JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Georgia Southern grabbed an early lead but Jacksonville scored eight unanswered runs during the middle innings in a 9-4 decision Tuesday night at Sessions Stadium. The Eagles dropped to 31-21 overall while JU moved above .500 at 27-26.
GS had won the first two games against the Dolphins by a combined 29-13 at home heading into the final regular season non-conference game.
JU got a two-out RBI single from Alex Martinez in the first inning. He advanced to second on a wild pitch but Aaron Eubanks (Moultrie/Colquitt County) teamed with Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell) to pick Martinez off second base to end the frame.
A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) hit a one-out single in the second. David Richardson (Dahlonega/Lumpkin County) followed with a walk. Wirnsberger advanced to third on Pierce’s flyball. Jeremy Beckham (Griffin/Griffin) and Ty Wright (Montrose/West Laurens) hit consecutive RBI singles to take a 2-1 lead.
Jeremiah Parker (Carrollton/Carrollton) reached on an error to start the fourth inning. On a hit-and-run, Wirnsberger doubled down the left field line and Parker easily scored to make it 3-1.
In the Dolphins’ half of the fourth consecutive singles to start the inning put runners at first and second. Eubanks struck out Dan Maier for the first out but gave up another single to load the bases. Freshman Trent Franzago (Byron/Peach County) struck out Jamaal Hawkins for the second out but issued a walk to bring home JU’s second run. Franzago worked out of the jam getting a flyball to end the inning. Martinez lined a RBI double in the fifth to tie the game.
JU had the first five batters of the sixth reach base, plating five runs in all to take an 8-3 lead. Four runs scored on a single and another came home on a wild pitch by Michael Hester (Evans/Greenbrier). JU made it eight unanswered runs with a RBI single from Ferreira.
In the ninth, Beckham drew a one-out walk and went to third on Wright’s 21st double of the year. Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry) plated a run on a groundout for the final margin.
Eubanks gave up two runs in 3.1 innings, leaving with the lead. He walked two and struck out two. Franzago (1-2) only gave up one hit but walked four which led to two runs in 1.2 innings as he suffered the loss. Burt Barto (Columbus/Columbus) was charged for one run on three hits working the final two innings.
Wright, Shehan and Wirnsberger accounted for two hits apiece, six of the team’s seven hits. Richardson saw his team season-high 17-game hitting streak end.
Ferreira and Martinez had three hits apiece. Garrett Dunlap (3-1) earned the win pitching three scoreless innings.
The Eagles close out the regular season playing a three-game Southern Conference series at Furman starting on Thursday at 7 p.m.
GS had won the first two games against the Dolphins by a combined 29-13 at home heading into the final regular season non-conference game.
JU got a two-out RBI single from Alex Martinez in the first inning. He advanced to second on a wild pitch but Aaron Eubanks (Moultrie/Colquitt County) teamed with Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell) to pick Martinez off second base to end the frame.
A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) hit a one-out single in the second. David Richardson (Dahlonega/Lumpkin County) followed with a walk. Wirnsberger advanced to third on Pierce’s flyball. Jeremy Beckham (Griffin/Griffin) and Ty Wright (Montrose/West Laurens) hit consecutive RBI singles to take a 2-1 lead.
Jeremiah Parker (Carrollton/Carrollton) reached on an error to start the fourth inning. On a hit-and-run, Wirnsberger doubled down the left field line and Parker easily scored to make it 3-1.
In the Dolphins’ half of the fourth consecutive singles to start the inning put runners at first and second. Eubanks struck out Dan Maier for the first out but gave up another single to load the bases. Freshman Trent Franzago (Byron/Peach County) struck out Jamaal Hawkins for the second out but issued a walk to bring home JU’s second run. Franzago worked out of the jam getting a flyball to end the inning. Martinez lined a RBI double in the fifth to tie the game.
JU had the first five batters of the sixth reach base, plating five runs in all to take an 8-3 lead. Four runs scored on a single and another came home on a wild pitch by Michael Hester (Evans/Greenbrier). JU made it eight unanswered runs with a RBI single from Ferreira.
In the ninth, Beckham drew a one-out walk and went to third on Wright’s 21st double of the year. Phillip Porter (Marietta/Sprayberry) plated a run on a groundout for the final margin.
Eubanks gave up two runs in 3.1 innings, leaving with the lead. He walked two and struck out two. Franzago (1-2) only gave up one hit but walked four which led to two runs in 1.2 innings as he suffered the loss. Burt Barto (Columbus/Columbus) was charged for one run on three hits working the final two innings.
Wright, Shehan and Wirnsberger accounted for two hits apiece, six of the team’s seven hits. Richardson saw his team season-high 17-game hitting streak end.
Ferreira and Martinez had three hits apiece. Garrett Dunlap (3-1) earned the win pitching three scoreless innings.
The Eagles close out the regular season playing a three-game Southern Conference series at Furman starting on Thursday at 7 p.m.
