affair on Tuesday afternoon, ruining Appalachian’s 2007 season opener.
Appalachian (0-1) had two runners on base with nobody out in the top of the ninth inning when the game was called due to darkness. ASU trailed 7-1 after four innings before bringing the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth.
Starting in center field for injured Chris Baker, senior Tom Prosser went 3-for-3 and drove in a pair of runs to lead the Mountaineers. Despite the nine steals, things weren’t all bad for catcher Andrew Franco in his Black and Gold debut ? the junior college transfer went 2-for-5 with a game-high three RBI. Sophomores David Rubinstein and Rand Smith and freshman Wes Hobson also added three hits apiece for the Apps, which had 13 hits as a team but left nine men on base.
The bright spots for the Mountaineer pitching staff were left-handed reliever Brandon Graves, a transfer from Florida State who struck out three in 1.1 hitless innings, and ace Garrett Sherrill, who retired six of the seven batters he faced in two innings of work. Starter Jason Rook didn’t make it through the second inning, allowing four runs on five hits and walking three in 1.2 innings to suffer the loss.
With the nine steals, Gardner-Webb (1-3) is now 15-of-17 in stolen-base attempts on the young season. Daniel Cooke led Tuesday’s effort with three of GWU’s nine stolen bases and a 2-for-4, two-RBI effort at the plate. Jonathan Ban surrendered just one hit in four innings of work to get the win.
Appalachian returns to action this weekend when it hosts a three-game series versus Coppin State at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium in Kannapolis. The set begins with a Saturday doubleheader beginning at noon and concludes Sunday with a single game starting at 1 p.m.
WESTERN CAROLINA-HIGH POINT GAME RESCHEDULED
With heavy rains forecasted in the Piedmont Triad on Tuesday, Western Carolina's season-opening baseball game against the High Point Panthers has been postponed. The game will now be made up on Tuesday, April 24th at 2:00 pm on-campus at HPU. The Catamounts will now open their 2007 baseball season this weekend in a three-game series at Kennesaw State in Kennesaw, Ga. The first game is slated for 4:00 pm this Friday, Feb. 16.