Eagles shut out again

Colin Ritsick

Runs were at a premium on Saturday afternoon in Statesboro as The Citadel edged the Georgia Southern University baseball team 1-0 in an 11 inning ballgame.

This is the second day in a row that the Eagles (21-13, 10-7 SoCon) have been shut out.

After allowing one run to score in the top of the 11th, junior pinch-hitter Garren Palmer was hit by a pitch and then stole second to start the bottom half of the inning. He represented the tying run as the top of the order was due up with nobody out. But the Eagles failed to capitalize on the opportunity as each of the next three batters would strike out, stranding Palmer in scoring position and losing the game as well as the series.

No one is pointing any fingers at senior starter Justin Hess however. Hess threw nine innings of shutout baseball allowing the team that put up 11 runs on Friday to record only four hits and struck out nine batters.

Senior pitcher Kyle Rowe would be tagged with the loss, his first of the season, after letting the only run of the day cross the plate on a single up the middle from Citadel catcher Joe Jackson.

The pitching remained stellar for the away team on Saturday. After the Bulldogs (19-17, 8-6 SoCon) held GSU scoreless on Friday letting up five hits, the team did it again today – this time only allowing three hits. Four pitchers combined to throw the 11 innings while striking out 12 Eagles in the process.

Sophomore catcher Chase Griffin was responsible for two of the three for GSU hits on the day.

This is the third straight SoCon series that the Eagles have dropped.

The Eagles will try to avoid the sweep Sunday at 1:30 p.m.