May 25, 2006
WILMINGTON, N.C. (May 25, 2006) - Sixth-seeded Georgia State(26-30) rallied from a five-run deficit and staved off elimination in the CAA Baseball Championship by edging No.2 Old Dominion (39-17)6-5 in 10 innings Thursday afternoon at Brooks Field. It was ODU's second straight extrainning tournament loss.
Junior outfielder Eric Suttle's two-out single to short right field scored Wesley Wilson with the game-winning run in the 10 th as the Panthers improved to 26-30. State will play at either noon or 3:30 p.m. on Friday depending on the outcome of other action today. ODU (39-17) was the first team knocked of the tournament, but will hope for an at-large berth in next week's NCAA Baseball Championship.
Sophomore left-hander Bobby Bennett (5-2) earned the win for State after allowing just two hits and no runs over the final 4.1 innings. Junior Jason Godin (8-3), who tossed a complete game for the Monarchs, gave up eight hits over the 9.2 innings, but only two of the six runs he allowed were earned. Godin fanned five to give himself 146 strikeouts in 115.1 innings
which is five shy of the single season ODU and CAA record set by JustinVerlander in 2004.
Wilson led off the 10 th by reaching on a hard liner that ricocheted of Godin. He advanced to second on a sacrifice and to third on a fly out to right. After an intentional walk to Matt Van Horn, Suttle looped a ball that fell just in front of the diving right-fielder and plated Wilson for the win.
"(Godin) was throwing that slider to me all game and getting me out," said Suttle of his game-winning at-bat. "He left it up a little bit and I was able to hit it to right field."
ODU took a 1-0 lead in the third. Shortstop Jesse Schoendienst looped a lead-off single to left and centerfielder Jimmy Miles followed by beating out a bunt. Schoendienst advanced to third on a fielder's choice and scored on a Dana Arrowood sacrifice fly.
The Monarchs built on their advantage with a four-run sixth. Arrowood opened the frame by doubling off the wall in left and catcher Patrick Nichols followed by launching his team-leading 18th home run of the season to make it 3-0. One-out singles by Tyler Belcher and Chris Keenan and a Keith Hahn walk loaded the bases for Miles, who laced a two-run single to right-center to increase the ODU lead to five and chased State starter Jeramy Compton from the game.
State responded with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Shortstop Jean-Michel Rochon-Salvas started the inning by reaching second on a throwing error by Godin and scored on first baseman Charlie Pelt's single to right. An Aeden McQueary-Ennis single gave the Panthers runners on the corners with no outs. Pelt came across on Wilson's ground out and a two-out single by designated hitter T.J. Brandenburg plated McQueary-Ennis to make it 5-3.
The Panthers took advantage of a critical ODU error to draw even in the eighth. A Pelt walk and a Wilson single put runners on first and second with one out. Nick McEntyre followed with a grounder that went through the legs of second baseman Chris Keenan, allowing both runners raced around to score and make it 5-5.
Wilson was 2-for-4 with two runs scored to lead State offensively, while Suttle was 2-for-5. Miles and Nichols each went 2-for-4 with two RBI for Old Dominion. On the season, ODU is 6-2 in extra inning games.
Nichols 18 homers ranks second highest in school single season historyto Ron Walkers' 20 in 1997, and one ahead of Tony Gsell's 17 in 1999.
ODU played without the services of regular firstbaseman Bryan Cipollawho was injured in the UNCW game the night before when he was hit onthe foot by a pitched ball.