Box Score
DAVIDSON, N.C. – The seventh-seeded Davidson Wildcats nearly upset the second-seeded Georgia Southern Eagles in the opening game of the 2009 Southern Conference Baseball Tournament, but could not hold onto an early lead, eventually falling 4-3 in 11 innings Wednesday morning at Fluor Field.
Davidson (18-30) led for most of the game, until Georgia Southern (39-15) tied the game with a pair of runs in the seventh inning.
Thomas Middour pitched three innings of one-hit relief and worked both into and out of some jams, but Georgia Southern got a bases-loaded walk-off single from Brian Pierce in the 11th to advance in the winner’s bracket.
The Eagles will face the winner of the second game, vs. No. 3 Citadel and No. 6 Appalachian State, tomorrow at 5 p.m. Davidson will play the loser tomorrow at 9 a.m.
Middour (2-7) took the loss for the Wildcats, while Kyle Kamppi (3-2) became the winner after throwing the final 2 2/3 of shutout ball.
Chris Lamb was efficient for Davidson, allowing just three runs on nine hits in 6 2/3, but Chris Mederos was equal, surrendering three runs (two earned) on seven hits and striking out a season-high 12 batters in 7 1/3.
The Wildcats went straight to work, getting across a run in the first as
Zach Kayne scored from third on a
Danny Weiss groundout. Kayne drew a walk and bumped around to second on a failed pickoff attempt by Mederos.
Drew Gadaire grounded out for the second out of the frame, battling off a 2-2 pitch to allow Kayne to take third for Weiss.
Lamb worked into some trouble in his first outing, surrendering a one-out single to Roman Grimaldi and hitting Griffin Benedict. He fought back to a full count and struck out Phillip Porter for the second out, and
Tommy Piacenza threw Grimaldi out at third to complete the inning-ending double play.
The Wildcats added another run in the top of the second, on back-to-back hits by Piacenza and
James Cerbie. Piacenza singled past a diving Brian Pierce at short stop and moved around to third on Cerbie’s double into the gap in left field.
Pat Brady struck out, as Piacenza scored on a wild pitch. Mederos struck Webb out for the second out and got
Brett Shore to fly out to limit the ‘Cats’ lead to 2-0.
A.J. Wirnsberger (single) and Kyle Blackburn (double) took second and third with no outs to start the second for the Eagles. But Lamb again worked out of trouble, striking out Will Southwell and getting a groundout from Pierce and a fly out from Eric Phillips for three straight outs.
Georgia Southern finally got a run across in the third. Ty Wright took a leadoff walk to start the third inning and scored two batters later on a sacrifice fly by Griffin Benedict. Webb fielded a hot shot from Wirnsberger for the third out as the Wildcat defense continued to be effective.
Piacenza’s second hit of the day started the fourth, and Cerbie drew a walk to give the ‘Cats a pair of runners with no outs, but Davidson squandered the opportunity.
The Wildcats would add a run in the fifth, as
Chase FitzPatrick doubled in Gadaire, but the Eagles knotted the score with a pair of scores in the seventh inning. Benedict took a one-out walk and bumped around to third on a base hit by Porter. Wirnsberger sacrificed in a run, and Kyle Blackburned doubled in the other.
Mike Frongello came on for the final out, and after retiring the first batter he faced in the eighth, allowed a single and a walk. Middour struck out two to keep the score tied going into the ninth.
Shore got a leadoff walk, but was stranded on second after being sacrificed by Kayne. Middour pitched to just three batters in the bottom of the inning to send the game into extras, but the Wildcats would strand two more in the 10th.
The Eagles loaded the bases with one out courtesy of a fielding error by Cerbie, a walk and a hit batsmen. Middour worked out of the jam by fielding a swinging bunt for a force out at the plate and striking out Benedict.
The ‘Cats couldn’t get out of the jam in the 11th, though, once again getting the bases loaded with one out. Webb took over in relief of Middour, but Pierce dropped a base hit into no-man’s land in shallow right field to lift the Eagles to the 4-3 win.