FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 13, 2009
Contact: Robert Preston, Jr.,
912.260.4276
robert.preston@sgc.edu
Scott Groover throws no-hitter for SGC Tigers
It’s been 18 years since a South Georgia College Tiger
tossed a no-hitter.
That is, until freshman lefty Scott Groover of Locust Grove, Ga., faced the
Glen Oaks Community College Vikings at Crider Field Wednesday afternoon.
The Tigers and Vikings played a double-header, the first two games of a
seven-game home stand for SGC. The Tigers took game one 7-0 behind Groover’s
no-hitter, and followed that performance with a 12-2 win in game two on a
three-hitter by freshman Bray Bishop.
Groover (1-0, 3.07 ERA) shut down the Vikings from the first pitch of the
contest, and had a perfect game through 4 1/3 innings. He surrendered two of
his three walks in the fifth before settling back in.
“He was around the strike zone all day. It was good for him to turn in that
kind of performance,” said SGC head coach Scott Sims.
Coach Sims began to take notice of the no-hitter in the third inning.
“That’s when I really started watching it. I noticed it, then I just sat
back and kept my mouth shut. None of the others said anything about it,
either,” said Sims.
The SGC defense played very well behind Groover, though there weren’t any
really close plays. Not for 6 2/3 innings anyway. Groover retired Mike
Huling to lead off the top of the seventh. Jared Rose reached first on a
walk. Ethan Houck hit into a fielder’s choice, and Rose was forced out. That
left Houck on first with two outs. Groover then plunked Pete Guerra, putting
runners on first and second with two outs. Glenn Batteast came up next and
he nearly spoiled Groover’s day. Batteast picked out a pitch he liked and
lofted a floater to the right side of the infield. It wasn’t hit hard and
looked for a moment like it might fall between second and first. But first
baseman Lee Hall played the ball perfectly and made a superb diving catch to
preserve the no-hitter. “It was a tough play. It was the best play of the
game,” said Coach Sims. Groover struck out six and walked three.
The Tigers scored one in the second, two in the fourth and four in the
sixth. Centerfielder Zack Kilday was 4 for 4 with two RBI and one run
scored. Stuart Drew was 3 for 4 with one RBI and one run scored. Shortstop
Keenan Ivey also had a pair of hits for the Tigers.
In game two, which lasted but five innings, Bray Bishop (1-1, 3.78 ERA)
threw a complete game three-hitter, striking out four and walking four along
the way.
SGC had little trouble with the Vikings, scoring six in the first, four in
the third and two in the fifth to win the game by a 10-run mercy rule. Blake
Jenkins, Justin Roberts, Keenan Ivey and Cole Anderson each had two hits for
the Tigers. One of Ivey’s hits was a solo home run, his second of the year,
to lead off the bottom of the third.
Thursday afternoon, SGC won two more games. The Tigers defeated Glen Oaks
again, this time 7-1. In the second game, SGC faced Gloucester Community
College and won that contest 5-4.
It was Michael Baker’s turn this time. Baker, 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA, threw a
three-hitter through five innings for his first win of the season. Greg
Fietsam and Justin Newsome each tossed one scoreless inning in relief.
This game was a little closer than the others had been. The score was tied
at one each until the bottom of the fifth inning, when SGC broke things open
with six runs. Stuart Drew, Blake Jenkins and Andrew Anderson led the Tigers
offensively.
In game two, SGC let Gloucester hang around, and it nearly cost them the
game. The Tigers had a 5-1 lead through six innings before surrendering
three runs over the final two innings. With the tying run on first base in
the seventh, reliever Tony Albritton struck out Yoken Castro to end the game
and give the Tigers their fourth win in two days.
Justin Fordham (1-1, 5.40 ERA) earned the win. Drew was 2 for 3 with two RBI
and a run scored. Andrew Anderson had the game’s only extra base hit, a
double in the fourth inning.
The wins brought the Tigers’ record to 16-13 on the season. Saturday, SGC
hosts Georgia Perimeter in a 3 p.m. double-header. The series continues
Sunday with one game at 1 p.m.
Replay this exciting game play-by-play at
SGC Baseball WebCast.
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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.
