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SoCon Baseball: Georgia Southern, Appalachian State Win
SoCon Baseball Championship Central
Game 2: #6 Appalachian State 4, #3 The Citadel 1
GREENVILLE, S.C. ? No. 6 seed Appalachian State (33-19) scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to upset No. 3 seed The Citadel (34-21), 4-1, in game two of the Southern Conference Baseball Championship at Flour Field.
With the win the Mountaineers advance in the winner’s bracket to play No. 2 seed
The Mountaineers led off the ninth inning with catcher Chris Trappy reaching on an error by second baseman Bryan Altman, who made a diving stop on a hard-hit ball but threw errantly to first. Jason Wallace, pinch running for Trappy, reached third on a Jeremy Dowdy double down the left field line, and a Jerod Faggert ground out drove in what proved to be the winning run. Rand Smith then singled to left driving in Dowdy before the game’s final run came on a Wes Hobson double that scored Smith, to make the final score, 4-1.
Leading the way for the Mountaineers was Smith, who went 3-for-5 with a RBI and two runs scored. In a losing effort the Bulldogs’ Richard Jones went 2-for-4 with a RBI.
The game was dominated by the teams’ pitching staffs however, as the teams combined to allow only 15 hits and three earned runs during the game. Appalachian State starter Aubrey Edens pitched 6.1 innings, tossing 108 pitches while allowing only one earned run and and striking out five. The Citadel right-hander Wes Wrenn, the SoCon’s Pitcher of the Year, threw 8.1 innings, 118 pitches, with three runs (one earned) and a walk. Picking up the win for the Mountaineers was reliever Zach Quate (3-1) while Wrenn (9-3) claimed the loss.
Appalachian State led off the game’s scoring in the top of the first. With the bases loaded, The Citadel pitcher Wes Wrenn hit ASU’s David Towarnicky to score Rand Smith.
The Bulldogs wasted little time tying the game at one. In the bottom of the first Jones tripled to left field scoring Bryan Altman.
Game 1: #2 Georgia Southern 4, #7 Davidson 3 (11 inn.)
GREENVILLE, S.C. ? Georgia Southern’s Brian Pierce hit a bloop single behind second base in the bottom of the 11th inning to bring in Phillip Porter to give the No. 2 seed Eagles a 4-3 victory over the No. 7 Davidson Wildcats in game one of the 2009 Southern Conference Baseball Championship at Flour Field.
After Davidson pitcher Thomas Middour loaded the bases in the bottom of the 11th, pitcher Matt Webb came on in relief and allowed the Pierce game-winning hit.
Leading the way for the Eagles were designated hitter Kyle Blackburn and third baseman A.J. Wirnsberger who each hit 2-for-4 with an RBI. In a losing effort, Davidson catcher Tommy Piacenza was 3-for-3 with a run scored.
Eagles’ reliever Kyle Kamppi (3-2) picked up the win while Middour (2-7) suffered the loss.
Georgia Southern left 15 men on base, while the Wildcats left 11 men stranded.
Davidson opened up the scoring with a run in each of the first two innings with the first coming on a fielder’s choice and the second on a wild pitch by Eagles’ pitcher Chris Mederos.
The Eagles answered back in the bottom of the third as Ty Wright scored on a Griffin Benedict sacrifice fly.
Davidson added a run in the top of the fifth when Chase FitzPatrick doubled down the right-field line scoring Drew Gadaire.
GSU tied the contest at three in the bottom of the seventh. Benedict began the scoring on a sacrifice fly from A.J. Wirnsberger before Kyle Blackburn blasted a shot off the top portion of the “Green Monster” in left to bring in Benedict.
The game remained tied at three into extra innings before Pierce advanced the Eagles with the walk-off single.