Georgia Blasts Furman, 17-1

March 28, 2007

ATHENS, GA. -- Gordon Beckham belted two home runs, including a fifth-inning grand slam, and drove in seven runs to lead Georgia to a 17-1 win over Furman in baseball action Wednesday night at Foley Field.

Beckham, a sophomore shortstop, doubled and scored in a three-run Georgia first, hit a three-run home run in a four-run second, and blasted a grand slam in a seven-run fifth to headline a 20-hit Bulldog attack. Georgia came into the contest hitting only .263 on the season. The loss was the largest in 32 meetings between the two schools dating back to 1905.

Georgia's early scoring barrage chased Paladin starter and losing pitcher J.P. Goldsberry (0-1) after 1 2/3 innings. The Paladins used seven pitchers, including Nicholas Karrow, who started the game at catcher before coming on to pitch a scoreless eighth.

The win went to Georgia starter Dean Weaver (1-1), who didn't allow a hit and allowed only one walk while strking out three in three innings of work.

Georgia would score all the runs it need in the first inning. With one out Ryan Peisel singled, and Beckham followed with a double. After Goldsberry rallied to strike out Matt Olson, Rich Poythress delivered a two-ouot double down the left field line to score Peisel and Beckham. Paladin second baseman Marcus Rose then misplayed a grounder off the bat of Joey Lewis, allowing Poythress to score from second base to give Georgia a 3-0 lead.

The Bulldogs roughed up Goldsberry for four more runs in the second, with the big blow coming on a three-run home run by Beckham to right centerfield to make it 7-0.

Furman got on the board in the fourth after Georgia reliever Alex McCree walked the first two batters he faced and then hit Tony Maccani to load the bases with no outs. McCree, however, induced a weak double play grounder by Will Stembridge that allowed Marcus Rose to score before retiring Joe Daysh on a fly ball to end the inning.

Furman didn't get its first hit in the contest until Karrow drilled a one out line drive into right field in the fifth inning.

The Bulldogs blew the game open with seven more runs in the fifth inning highlighted by a Beckham grand slam to left field off Paladin reliever Spencer Hale that streched Georgia's advantage to 13-1. Poythress capped the frame with with an RBI single that scored Matt Olson to make it 14-1.

A Jake Crane three-run blast in the eighth finished off the Georgia onslaught.

Furman returns to action on Friday when it opens a three-game Southern Conference series against Appalachian State at Furman Stadium beginning at 7:00 p.m.