The Georgia Southern Eagles racked up 11 hits, Justin Klinger had a pinch-hit solo home run, and starting pitcher Aaron Eubanks pitched six shutout innings, but Elon took advantage of the Eagle relief pitching and GSU (17-18, 1-7) dropped the second of a three-game series to the Phoenix in 10 innings 4-3 at J.I. Clements Stadium on Saturday.
Elon (20-14, 9-2) — one of the top teams in the Southern Conference — could not seem to be able to find an answer to the pitching of Eubanks (1-2), although they did have their opportunities in the middle innings. In the fifth — with runners on second and third and two out and the Eagles clinging to a 1-0 lead — Elon second baseman Adam Weaver blooped one into the outfield. With Eagle right fielder Mike Economos and second baseman Jeremy Beckham approaching the popup, Economos called off his teammate to avoid a collision and made a sliding catch just as it looked as if the ball was about to fall into the gap.
The defense was able to preserve the shutout until Eubanks — who tallied five strikeouts and four walks and allowed no runs on three hits in his six innings of work — was taken out in favor of relief pitcher Burt Barto. The Eagles had built a 2-0 lead on the strength of a Griffin Benedict RBI single and an RBI double by Kyle Blackburn, and the Phoenix were able to tie it up in the top of the seventh.
Pat Irvine got things started for Elon when he was able to reach on a fielding error by Eagle left fielder Philip Porter. He scored off of an RBI double by Phoenix shortstop Jordy Snyder. After Snyder advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, he tied the game when Mike Melillo hit a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to left.
The Eagles retook the lead in the bottom of the sixth when pinch hitter Klinger (3-for-7 with five RBI and two home runs on the season) led off the inning with a solo shot that exploded over the left field fence. After Elon re-tied the game in the top of the ninth, the game was off to extra innings.
Elon scored their fourth and final run in the top of the tenth and the Eagles stranded runners on first and third in the bottom of the inning to end the game.
Georgia Southern left nine runners-in-scoring-position and 13 overall in the contest, and continued having trouble manufacturing runs. GSU currently has a team batting average under .300 for the first time since coach Rodney Hennon took over.
“You’ve just got to get the job done,” said a visibly frustrated Hennon. “You’ve got to step up and do it. That’s the bottom line. We’re just not getting it done in those situations. We’re not doing the little things. That’s the difference in winning and losing games like that. Doing the little things — getting a bunt down, moving a runner, hitting a ball on the ground with a runner on third base and less than two outs —the little things we work on every day. This team has got to start doing it. That’s the bottom line.”
The pitching has been stepping up for the Eagles since conference play began with a Furman sweep over the Eagles in which GSU allowed 23 runs.
“We’ve got (pitchers) going out there and competing,” said Hennon. “We’ve got to start scoring runs for those guys.”
The Eagles will complete the three-game series with Elon today at 1:30 p.m. before hosting North Florida on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The Eagles played North Florida once already this year, defeating them on the road 13-9. Southern Conference play will resume when Georgia Southern welcomes the College of Charleston for a three-game series that starts on Friday at 7 p.m. at J.I. Clements Stadium.
Matt Yogus can be reached at 912-489-9404.
Elon (20-14, 9-2) — one of the top teams in the Southern Conference — could not seem to be able to find an answer to the pitching of Eubanks (1-2), although they did have their opportunities in the middle innings. In the fifth — with runners on second and third and two out and the Eagles clinging to a 1-0 lead — Elon second baseman Adam Weaver blooped one into the outfield. With Eagle right fielder Mike Economos and second baseman Jeremy Beckham approaching the popup, Economos called off his teammate to avoid a collision and made a sliding catch just as it looked as if the ball was about to fall into the gap.
The defense was able to preserve the shutout until Eubanks — who tallied five strikeouts and four walks and allowed no runs on three hits in his six innings of work — was taken out in favor of relief pitcher Burt Barto. The Eagles had built a 2-0 lead on the strength of a Griffin Benedict RBI single and an RBI double by Kyle Blackburn, and the Phoenix were able to tie it up in the top of the seventh.
Pat Irvine got things started for Elon when he was able to reach on a fielding error by Eagle left fielder Philip Porter. He scored off of an RBI double by Phoenix shortstop Jordy Snyder. After Snyder advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, he tied the game when Mike Melillo hit a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to left.
The Eagles retook the lead in the bottom of the sixth when pinch hitter Klinger (3-for-7 with five RBI and two home runs on the season) led off the inning with a solo shot that exploded over the left field fence. After Elon re-tied the game in the top of the ninth, the game was off to extra innings.
Elon scored their fourth and final run in the top of the tenth and the Eagles stranded runners on first and third in the bottom of the inning to end the game.
Georgia Southern left nine runners-in-scoring-position and 13 overall in the contest, and continued having trouble manufacturing runs. GSU currently has a team batting average under .300 for the first time since coach Rodney Hennon took over.
“You’ve just got to get the job done,” said a visibly frustrated Hennon. “You’ve got to step up and do it. That’s the bottom line. We’re just not getting it done in those situations. We’re not doing the little things. That’s the difference in winning and losing games like that. Doing the little things — getting a bunt down, moving a runner, hitting a ball on the ground with a runner on third base and less than two outs —the little things we work on every day. This team has got to start doing it. That’s the bottom line.”
The pitching has been stepping up for the Eagles since conference play began with a Furman sweep over the Eagles in which GSU allowed 23 runs.
“We’ve got (pitchers) going out there and competing,” said Hennon. “We’ve got to start scoring runs for those guys.”
The Eagles will complete the three-game series with Elon today at 1:30 p.m. before hosting North Florida on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The Eagles played North Florida once already this year, defeating them on the road 13-9. Southern Conference play will resume when Georgia Southern welcomes the College of Charleston for a three-game series that starts on Friday at 7 p.m. at J.I. Clements Stadium.
Matt Yogus can be reached at 912-489-9404.
