SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Georgia Southern split a doubleheader at Wofford on Saturday in a tale of two games. The Eagles took the series against the conference foe with an 11-2 win in the finale contest after falling 12-6 to open the day.
Kevin Bowles hit .500 on the day going 4-for-8 with three RBI. Andy Moye pitched the Eagles to an 11-10 overall record on the season and 4-2 Southern Conference mark. The use of seven pitchers in game two dropped the Terriers to 7-11, 2-4 with a win in the day’s first game.
Game One
Arthur Owens went 3-for-4 scoring twice as GSU was limited to eight hits, while Wofford tallied 13. J.D. Osborne earned the win improving to 3-0 on the season with Eagle starter Matt Murray (2-1) taking the loss.
Wofford took a permanent lead in the first inning using four hits to score twice. Two more Terrier runs were added in the third, before a 7-run fourth inning gave Wofford a commanding 11-1 advantage. Triples from Mac Doyle and Konstantine Diamaduros plated four runs while singles from James Foster and Landon Bennett added two.
Following two walks to open the sixth, Bowles singled to score Roman Grimaldi. After Wofford added another run in the bottom of the sixth, GS posted four runs over the final two innings. The Eagles scored three in the eighth using singles from Grimaldi and Owens, while a Michael Burruss RBI single in the ninth would be the last for Georgia Southern in the afternoon game.
Game Two
Bowles and Steve Cochrane led the way for the Eagles going for a combined 6-for-9 and seven RBI. Starter Moye picked up the win throwing 6.1 innings allowing only two runs (both earned) on seven scattered hits to improve to 2-2 on the year. Justin Hess closed the game working the last two innings, striking out one and surrendering two unproductive hits.
The conference foes traded runs in the first inning with the visiting Eagles striking first. GSU quickly loaded the bases as the dynamic duo of Bowles and Cochrane posted the first run. Bowles scorched a single on a 0-2 count and following two hit batsmen, scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Cochrane. But a Diamaduros RBI double in the bottom of the frame evened the ballgame, 1-1.
A four-run second inning put Georgia Southern ahead to stay. The Eagles used three singles, one double and one error to cushion a lead. Grimaldi singled to score Victor Roache unearned before an RBI groundout from Owens put GS up 3-1. Bowles laced a double for his second hit of the game posting a RBI before Cochrane singled to cap the offensive inning.
While the Terriers were held scoreless for the next four innings, GSU added two insurance runs in the third. The third free pass of the inning walked in one run before Kyle Blackburn doubled to score Owens giving the Eagles a 7-1 advantage.
A Cochrane RBI double in the sixth put Georgia Southern on top, 8-1. Mac Doyle homered to center field to trim the score, 8-2. But a two-run Cochrane triple and Roache RBI double in the eighth sealed the victory for the Eagles, 11-2.
Georgia Southern returns to J.I. Clements Stadium welcoming the South Carolina Gamecocks for a midweek match-up on Tuesday, March 23. First pitch is slated for 7 p.m. and the game will be televised regionally on CSS.
