STATESBORO, GA Four home runs in the first two innings gave Georgia Southern a nine-run lead over UNC Greensboro in game one of a three-game series at JI Clements Stadium. Two of those home runs belonged to A.J. Wirnsberger who for the fourth time in his career sent two out in one game. Despite its own two home runs, UNCG fell to the Eagles, 14-2, in the Friday night opener.
Kyle Kamppi (5-3) pitched his way through eight innings to earn the win for the Eagles. While on the mound, he gave up just four hits and one run while striking out six. UNCG starter Rob Gilliam (3-4) took the loss. In his 1.2 innings on the rubber, he recorded all five outs from the mound.
At the plate, UNCG was led by senior first baseman Ricky Orton who was 2-for-2 with two walks, an RBI, and a home run. The Eagles' Wirnsberger went 2-for-4 with four RBI and a pair of runs.
With the loss, UNCG falls to 30-12 on the season with a 14-8 mark in the conference. Georgia Southern improved to 29-10 overall, 12-10 in the league.
In his first at-bat, senior shortstop Matt Gaski gave UNCG a 1-0 lead with a solo shot over the right field wall. The roundtrip was his fifth of the season, sixth career.
In the bottom half of the first, Georgia Southern jumped out with a four-run lead after scoring five off of a three-run home run and two solos. With runners on first and third, Chris Shehan launched a high fly ball over the right field wall. Griffin Benedict followed up with a solo in the same spot and with one away, A.J. Wirnsberger sent a lone shot out to right center.
In the next inning, the Eagles doubled their runs with back-to-back doubles by Jeremy Beckham and Ty Wright, a single by Phillip Porter, and Wirnsberger's second home run of the outing a three-run shot out of left field.
Another set of back-to-back doubles in the third gave Georgia Southern the 11-1 lead. They upped it by three more in the fifth with runs scored off of a walk, a wild pitch, and a groundout.
Orton led off the ninth with his 21st career home run, but one wasn't enough as the Eagles took game one, 14-2.
The Spartans and the Eagles return tomorrow for a 6pm diamond meeting. The series finale is set to begin at 1:30pm on Sunday. UNCG will return home for a three game midweek conference series with Davidson. The series begins on Wednesday with a 6pm first pitch, the teams will return Thursday for another 6pm game, and on Friday, both the Spartans and the Wildcats will close out the regular season with a final 6pm game.
Southern Conference tournament action will get underway on Tuesday, May 20 in Charleston, SC.
For news about UNCG baseball, complete season schedule, and any other information regarding Spartan athletics log onto www.UNCGSpartans.com.
# # UNCG # #
Georgia Southern 14, UNC Greensboro 2 (May 09, 2008 at Statesboro, GA)
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UNC Greensboro...... 100 000 001 - 2 5 2 (30-21, 14-8 SoCon)
Georgia Southern.... 551 030 00X - 14 13 0 (29-20, 12-10 SoCon)
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Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Rob Gilliam; James White(2); Matt Bjorkstrom(6).
Georgia Southern - Kyle Kamppi; Michael Hester(9).
Win-Kyle Kamppi(5-3)
Loss-Rob Gilliam(3-4
HR UNCG - Matt Gaski; Ricky Orton.
HR GSU - Chris Shehan; Griffin Benedict; A.J. Wirnsberger 2.
