Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 AIKEN, S.C.--Tripp Burt smacked an RBI double to right center in the top of the ninth plating Brian Shaughnessy from first base as 11th-ranked Georgia College & State (39-11, 20-6 PBC) won game one of a Peach Belt Conference twinbill with #27 USC Aiken (32-17, 14-12 PBC) 3-2. The Bobcats took the nightcap 8-3, handing USCA their fifth-straight conference loss.
A pitcher's duel in game one, starters
Scott Wandless (USCA) and Michael Antonini (GCSU) turned in great outings. Each hurler struck out the side in the first inning.
Scoreless through three innings, the Bobcats got on the board in the fourth frame with a successful safety squeeze by Rich Janofsky, scoring Pete Paris from third.
Facing a 1-0 hole in the fifth inning,
Josh Eachues singled through the left side to load the bases with one out.
Chad Jacobsen, the PBC's leader in RBI, drew a walk to tie the game at 1-1, but the inning ended when
Chris Sheehan grounded into a 6-3 double play.
Daniel Heflin hit an RBI ground-rule double that one hopped over the wall in left center to push the Bobcats back in front 2-1. Heflin finished 2-for-3 with one RBI and a walk.
The Pacers rallied to tie the game for the second time in the home half of the eighth on a
Ben Tankersley sacrifice fly.
Following two quick outs in the top of the ninth, Shaughnessy drew a walk on a 3-1 count. Burt then smoked the game-winning double to right center making it 3-2.
Eight different Pacers had hits in the game, but no one had a pair.
Wandless tossed 7.0 innings, scattering five hits and four walks, striking out eight and allowing one run in the no-decision.
Gary Lee (1-2) suffered the loss by surrendering the game-winning run on one hit and one walk, striking out one in 1.2 innings.
Antonini also received a no-decision, working 7.0 innings allowing one run on six hits and one walk, fanning six. Matt Howard (9-0) picked up the win while Michael Newman (5) notched the save in the ninth.
In the nightcap, the Bobcats got their offense rolling, posting eight runs on 12 hits for the 8-3 win. Justin Mills had a perfect 4-for-4 game with three runs scored, a solo homer, and two stolen bases.
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first,
Ken Raborn and
Zach Cooper pounded out RBI singles to put the Pacers on top for the first time all day 2-1. But the lead was short lived as GCSU scored two in the second, one in the third, and one more in the fourth to stake a 5-1 advantage.
John Sherrer's infield single in the fourth trimmed the margin to 5-2, but with the bases loaded and two outs, Newman came on in relief of starter Jayson Bennett to get Jacobsen out on strikes.
Newman (8-2) held the Pacers scoreless over the final 3.1 innings giving up just four hits, not issuing a walk, and striking out two for the win.
A three-run sixth highlighted by Paris' two-RBI single down the left field line salted away the 8-3 Bobcat victory. Paris finished 2-for-4 with three RBI.
Hill (5-4) was chased after 3.0 innings allowing five earned runs on seven hits and one walk in the loss.
Cooper, Raborn, and
Darryl Pui each had two hits in the game for USC Aiken.
USC Aiken and GCSU will play the final game of their weekend series tomorrow at 1:00 PM at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.
GAME ONE
#11 GCSU.........................000 100 001 - 3 7 1
#27 USC Aiken................000 010 010 - 2 8 0
E - Snell(10). DP - Bobcats 1. LOB - Bobcats 11; Pacers 10. 2B - Burt(2); Heflin(6). HBP - Anderson; Sheehan. SH - Mills(3); Cullen(1); Kolve(2); Martin(8). SF - Tankersley(4). SB - Pui(16).
BOXSCORE
GAME TWO
#11 GCSU.........................121 103 0 - 8 12 1
#27 USC Aiken................200 100 0 - 3 10 1
E - Heflin(6); Key, M.(2). DP - Bobcats 1. LOB - Bobcats 7; Pacers 8. 2B - Paris(10); Heflin(7). HR - Mills(6). HBP - DiFelice; Heflin. SH - Janofsky 2(10); Tankersley(14); Sherrer(6). SB - Mills 2(27); Stancil(22); Shaughnessy(6). CS - Raborn(1).
