May 25, 2003

Final Stats

Charleston, S.C. - Brandon Long went 3-for-4 with three RBI to lead Georgia Southern (39-20) to an 8-4 win over Western Carolina (40-19) and force a second game in the 2003 Southern Conference Championship Sunday afternoon at Riley Park.

Western Carolina took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the third. Todd Roper drew a leadoff walk. On the next play, Wayne Kilmer laid down a perfect bunt down the third base line, which was kept fair by the chalk line and the Georgia Southern players waited to roll foul. While the Eagles were watching the ball roll, Roper moved the third and Kilmer to second. Aft er GSU starter Dennis Dove struck out Alan Beck and got Todd Buchanan to foul out, Rod Goldston delivered a two-run single through the left side.

Georgia Southern answered with an unearned run in the bottom half. A single by James Payne and Brenden Gilligan reaching on catcher's interference put runners on first and second. A sacrifice bunt by Long moved the runners into scoring position and Brant Burrus delivered a sac fly. In recording the seocnd out of the third, WCU set a SoCon Tournament record by pitching 29.2 innings of scoreless baseball.

Western regained a two-run advantage (3-1) in the fourth. Chris Davis started the frame with a double, moved to third on a ground out and scored on a Brian Sigmon sac fly to center. The Eagles answered with five runs in the bottom half, making the score 6-3. A double by Greg Dowling, a single by Rocky Baker and an RBI double by A.J. Zickgraf made the score 3-2. Brandon Bursed followed with an RBI, infield single, leaving runners at first and second. A walk to Payne loaded the bases and chased WCU starter Seth Foster. Long cleared the bases with a one-out triple.

The Catamounts cut into their deficit with a run in the sixth, making the score 6-4. Chris Davis got a one-out infield single and scored one batter later on a Brian Sigmon double to right-center. Georgia Southern responded with a run of their own in the bottom half. Gilligan led off with a double, but was picked off at second with a perfectly executed "wheel play." Two batters later, Burruss singled and scored on a Carlos Love double.

In the bottom of the eighth, GSU added a run, making the score 8-4. Long reached on a ground-rule double and scored on a Burruss double.