Bulldogs Split With Eagles in Saturday DH

Saturday, March 2

Statesboro, GA

7:30 PM

University of Georgia

9-2

Georgia Southern

4-6

Georgia

Ga. Southern

Photo by: AP

March 02, 2019 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

STATESBORO, Ga.—Georgia Southern avoided being swept by ninth-ranked Georgia Saturday when it scored seven runs on no hits in the sixth inning to help it post a 10-7 victory at J.I. Clements Stadium.

The Eagles (4-6) batted around in the sixth thanks to four walks, three hit batters, one error that allowed three runs to score plus a couple of wild pitches that combined to doom Georgia. The Bulldogs used three pitchers in the inning and six total in the contest. Six Eagle hitters got hit by a pitch Saturday including two with the bases loaded and two runs scored on bases-loaded walks in the sixth.

Georgia (9-2) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first off Eagle starter Daniel Collins, sending seven to the plate and collecting five hits. Cam Shepherd got the game started with a leadoff double. Riley King, Aaron Schunk and Patrick Sullivan notched RBI. With two outs in the third, the Eagles made it a one-run contest courtesy of a two-out, two-run double by Tyler Martin off freshman Cole Wilcox.

With two outs in the fourth, Georgia extended its lead to 5-2 with a two-run triple from junior Tucker Maxwell, the first of his career. It ended the outing for Collins who came in with a 0.82 ERA in his first two starts. With one out in the fifth, senior LJ Talley blasted his third home run of the season, a solo shot over the "Blue Monster" in right field to make it 6-2. The Eagles got a run back in the fifth and claimed their first lead in the series with the wacky seven-run sixth where it failed to record a hit and still managed to take a 10-6 lead.

Eagle reliever David Johnson (1-0) picked up a win while Hayden Harris pitched the final 2.2 innings for his first save. Freshman Jack Gowen, the second of three pitchers in the sixth, got the loss after surrendering three runs without recording an out. Wilcox started the game but was on a pitch count after tossing two innings of relief this past Wednesday. Darryn Pasqua provided two innings. In the sixth, Christian Ryder, Gowen and Adam Goodman saw action. Goodman eventually went 1.2 innings with three strikeouts while Logan Moody made his debut as a pitcher in the eighth with a clean inning.

The teams played a day/night doubleheader Saturday to complete the series. Georgia won the day game 4-2 and the opener Friday 3-1.

Georgia returns to Foley Field for a five-game home stand starting Tuesday. The Bulldogs will face Alabama State at 5 p.m.

Dawg Tracks

Junior shortstop Cam Shepherd has reached base in all 11 games this year including a leadoff double tonight.
Junior centerfielder Tucker Maxwell notched his first career a triple, and it brought home two runs for a 5-2 lead in the fourth.
Freshman right-hander Cole Wilcox made his first career start on a pitch count after tossing two innings of relief this past Wednesday versus Kennesaw State.
Redshirt freshman right-hander Darryn Pasqua and junior right-hander Logan Moody made their Bulldog debut on the mound.

Coach's Corner

Ike Cousins Head Baseball Coach Scott Stricklin

"The sixth inning was unbelievable. Once it started going in that direction, we couldn't stop it. It all started after we got the first out. Next thing you know, the score is 10-6 and we're behind after starting the inning with a 6-3 lead. It's very disappointing. We didn't have a couple of guys available (Will Proctor and Tim Elliott) and that hurt us a little bit but that just means guys get to step up and get opportunities, and they need to make sure they make the most of them. We just didn't get it done. In the long run, we won the series on the road. It stinks we lost the last one, and overall I didn't think we played well this weekend."

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