Back to the diamond
Despite the losses, the Bobcats were impressive enough to be voted No. 18 in the Baseball Magazine national poll after starting the season unranked.
Last Thursday, the Bobcats battled Eriskine’s Flying Fleet to the very last out. In a tie ball game with two outs and the bases loaded senior outfielder Danny McCorkell stepped up to the plate with a mission, to end the game right there.
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A perfectly placed bunt just passed the pitcher sent junior Paul Bordon across the plate for a 6-5 victory.
After the game, head coach Tom Carty said that McCorkell approached him with the idea to bunt, Carty immediately agreed and told him to do it if he could.
“It’s great for (McCorkell) to come in, in a situation like that,” Catry said. “I had confidence in him, he had confidence in him, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Seven pitchers threw for the Bobcats, with newcomer Martin Dewald earning the win. The junior pitched a perfect final two innings of the game, striking out five of the six batters he faced.
“It just worked out,” Dewald said. “I had my stuff today, everything was working, it’s always good in a tight game – being pumped anyway – everything just came together.”
Junior leftfielder Kyle Allen started his GCSU career with a bang, scorching a stand-up triple down the first base line to leadoff the bottom of the first inning.
Allen finished the game 2-for-3 with a pair of walks, two runs and a stolen base.
“I didn’t see my first hit as a Bobcat being a triple,” Allen said. “I was just hoping I didn’t strike out.”
Also making an impression at the plate in his Bobcat debut, junior third baseman Steve Muoio smacked a two-run homer in the third and added another base knock to record a 2-for-4 day, with three RBIs and a walk.
“Early on we left some runners on base,” Carty said. “Our pitchers kept us in the game, but in the seventh we faltered a little on the mound, but it’s great to win the opener against a good team like that.”
Over the weekend, GCSU traveled to Tampa, Fl. for their annual series with national powerhouse Tampa. Despite battling the Trojans into extra-innings the Bobcats dropped game one on Sunday.
GCSU grabbed a 5-0 lead by the fifth inning, but Tampa answered in the bottom of the fifth with three runs.
The Trojans continued to cut into the Bobcat lead with runs in the seventh and eighth before Trojan outfielder Nick Norgdren smashed a walk-off home run over the left centerfield wall in the tenth frame.
The Bobcat bats were silenced in game two by Tampa hurlers Thomas Meagher and Max Krueter, who combined to allow only two hits and one run, while striking out eight GCSU batters.
Junior lefty Ryan Tabor started the game for the Bobcats and allowed three runs and five hits over 3.2 innings in the loss.
The Bobcats’ fortunes didn’t change on Monday when they took the field for the third and final game of the series.
GCSU’s starting pitcher Dylan Lightell and Trojan starter Josh Bowman locked into a pitchers’ duel for the first three innings, but Tampa’s offense erupted for five runs in the fourth.
Despite adding four of their own runs in the seventh, the Bobcats couldn’t muster enough offense to overcome the deficit. Tampa added two insurance runs in the eighth to cap a 7-5 victory.
Lightell, a junior, gave up three earned runs on two hits and two walks over 3.1 innings. Junior reliever Kyle Cravey pitched the final 4.2 innings, giving up four earned runs on three hits and two walks.
Sophomore catcher Richard Pirkle doubled in a run in the fourth and junior designated hitter Buddy Elmore tagged a two run shot over the right field wall in the next at-bat.
Junior designated hitter Buddy Elmore hit a two run homer in the fourth, his first as a Bobcat.
The Bobcats are back in action at John Kurtz field on Friday when they host Philadelphia University at 6 p.m.
Despite the losses, the team feels confident heading into a nine game home stand.
“I love this team,” Allen said. “It’s so much better than junior college, better than any team I’ve every been on before. I’m really excited about our chances this year.”
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Feb 13 2009. Filed under Sports.
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