University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics
Georgia Southern
Big Seventh-Inning Lifts Eagles Past Spartans, 11-8
3/11/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 11, 2008
STATESBORO, Ga. - A rain delay couldn't slow down the bats for the USC Upstate baseball team at Georgia Southern on Tuesday night, as it scored eight runs and pounded 10 hits. However, a six-run seventh inning for Georgia Southern lifted the Eagles past the Spartans, 11-8, in non-conference action at J.I. Clements Stadium.
The Eagles (7-6 overall) took control of the game in the bottom of the seventh inning as they sent nine batters to the plate without recording an out and posted six runs, capped by a three-RBI double from Phillip Porter to take an 11-6 lead.
Upstate (5-9 overall) came back with two runs in the top of the eighth inning, as freshman Blake Green (Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern) led off with a single followed by a single from junior Eric Guillen (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks). After two strikeouts, senior Andrew Runion (Simpsonville, S.C./Mauldin) loaded the bases with a single and junior Phillip Morgan (Campobello, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) drove in Green by getting hit with a curveball. Another run scored when sophomore Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Stars Mill) reached on an error. However, that was as close as Upstate could get, as Kyle Kamppi settled down to retire the side in order in the ninth for the Eagles.
The Spartans drew first blood in the top of the third inning, using a hit, a Georgia Southern error and a wild pitch to score two runs. Guillen led the inning off with a single up the middle and junior Kyle Simpson (Lyman, S.C./Byrnes) followed with a sac bunt, but a wild throw put runners at the corners. After a grounder scored Guillen, Simpson took third on a wild pitch and scored on another grounder.
In the bottom of the inning, though, Georgia Southern got the runs back, with Porter knocking a liner up the middle. He stole second and scored when Chris Shehan lifted a homer over the left-field fence. As the inning drew to a close, the rain came, delaying the game for 80 minutes.
The Eagles added a single tally in the third inning as Brian Pierce scored after a leadoff double and added another run to take a 4-2 lead in the fourth as Griffin Benedict hit a homer.
The Spartans came back to tie the game in the sixth inning, with senior Kyle Bowley (Apopka, Fla./Apopka) doubling off the center field wall with one out to start the rally. Freshman Keith Bisgounis (Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo) followed with a single through the right side, sending Bowley to third, where he scored on a grounder.
The Eagles answered right back with a two-out homer from Shehan to take a 5-4 lead, but the Spartans fought back with two in the top of the seventh inning to take a 6-5 lead. Senior Casey Rivers (Hudson, Mass./Hudson) led off with a double down the right field line. He took third on a groundball and scored on a passed ball while Morgan reached on a walk. After Tanner singled up the middle, a wild pitch advanced the runners and a groundball by Bowley scored Morgan.
Guillen led the Spartans with three hit, two runs and an RBI and Bisgounis added a 2-for-5, one-run game. Georgia Southern got four hits from Pierce and three from Porter. Pierce added two runs and Porter had three RBIs.
Junior Dennis McCraney (Catawba, S.C./Rock Hill) (0-2) took the loss, allowing five runs and five hits in the seventh inning. Blake Nation (1-0) earned his first career win, allowing five hits and four runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief.
The Spartans wrap up their two-game set against the Eagles on Wednesday with game time slated for 4 p.m.
