Once the final out was called, Georgia Southern’s student section — brooms in hand — jumped atop the visitors’ dugout and swept their way down the length of the concrete.
On the field, the Eagles celebrated their third straight win, an 11-5 victory Sunday at J.I. Clements Stadium to complete a series sweep of Towson. Georgia Southern (4-4) took an early lead, escaped a shaky sixth inning with minimal damage and added five insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth to secure the sweep.
“I felt like all weekend long we took a good approach at the plate,” GSU coach Rodney Hennon said. “Overall it was a good weekend.”
Eagle starter Andy Moye (2-0) won for the second-straight Sunday, allowing one earned run over five innings in his second collegiate start. He surrendered five hits, struck out four and walked two.
“I didn’t have the same stuff I had last Sunday, but I just tried to compete out there,” said the redshirt freshman. “I wasn’t as nervous this go-round.”
Junior Blake Nation was also solid on the mound, picking up his first career save and holding the Tigers scoreless over the final three innings. He struck out two, didn’t issue a walk and gave up five hits.
“(Pitching coach Jason) Beverlin told me to focus on the glove and nothing else,” Nation said. “I felt good out there.”
Designated hitter Kyle Blackburn set the tone at the plate, leading off the second and eighth innings with solo home runs. He was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs. It was the second time in his career he’s homered twice in a game.
“I feel good at the plate - I’m just trying to be patient,” Blackburn said.
Blackburn’s second-inning home run got the Eagles on the board first as he led off the frame by launching the first pitch over the centerfield fence. Griffin Benedict later reached on a two-out double down the left field line, stole third and came home on a throwing error by the Tiger catcher to give GSU a 2-0 lead after two.
The Eagles went up 4-0 the next inning on a Phillip Porter RBI single and Chris Shehan’s run-scoring double. The Tigers pulled within a run in the fourth on a solo home run by Greg Furmanek and Nick Natoli’s two-run double. A.J. Wirnsberger’s two-run shot to left gave GSU a 6-3 edge in the fifth.
Towson threatened again in the sixth when it loaded the bases with no outs and scored one run against Eagle reliever Tony Chisman. Left hander Ryan Steidl took over, allowing just one of the inherited runners to score and enticing a double play to bail GSU out of the inning with a 6-5 lead.
While Nation held Towson (2-4) at bay, GSU sealed the win by rallying for five runs in the eighth, a surge that began with Blackburn’s second bomb. Benedict added a run-scoring double, Matt Miller slammed a two-run double and Porter chipped in an RBI single to plate the Eagles’ final run.
Porter finished with a team-high three hits and two RBIs for the Eagles, Benedict had two hits and Miller and Wirnsberger added two RBIs apiece.
Georgia Southern travels to Daytona Beach, Fla., for a 6 p.m. game Tuesday against Bethune-Cookman and will play in a tournament at East Carolina this weekend. The Eagles face Michigan Friday, Pittsburgh Saturday and East Carolina Sunday.
Notes: The Eagles stole seven bases Sunday, including three in the third…Towson left 12 runners on base to the Eagles’ six…Tiger starter Nate Curd (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing five earned runs and seven hits over five innings.
Alex Pellegrino can be reached at (912) 489-9413.
On the field, the Eagles celebrated their third straight win, an 11-5 victory Sunday at J.I. Clements Stadium to complete a series sweep of Towson. Georgia Southern (4-4) took an early lead, escaped a shaky sixth inning with minimal damage and added five insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth to secure the sweep.
“I felt like all weekend long we took a good approach at the plate,” GSU coach Rodney Hennon said. “Overall it was a good weekend.”
Eagle starter Andy Moye (2-0) won for the second-straight Sunday, allowing one earned run over five innings in his second collegiate start. He surrendered five hits, struck out four and walked two.
“I didn’t have the same stuff I had last Sunday, but I just tried to compete out there,” said the redshirt freshman. “I wasn’t as nervous this go-round.”
Junior Blake Nation was also solid on the mound, picking up his first career save and holding the Tigers scoreless over the final three innings. He struck out two, didn’t issue a walk and gave up five hits.
“(Pitching coach Jason) Beverlin told me to focus on the glove and nothing else,” Nation said. “I felt good out there.”
Designated hitter Kyle Blackburn set the tone at the plate, leading off the second and eighth innings with solo home runs. He was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs. It was the second time in his career he’s homered twice in a game.
“I feel good at the plate - I’m just trying to be patient,” Blackburn said.
Blackburn’s second-inning home run got the Eagles on the board first as he led off the frame by launching the first pitch over the centerfield fence. Griffin Benedict later reached on a two-out double down the left field line, stole third and came home on a throwing error by the Tiger catcher to give GSU a 2-0 lead after two.
The Eagles went up 4-0 the next inning on a Phillip Porter RBI single and Chris Shehan’s run-scoring double. The Tigers pulled within a run in the fourth on a solo home run by Greg Furmanek and Nick Natoli’s two-run double. A.J. Wirnsberger’s two-run shot to left gave GSU a 6-3 edge in the fifth.
Towson threatened again in the sixth when it loaded the bases with no outs and scored one run against Eagle reliever Tony Chisman. Left hander Ryan Steidl took over, allowing just one of the inherited runners to score and enticing a double play to bail GSU out of the inning with a 6-5 lead.
While Nation held Towson (2-4) at bay, GSU sealed the win by rallying for five runs in the eighth, a surge that began with Blackburn’s second bomb. Benedict added a run-scoring double, Matt Miller slammed a two-run double and Porter chipped in an RBI single to plate the Eagles’ final run.
Porter finished with a team-high three hits and two RBIs for the Eagles, Benedict had two hits and Miller and Wirnsberger added two RBIs apiece.
Georgia Southern travels to Daytona Beach, Fla., for a 6 p.m. game Tuesday against Bethune-Cookman and will play in a tournament at East Carolina this weekend. The Eagles face Michigan Friday, Pittsburgh Saturday and East Carolina Sunday.
Notes: The Eagles stole seven bases Sunday, including three in the third…Towson left 12 runners on base to the Eagles’ six…Tiger starter Nate Curd (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing five earned runs and seven hits over five innings.
Alex Pellegrino can be reached at (912) 489-9413.
