FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, February 2, 2009
Contact: Robert Preston, Jr.,
912.260.4276
robert.preston@sgc.edu
Tigers drop first three games of the season
The South Georgia College Tigers are three games into the 2009 baseball
season and the team still looking for its first win.
The Tigers fell to the Tallahassee Community College Eagles Friday afternoon
in Douglas 19-6, and then were swept by the Santa Fe Community College
Saints on the road in a double header. The Tigers lost game one 14-1 and
game two 7-6 in extra innings.
Former Coffee High Trojan Ryan Whiddon started the season opener for SGC,
and ran into trouble early. He lasted three innings and gave up seven runs
(five earned). Whiddon walked the lead-off batter, Tyler Hibbs, and then hit
Austin Taylor to put runners on first and second with no outs. He also
plunked Luke Smierciak to load the bases. Clean-up batter Shawn Pleffner hit
into a double play, but Hibbs scored the game’s first run. The inning ended
on a flyout by Steve Antolik.
In the bottom of the frame, the Tigers responded by scoring two runs of
their own. Both Zach Kilday and Stuart Drew, another former Trojan, singled.
After a Justin Roberts line out, the two base-runners advanced on a Brandon
Collins flyout. With two out, Lee Hall singled to score Kilday and Drew to
give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.
In the top of the second, the Eagles plated four runs on two hits and one
SGC error to regain the lead, 5-2. SGC added two more runs in the bottom of
the third after Drew and Roberts scored on separate plays to close the gap
to 5-4. But that’s as close as the Tigers would get. Tallahassee scored four
runs in the fourth, five in the fifth, four in the seventh and one in the
eighth.
In the seventh, Rhett Smith scored on an Austin Palmer fielder’s choice. One
inning later, Drew scored his second run of the game, this one off a D.J.
Hines single.
Stuart Drew had a solid performance in his first college game, going 2 for 5
with 3 runs scored. Kilday went 2 for 4, and also scored a run. Lee Hall
drove in a pair of runs.
Whiddon took the loss for SGC. Zach Hula, James Hickey and Michael Baker
also saw action from the mound for the Tigers. The Eagles’ starter, Brett
Hammaker, got the win with Matt Miller picking up the save.
Saturday afternoon, the Tigers hit the road for a pair of games against
Sante Fe. SGC head coach Scott Sims started Greg Fietsam against the Saints.
Fietsam threw a great game for 4 2/3 innings. He scattered eight hits but
allowed just two runs (one earned).
Neither team scored until the top of the fifth inning, when the Tigers drew
first blood. Designated hitter Jamaal Smith reached base on an error and
advanced to second on a bunt by Blake Jenkins. Andrew Anderson also reached
on an error that also scored Smith.
In the bottom of the frame, Fietsam gave up a lead-off double to Eric Sauls.
Nathan Hartman reached on an error, followed by a single off the bat of
Jardian Thomas that scored Sauls. Later in the inning, Hartman scored on a
two-out bunt. Justin Fordham came in to relieve Fietsam, and he got out of
the inning without any more damage.
However, the wheels came off for South Georgia in the bottom of the sixth.
The Saints scored 12 runs off eight hits and four SGC errors to go up 14-1.
Fordham (2/3 of an inning, five hits allowed) is credited with eight of
those runs while Scott Groover, who also threw 2/3 of an inning and gave up
four hits, allowed the other four runs.
The Tigers didn’t do much offensively, scoring just one run on two hits (one
each by Drew and Austin Palmer).
Fietsam took the loss while Saints’ starter Shane McIntyre got the win.
The Tigers played better in game two. Starter Tony Albritton and Michael
Baker threw a combined 6 1/3 innings and only allowed three runs on four
hits. SGC scored two runs in the first and one in the sixth to go up 3-1.
However, the Saints scored two in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at
three.
Neither team scored in the seventh, which forced the first extra-innings
contest for the Tigers. In the ninth inning, SGC made a move. Kilday led off
with a single. Drew, who had doubled earlier in the game, reached on a bunt.
After Keenan Ivey struck out attempting to bunt, Brandon Collins walked to
load the bases. Hall grounded out to second, which scored Jake Gower, who
was pinch running for Kilday. With two outs and runners on second and third,
Jamaal Smith doubled to center, scoring Drew and Collins.
The Saints wouldn’t quit, though. Down 6-3 in the bottom of the ninth, they
scored three runs on two hits and an error to tie the game at six and extend
the contest. Both pitchers kept their opponents at bay during the tenth
inning, and the Tigers failed to score in the top of the eleventh.
In the bottom of the inning, Ryan Matthews hit a two-out double to get
things going for the Saints. Following the double, Jamaal Smith came in to
relieve Bray Bishop. With a runner on second and two outs, Eric Sauls
reached base on an error that moved Matthews to third. He soon scored on a
passed ball that gave Santa Fe a 7-6 win.
Kilday went 2 for 4 and scored a run, while Collins and Jamaal Smith each
drove in two runs. Drew hit safely in all three games over the weekend.
The Tigers are in action again Friday, Feb. 6 against St. Johns River
Community College. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at George A. Cook
Stadium in Douglas. The game kicks off a weekend of baseball on the SGC
campus; the Tigers have games scheduled for Saturday (1 p.m.) and Sunday (4
p.m.).
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About South Georgia College
South Georgia College (www.sgc.edu)
was founded in 1906 and is a two-year institution in the University System
of Georgia. Located in Douglas, Ga., the college's environment gives
students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close
collaboration with faculty.
