Box Score Game Box (pdf)SPARTANBURG, S.C. – On Sunday afternoon, the Wofford baseball team was defeated 20-2 by Georgia Southern at Russell C. King Field. The Terriers scored first, but the Eagles took the lead in the third inning and did not look back as they avoided the series sweep.
Wofford is 23-21 on the season and 5-12 in the Southern Conference. Georgia Southern is 28-18 overall and 10-11 in league play. The Terriers won the weekend series against the Eagles for the third time in the last four seasons. Alec Paradowski had two of the four hits for the Terriers. Ryan Cleveland was four-of-four from the plate with six RBIs to lead the Eagles.
After Georgia Southern was retired in order in the top of the first inning, Wofford got on the board in the bottom half with a solo home run to right field by Alec Paradowski. In the top of the second, a lead-off double by Stryker Brown and an RBI single by Ryan Cleveland tied the game at 1-1. The Eagles left runners on the corners to end the scoring chance. Wofford stranded one runner on base in the bottom of the second.
In the top of the third, the lead-off batter walked and reached third base after a failed pick-off and stolen base. A two-out single by Stryker Brown scored the runner for a 2-1 lead. A home run by Ryan Cleveland gave the Eagles a 4-1 advantage. Wofford was retired in order in the bottom of the third.
The Eagles led-off the fourth with a single and added a walk with one out. An error fielding a bunt allowed a run to score for a 5-1 advantage. Two strikeouts ended the inning with two runners left on base. The Terriers were retired in order to end the fourth inning. Georgia Southern added a run on an RBI double by Garren Palmer in the top of the fifth.
Wofford was retired in order in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Eagles plated three more runs in the top of the sixth inning, including a solo home run by Ryan Cleveland, to take a 9-1 lead. In the bottom of the seventh, Alec Paradowski ended a stretch of twelve straight batters retired with a double.
Georgia Southern added five more runs, including a two RBI triple by Kody Adams, to push the score to 14-1. In the bottom of the seventh, Josh Hyman and Bryce Anglin were hit by pitch. A two-out single by Pete Carrier drove in Hyman to make it a 14-2 game, but the Terriers left two runners on base at the end of the seventh.
In the top of the eighth, the Eagles scored three runs and then a three-run homer by Wes Williams made it a 20-2 contest. After Wofford was retired in order in the bottom of the eighth, Georgia Southern left two runners on base in the top of the ninth inning. The Terriers had two runners on base in the bottom of the ninth after a single by Matt Pelt and a walk, but both were stranded when the game ended.
Wofford starting pitcher Luke Leftwich (3-5) went 3.1 innings and allowed five runs on five hits with four strikeouts. Connor Foltyn threw an inning and allowed one run on one hit with three strikeouts. Spencer Kulman went 1.1 innings and gave up three runs on three hits with one strikeout. Elliot Lance struck out the lone batter he faced. Merritt Huber went a third of an inning and gave up three runs on two hits. Josh Simpson allowed two run. Jordan Accetta worked an inning and allowed three runs on three hits with one strikeout. Chris Sheehan was on the mound for two-thirds of an inning and allowed three runs on three hits with two strikeouts. Eric Eck threw the ninth and did not allow a run on two hits with two strikeouts.
Matt McCall (2-2) started for Georgia Southern and went a season-high seven innings and gave up two runs on three hits with three strikeouts. Patrick Riley threw the final two innings and allowed just one hit with one strikeout.
The Terriers are back at home on Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m. against Charleston Southern before a weekend series at The Citadel begins on Friday afternoon.
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