STATESBORO, GA – Georgia Southern pounded out 12 runs on 18 hits and scored five runs over the first two innings as UNC Greensboro dropped a 12-5 contest to the Eagles that began Saturday afternoon and concluded Sunday afternoon at J.I. Clements Stadium.
UNCG (17-24, 6-8 SoCon) took an early 1-0 lead after the top of the first as the Spartans capitalized on a pair of balks charged to Eagle starting pitcher Dustin Evans. Greg Feltes led off the inning with a single to leftfield and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from David Adams. Feltes then moved to third on the first balk and scored on the next pitch as a second balk was called on Evans.
The lead didn't last long as Georgia Southern scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first to take a 2-1 lead. Matt Miller opened the frame with a single through the right side and Chris Shehan followed with a single on the infield. Both runners advanced one base to put runners on second and third as the Spartan infield committed a throwing error in an attempt to throw Shehan out at first. After a walk to Jeremiah Parker to load the bases, Mike Economos laced a single to leftfield to score Miller and Shehan.
The Eagles (22-19, 9-5 SoCon) opened their half of the second inning with four straight hits en route to three more runs to take a 5-1 lead after two. Chris Hollis opened with a double to left and Brian Pierce followed with a bunt single before Miller singled to center to plate the first run. Shehan added an RBI single to center and Parker capped the inning with a sacrifice fly.
Georgia Southern plated two more runs in the bottom of the fifth and took a 7-1 lead on an error charged to the Spartan infield. Hollis put the ball in play to the right side where it trickled off Wes McCall and into rightfield, allowing a pair of Eagles to score easily.
Miller collected his fourth hit of the afternoon and second RBI of the game with a single to right in the home half of the fifth. Pierce also added an RBI single in the inning to put the homestanding Eagles out in front 9-1.
Jermaine Mitchell laced a two-out single up the middle in the top of the eighth for his 22nd and 23rd RBIs of the season. After Welsh then walked to load the bases, Hollis snared a line drive off the bat of Brandon Harvey at first base to end the inning, preventing at least two more Spartans from scoring.
The Eagles responded with three runs in their half of the eight to make it a 12-3 lead on RBIs from Pelfrey and Hollis.
UNCG loaded the bases in the top of the ninth and scored two runs due to an error on the Eagle infield and on an RBI single from Mitchell to make it 12-5, but the Spartans would get no closer as David Cogswell struckout Welsh to prevent any further damage.
Evans (2-2) earned the win after allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out six in 7-2/3 innings on the hill.
Ryan Falcon (2-2) suffered the loss after being touched for seven runs (five earned) on 10 hits with two punchouts in 4-1/3 innings of mound duty.
Mitchell finished the game going 3-for-5 with three RBI while Deleo also recorded three hits.
The game will resume Sunday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. with one out and the bases loaded and Greg Matson at the plate.
AGATE:
Georgia Southern 12, UNC Greensboro 5 (Apr 22, 2006 at Statesboro, GA)
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UNC Greensboro...... 100 000 022 - 5 11 3 (17-24, 6-8 SoCon)
Georgia Southern.... 230 020 23X - 12 18 1 (22-19, 9-5 SoCon)
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Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Ryan Falcon; Jonathan Nichols(5); Greg Martin(8). Georgia Southern -
Evans; Battisto(8); Nation(9); Cogswell(9).
Win-Evans(2-2) Loss-Ryan Falcon(2-2) T-2:40 A-1411
Game notes:
Game concludes on Sunday following the suspended game from Saturday.
- UNCG -
