GREENVILLE, S.C. – Georgia Southern scored in seven innings en route to a 14-8 victory over Furman Sunday at Latham Stadium. The win completed the regular season sweep over the Paladins after taking a doubleheader on Saturday. Eagles starter Andy Moye picked up the win as GSU improved to 26-19 overall and 16-8 in Southern Conference play. Furman watched its record dip to 13-29, 5-16.
The Eagles struck in the first inning when Shawn Payne doubled and scored on a passed ball for a 1-0 lead. But Furman answered with three runs in the home half of the inning with a three-run home run from Will Muzika.
A sloppy second inning from the Paladins returned the lead back to Georgia Southern as the Eagles picked up five runs on four hits and three errors. The inning witnessed singles from A.J. Wirnsberger, Arthur Owens, Kevin Bowles and Kyle Blackburn,and three Furman errors allowed five Eagles to cross the plate. The runs were all unearned.
Georgia Southern increased its lead to 7-3 on an RBI single from Michael Burruss in the third. Furman cut its deficit by three in the third using its second three-run home run of the ballgame. Brian Harrison lifted a shot to left field to slice the score to 7-6.
As the Paladins were held scoreless for the next three frames, GSU posted five runs over the next two innings to cushion its advantage. The Eagles scored twice in the fourth on a Blackburn RBI groundout and Eric Phillips single to left, before tacking on another three in the fifth. Randy J. Williams reached base safely for the 14th straight game and picked up two RBIs with a double to left before Bowles singled to center plating Burruss.
The only scoreless GSU innings would follow in the sixth and seventh frames, while Furman posted its seventh run following a Aaron Thompkins triple down the right field line. Muzika drove the run in with a single, but GSU took the run back in the eighth on a Burruss RBI single up the middle. The Eagles scored their final run in the ninth on a Bowles RBI single as the Paladins’ Muzika tallied his fifth RBI of the contest with a single in the bottom of the ninth for the final 14-8 score.
Moye moved to 7-3 on the year with the win, while Charles Matthews recorded his second save of the season throwing the final three innings. Furman worked through five pitchers in the loss.
Bowles was 3-for-5 on the afternoon with two RBIs and a run scored as five different Eagles each posted two hits.
Georgia Southern will return to the field with a three-game series against Alcorn State May 9-10. The non-conference foes will play a doubleheader on Sunday beginning at 1:30 p.m. with a single game on Monday at 6 p.m.
