Georgia Southern Routs Elon, 19-2

Game 2: #6 Georgia Southern 19, #3 Elon 2
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SoCon Tournament Central

GREENVILLE, S.C. - No. 6 seed Georgia Southern pounded out 23 hits en route to a 19-2 victory over No. 3 seed Elon in the opening round of the 2012 Southern Conference Baseball Championship at Fluor Field.

Georgia Southern (31-26), which turned in the second upset in as many games at the tournament, will face No. 7 seed The Citadel Thursday at either 5 or 8 p.m. Elon (31-25) will take on No. 2 seed College of Charleston at 10 a.m. Thursday morning in an elimination game.

The 17-run margin tied a 20-year old SoCon Tournament record for the largest margin of victory, equaling East Tennessee State's 20-3 win over VMI in 1992.

The game appeared to be set for a pitcher's duel as Elon carried a 1-0 lead into the fifth inning, but then the Eagles' bats came alive to plate six runs on seven hits, chasing Elon starter Dylan Clark from the contest.

After scoring a run in the sixth and a pair in the seventh, GSU sent 14 batters to the plate with nine more scoring in the eighth to stretch the margin to 18-1. Tyler Avera singled home the final run in the ninth.

Michael Burruss, Chase Griffin, and Brent Pugh each had four hits for the Eagles, which recorded season highs in both hits and runs. Pugh led the way for four RBIs and three runs scored. Avera and Burruss added three RBIs while eight different GSU players scored at least twice in the contest.

Eagle starter Chris Beck (6-7), last season's tournament most outstanding player, continued his postseason brilliance by allowing one run on five hits in 7.0 innings of work. The right-hander fanned six against one walk.

Clark (9-4) took the loss for the Phoenix as he was tagged for five earned runs on seven hits through 4.2 innings on the mound.

Quinn Bower was 2-for-4 with a double to lead Elon at the plate.