May 14, 2004

Box Score

Statesboro, GA - Georgia Southern pounded out 20 hits, including four from Greg Dowling, in a 11-8 victory over The Citadel in a wild Southern Conference affair in front of 1,073 fans at J.I. Clements Stadium.

Georgia Southern (29-22, 17-8 SoCon) jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead with one run in the bottom of the first. With runners on the corners, Brandon Long bounced into a 4-6-3 double play, but plated James Payne from third on the play.

The Citadel (30-22, 18-7 SoCon) quickly knotted the score at 1-1 in the second with a RBI-double to left off the bat of senior left fielder Andy Phillips. After senior first baseman Chip Cannon singled advanced to second on a sac bunt by junior second baseman Jon Aughey, Cannon raced home on Phillips sixth two-base hit of the year. The Eagles immediately retook the lead with a Mike Economos solo home run. Economos pushed the GSU lead to 2-1 with his third homer of the 2004 season. He added his second RBI of the ninth with a run scoring single in the third to extend the Eagles' advantage to 3-1.

GSU blew the game wide open in the fourth, 8-1, with four runs on four hits and a fielder's choice. The Eagles used RBI-singles from Brandon Burnsed and Greg Dowling, while Grant Burrus added a run batted in on a groundout to second.

The Bulldogs cut into the GSU lead with four runs in the fifth narrowing the margin to 8-5 on six hits and an Eagle error. Junior catcher Will Coker got the inning started with a double and then scored the first of four Bulldog runs on four RBI-singles.

In the Dogs' half of the sixth junior third baseman Chris Ard squeezed home sophomore shortstop Matulia from third to bring The Citadel within two, 8-6. Matulia led off the inning with a walk and then stole second. He advanced to third on sophomore center fielder Matt Covington's infield single before scampering home on Ard's sac bunt.

Georgia Southern added an insurance run in the sixth on a RBI-double off the stick of Dowling. Dowling, who drove-in Long on his 13th double of the season, picked up his third run batted in of the game and gave the Eagles a three-run 9-6 lead with three frames to play.

The Eagles took a commanding 10-6 lead with a run-scoring single to right-center by James Payne. With Brandon Ponder on third, Payne ripped his third hit of the game driving home Ponder.

Fred Jordan's club got back to within two, 10-8, with a pair of runs in the eighth on two runs, a walk and two GSU errors. For the second time in the game, Matulia led off the frame with a walk and advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt before scoring on a Covington RBI-single. Reaching on a fielder's choice, Ard moved to second on a throwing error and was then driven-in on Stackley's run-scoring base knock.

Following the Dogs' two-run rally, the Eagles tacked on a run in their half of the eighth. With runners on the corners, Ponder groundout to second, but he gave GSU a three-run lead, 11-8, on his second RBI of the night.

GSU's Dustin Evans (6-4) earned the win with two and two-thirds innings of work in relief of Eagle starter John Carroll who was lifted in the fifth after surrendering five runs. Evans allowed three runs on two hits.

Jonathan Ellis (8-3) took the loss for The Citadel after giving up eight runs in 3.1 innings pitched. Freshman Zach Brown was charged with three run on six hits in three and a third innings of relief.

The Bulldogs and Eagles will meet tomorrow afternoon at 4 pm for the second game of the three-game SoCon series.