SAN MARCOS, TEXAS - Georgia Southern Baseball dropped a tough 4-3 game to Texas State on Friday night to open the weekend series with the Bobcats. The Eagles took the lead in the first inning and led until conceding a three run home run in the eighth inning.
The Eagles' biggest strength this season has been a weekend rotation full of starters who are not only effective, but are also efficient and routinely pitch deep into games. Unfortunately, that has also led to some tough-luck losses. That unwanted scenario played out on Friday as Brian Eichhorn was carving up Bobcat batters throughout the night.
Georgia Southern scored some early runs and got an insurance run in the top of the eighth to take a 3-1 lead, only to see Texas State make up for a night of frustration at the plate with just one swing in the bottom half.
Eichhorn surrendered a walk and a single to lead off the frame, only to battle back and record a pair of outs via sacrifice bunt and a fielder's choice to maintain the two-run lead. That brought Jonathan Ortega to the plate and the Texas State second baseman crushed an 0-1 offering over the wall in left center to give his team the lead.
Kyle Bradford got the win for Texas State (22-19-1, 10-9 Sun Belt Conference) despite allowing a run during his one inning of work in the top of the eighth. Braydon Theriot picked up the save, striking out a pair of Eagles in working a perfect ninth inning to slam the door on Georgia Southern (20-21, 10-8).
SCORING PLAYS
Top 1st - A leadoff walk to start the game opened the door for the Eagles to scratch out a run in the first inning. Chandler Corley delivered an RBI single up the middle to plate Jason Swan and give the good guys a 1-0 lead.
Top 2nd - A leadoff walk in the second allowed the Eagles to build a 2-0 lead. After a throwing error on Christian Avant's sacrifice bunt, Jason Swan grounded out to short, plating the run.
Bottom 4th - Texas State got a run back in the fourth with a leadoff home run off the bat of Dalton Shuffield.
Top 8th - A two out throwing error in the eighth gave the Eagles new life in the frame. A wild pitch and a walk moved Chandler Corley in to scoring position, where Mitchell Golden knocked him in to push the lead back to two at 3-1.
Bottom 8th - With runners on second and third and two outs, Jonathan Ortega put the Bobcats ahead for the first time in the game with a three run home run to left, giving the home side a 4-3 lead.
NOTES
- Tyler Martin went 3-for-4 with a double to record a new career-standard in hits. The junior raised his average to .313 and has hit safely in four consecutive contests. He accounted for three of the six Georgia Southern hits on Friday night from the cleanup spot in the lineup.
- Brian Eichhorn was poised to earn his ninth quality start in his 11th start of the year, but was handed the loss after the home run in the eighth inning. He went all eight innings, allowing four runs, all earned off six hits with three walks and nine strikeouts.
UP NEXT
Game two between the Eagles and Bobcats is set for Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. (CT) / 5 p.m. (ET). Listen to the game live on the Georgia Southern Sports Network and online at GSEagles.com and the TuneIn App.
Seth Shuman will take the hill for Georgia Southern, with Connor Reich scheduled to start for the Bobcats.
