Box Score Game Box (pdf)
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – On Friday night, the Wofford baseball team was defeated 7-4 by Georgia Southern at Russell C. King Field. The Terriers had a 4-3 lead after six innings, but the Eagles came back with two runs in the seventh and ninth innings to secure the win.
Wofford is 20-32 overall and 7-21 in the SoCon. Georgia Southern is 30-24 overall and 15-13 in league play. The Terriers were led by Matthew Pelt with three hits and Konstantine Diamaduros with two RBIs. Brandon Yarusi added ten strikeouts. The Eagles were led by Scooter Williams and Chase Griffin with three hits each.
The Eagles got on the board in the top of the first when three hits, including a double by Michael Burruss, plated two runs. Wofford had runners on the corners after a walk by James Foster and a single by Matthew Pelt. A sacrifice fly by Konstantine Diamaduros made it a 2-1 game after the first inning.
In the top of the third inning, Georgia Southern added an unearned run to take a 3-1 lead. The Terriers loaded the bases in the bottom of the third. A ground out into a double play allowed one run to score. A single to left field by Konstantine Diamaduros added a run to tie the game at three.
Georgia Southern loaded the bases in the top of the fourth with two outs, but a strikeout ended the scoring chance. Each team left one runner on base in the fifth inning. In the bottom of the sixth, Konstantine Diamaduros singled and stole second. With two outs, James Plaisted hit a double to right center to make it a 4-3 game.
The Eagles opened the seventh inning with a double by Eric Phillips and he scored on a single by Chase Griffin to tie the game at four. With the bases loaded, a walk gave Georgia Southern a 5-4 lead before a double play ended the inning. Wofford loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh on three walks, but all three were stranded to end the seventh inning.
Both teams were retired in order in the eighth inning. In the top of the ninth, two Eagles were on bases after walks when a double by T.D. Davis scored both runners for a 7-4 lead. Wofford had a hit by Matthew Pelt in the bottom of the ninth, but he was left one base.
Wofford starter Brandon Yarusi (5-7) threw seven innings and allowed five runs on eleven hits and he tied a career-high with ten strikeouts. He reached 107 strikeouts on the season, moving him into second place in school history for a single season. The school record is 129 set in 1956 by Tom McIntyre. Alex Wilson threw the eighth and had one strikeout without allowing a hit. J.D. Osborne allowed two runs on one hit. Connell Anderson went an inning and had one strikeout.
Georgia Southern starter Chris Beck (5-7) went six innings and gave up four runs on six hits with seven strikeouts. Jarret Leverett threw three innings and allowed one hit with six strikeouts for his sixth save of the season.
The series against the Eagles will conclude with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 2:00 p.m. The nine seniors on the team will be honored prior to the start of the game on Saturday.
