GC&SU baseball sweeps Augusta State

By Ryan Schomber
Staff Writer

Over the past weekend the Georgia College & State University baseball team broke out of their midseason slump by sweeping Augusta State.
The Bobcats took both games in last Saturday’s doubleheader after winning Friday’s opening game.
In the opener, GC&SU scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning to pull out a 6-4 victory. The win ends a five game losing streak for GC&SU (20-10, 8-5 PBC).
The Bobcats got on the board first as Christian Corvos grounded out, scoring Gary Harris from third to give GC&SU a 1-0 lead. Eddie Campbell then belted his first homerun of the season in the third inning to put the Bobcats up 2-0.
GC&SU starter Brian Bulger pitched well for six innings, but Augusta State took advantage of a Bobcat error and scored four unearned runs in the seventh inning, making the score 4-2 in favor of ASU. Bulger left the game after striking out 11 batters while allowing only 5 hits in 6.2 innings.
GC&SU finally answered in the top of the ninth inning. After Hal Jackson led off the inning with a single up the middle, Jon Chappell blasted a two run homerun to left field to tie the game at 4-all.
The homerun chased ASU starter Marty Bruce and brought upon the Jaguars closer Mitch Douglas. The Bobcats were not quite done; Campbell hit a triple down the right field line to drive in Will Martin for the winning run. Campbell later scored on a wild pitch to put the Bobcats up 6-4 and in control for the win.
Matt Goyen (3-2) shut down ASU in the bottom of the ninth to pick up the victory. In 2.1 innings of work, Goyen did not allow a base runner and also collected four strikeouts. Douglas (2-2) took the loss for ASU.
In game two on Saturday, the Bobcats got off to a quick start, as Harris stroked a lead-off triple and then scored on a ground out by Jason Samples.
ASU (24-12, 10-8 PBC) rallied to take the lead with three unearned runs in the sixth inning, but the Bobcats answered in their next at bat with three runs in the seventh to build a 5-3 lead. Heading into the bottom of the ninth, GC&SU was up two until ASU’s Brandon Smith led off the inning with a homer, cutting the lead to 5-4. But GC&SU’s Michael Buck came in and got his first save of the season. Buck then retired the next three ASU batters to close out the game.
In the third and final game of the series, GC&SU was led by Chappell and Christian Corvos as they hit back to back home runs deep to left field in the first inning to give GC&SU a 3-0 lead. Augusta State slowly chipped away at the lead with single runs in the third and fifth innings, but the Bobcats answered with two more runs in the sixth inning to build a safe 5-2 lead.
Jay Henderson (3-1) earned the win for the Bobcats after allowing two runs on 2 hits in five complete innings. Matt Goyen picked up his first save as a Bobcat after sating down all six batters he faced in his two innings of work. Augi Rodriguez (5-2) took the loss for ASU after allowing five runs, 4 earned, on 7 hits in a complete game losing effort. Harris went 2-4 with a double, and Chappell added his 11th homerun of the season to help GC&SU at the plate.
With the Bobcats’ sweep of Augusta State, GC&SU moved up in the polls to #12, but the Bobcats look to return to the no. 1 spot.
Bobcat pitcher Matt Goyen recieved the honor of being named Peach Belt pitcher of the week. Goyen, a freshman from Athens, Ga made three relief appearances over the past week and did not allow a base runner in the six innings he worked. In his two appearances against Augusta State, Goyen earned a win and a save in 4.1 total innings and sat down all 13 Jaguars he faced.
The Bobcats play at John Kurtz field this weekend in a good Peach Belt match up with UNC Pembroke.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 5 2002. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry