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Wednesday
April 27,
2005
Braves win on Senior Day, end losing streak
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(Above) Tyler Meigs pitched seven innings and struck out seven last Sunday. (Below)
Robert Cooper rounds the bases for the Braves.
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West Georgia gets swept by Valdosta State
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Jessica Sanders and the Braves hope to finish strong this season.
Sports
By Bobby Moore
Sports Editor
rmoore7@my. westga.edu
This past week, the
West Georgia Braves
baseball team continued
their recent struggles,
but managed to make
this year’s Senior Day a
memorable one.
The Braves started
their week off last
Wednesday on the road
against the Kennesaw
State Owls.
After falling behind 4-
0 in the first three innings,
the Braves tried to mount a
comeback by scoring a run
in three straight innings.
The Braves’ comeback
attempt, which was sparked
by Jim Beaumel’s third home
run of the season, was not
enough, as a two run single
by Owls first baseman Andy
Hudson increased KSU’s
lead to 6-3.
Kevin Benton would
lead off the top of the ninth
with a home run, but it was
not enough, as the Owls
went on to win the game.
()n Saturday, the Braves
began a three game series at
home against the Alabama-
Huntsville Chargers.
Both teams came into
the series with a 6-9 record
in the GSC East, which
meant that this series was
important for the Braves if
they planned on making it
to the post-season.
Game one proved to
be an indication that this
would be a wild weekend,
as the Chargers beat the
Braves 11-10 in 11 innings.
Alabama-Huntsville
dominated the first four
innings, taking a 6-0 lead.
In the bottom of the
By Steven Gilley
.SVo// Writer
stevengilleyls@aol.com
The West Georgia
Braves softball team
started the season off well,
with an 17-11 record.
After winning their
last three games, they
hoped to put together a
string of victories to gain
a spot in the Gulf South
Conference tournament
next month.
However, they have
dropped 17 of their last 23
games, and are in danger
of falling out of the GSC
tournament contention.
Facing the Valdosta
State Blazers last Saturday,
they lost 3-0 in the first
game and 11-9 in the
second match-up.
In game one, the
Braves played the Lady
Blazers tough, pushing the
game to nine innings.
Led by pitcher Tara
Gober, West Georgia held
Valdosta State scoreless in
the first 8 eight innings.
Going into extra
innings, the Blazers’ Holly
Willis hit a home run to
left center field to put her
team up for good.
i
JT
fifth inning, the Braves
scored seven runs with two
outs in the inning to take
the lead.
In the top of the sixth,
the Chargers scored two
more runs to make it an 8-
7 game.
In the top of the
eighth, the Chargers would
add two more runs.
In the bottom of the
inning, a two run single
by Jason Parker pulled the
Braves back to within one
run of the Chargers.
In the bottom of the
ninth, Adam Prichard
drove in the tying run,
forcing the game to go into
extra innings.
In the top of the 11th
inning, an RBI single by
center fielder Ryan Cox
would give the Chargers
the lead.
In the bottom of the
11th, Beaumel, who was 5-
for-5 going into the inning,
struck out with two outs
and two men on base.
In game two, the
Braves were unable to
overcome the Chargers’
five run fourth inning.
Only one inning after
hitting his first home run
of the season. Chargers
catcher Brian Nash hit a
grand slam to give his team
a 6-0 lead.
The Chargers would
add two more runs in the
top of the seventh, as they
cruised to an 8-2 victory.
On Sunday, it was the
Braves’ turn to win a high
scoring shoot-out, as they
picked up a 10-9 victory
on Senior Day.
After falling behind
1-0 in the first inning, the
Braves would take their
first lead of the day after
Four batters later,
Brooke Davis hit a double
to score two runs and
secure the 3-0 win.
The Braves produced
ten hits in the contest, but
left 12 runners on base
and failed to generate any
offense in the game.
Playing with a chip on
their shoulders, the Braves
were determined to win the
second match-up.
Adrienne Clay hit
a homer to right-center
field to give her team an
8-7 lead.
The Braves later scored
another run and only
needed three outs to secure
the win, but the Blazers’
Caroline Cripe hit a home
run to tie the game at nine.
After a second
consecutive extra inning
game, the Lady Blazers
capitalized on the Braves’
mistakes. Amy King
mishandled a fly ball,
allowing a run to be
scored. Scoring another
run, Valdosta went on to
secure the win.
On the next day, the
Braves had a chance to
win on Senior Day, but
the Lady Blazers closed
out a three game sweep,
Daniel Powell hit a two
run double down the left
field line.
Trailing 7-3 in the
bottom of the sixth, the
Braves continued to claw
back, as a home run by Jason
Parker pulled the Braves to
within three runs.
A two run home run
by designated hitter Wes
Hopper, his ninth of the
season, gave the Chargers
their biggest lead of the
game, 9-4.
In the bottom of the
eighth, Jared Rolen led off
the inning with a home run.
Two batters later, Alex
Parker hit a two run shot
that put the Braves back
into the game.
Two batters later,
Daniel Powell would hit
an RBI double to pull
the Braves to shrink the
Chargers’ lead to one.
Powell would later
score when Beaumel got
hit by a pitch with the
bases loaded.
With one out in the
bottom of the night, Alex
Parker hit a walk-off home
run to give the Braves the
11-10 victory.
Even though Tyler
Meigs did not get the win,
he pitched seven innings and
picked up seven strikeouts,
despite getting injured in
Saturday’s first game.
Today’s game against
the Columbus State, which
will begin at 4 p.m., will be
the Braves’ final home game
of the season.
This weekend, the
Braves will finish their 2005
season on the road when
they will face the West
Alabama Tigers. For game
coverage and stats visit
www.uwgbraves.com.
winning 8-1.
Great pitching from
the Blazers’ Elske Ten
Hoope and Amanda
Edwards held the Braves
scoreless for most of the
contest. Mary Carlisle hit
a home-run in the bottom
of the fourth for the Braves
only score of the game.
West Georgia falls to
23-28 on the season and
7-15 in the Gulf South
Conference East Division.
The Braves still have
three home games left
on their schedule. They
will host Columbus State
today at 3 p.m., and will
host Alabama-Huntsville
this weekend for in their
final conference series of
the season.
Inside
the
Numbers:
14
Home runs hit so far
this season by infielder
Jessica Sanders,
a school record.