Aaron Eubanks didn’t need any reminders about what was expected of him Saturday.
After a pair of midweek games and an eight-inning effort by the Eagle bullpen Friday night, the junior left hander was fully aware his teammates needed him to last as long as he possibly could. He did just that, tossing his first career complete game and leading Georgia Southern to a 12-1 Southern Conference victory over Wofford at J.I. Clements Stadium.
“Today I knew I had to go deep,” said Eubanks, who recorded a career-high nine strikeouts, allowed six hits, walked two and picked up his second win this season. “We really needed to rest our bullpen.”
The Eagles provided plenty of cushion offensively, banging out 12 hits and rallying for six runs with no outs in the seventh. Mike Economos, Jeremiah Parker, Chris Shehan and Will Southwell had two hits apiece for GSU.
The victory secured the series win for Georgia Southern (26-22, 7-10), which knocked off the Terriers (21-23, 4-13) 10-9 in 12 innings Friday. The Eagles have won six straight games and their last two SoCon series.
“We feel like we are starting to gain some momentum,” Eubanks said. “When we started this little streak, we knew the only way was up. We are starting to feel more confident.”
Eubanks — who has worked his way into the weekend rotation and become one of the team’s most reliable pitchers — was frustrated by the inability to locate his changeup early but shifted into cruise control once he found the pitch. Wofford’s only run came in the third when a solo homerun to left by designated hitter Shane Kirkley tied the game at 1-1. After that, Eubanks retired 14 straight, setting the Terriers down in order in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
The Eagles played solid defense behind him, highlighted with a leaping grab by Miller, who ended the sixth by jumping over the centerfield wall to rob catcher Keith Munns of a solo home run.
Economos started the day in the first with a solo homer to left — his eighth bomb this year and second in as many games. After Kirkley knotted the game in the third, the Eagles scored 11 unanswered runs, beginning with Parker’s solo shot to right and Southwell’s RBI base hit with two outs in the fourth. Parker is riding a 13-game hitting streak.
Georgia Southern added two more runs in the sixth, stretching its lead to 5-1 on A.J. Wirnsberger’s two-run single, which scored Parker and designated hitter Kyle “Sugar Bear” Blackburn. Parker reached on a double and Blackburn was onboard after a walk.
Second baseman Jeremy Beckham opened the six-run seventh with a leadoff double, and Economos and Miller followed with a single and a walk respectively. Parker was then hit by a pitch, scoring Beckham, and pinch hitter Justin Klinger drew a walk to bring home Economos.
Right fielder Sterling Dye later lost Shehan’s high fly ball in the glaring sun, allowing two more runs to score, and Southwell knocked a two-run double off the wall in right-center to push the lead to 11-1.
The Eagles will go for their first SoCon series sweep this afternoon at 1:30 with freshman right hander Brian Wilkerson (4-7, 5.43) on the mound. Freshman lefty Zack Parmer (3-1, 7.33) is scheduled to start for Wofford.
Alex Pellegrino can be reached at (912) 489-9413.
After a pair of midweek games and an eight-inning effort by the Eagle bullpen Friday night, the junior left hander was fully aware his teammates needed him to last as long as he possibly could. He did just that, tossing his first career complete game and leading Georgia Southern to a 12-1 Southern Conference victory over Wofford at J.I. Clements Stadium.
“Today I knew I had to go deep,” said Eubanks, who recorded a career-high nine strikeouts, allowed six hits, walked two and picked up his second win this season. “We really needed to rest our bullpen.”
The Eagles provided plenty of cushion offensively, banging out 12 hits and rallying for six runs with no outs in the seventh. Mike Economos, Jeremiah Parker, Chris Shehan and Will Southwell had two hits apiece for GSU.
The victory secured the series win for Georgia Southern (26-22, 7-10), which knocked off the Terriers (21-23, 4-13) 10-9 in 12 innings Friday. The Eagles have won six straight games and their last two SoCon series.
“We feel like we are starting to gain some momentum,” Eubanks said. “When we started this little streak, we knew the only way was up. We are starting to feel more confident.”
Eubanks — who has worked his way into the weekend rotation and become one of the team’s most reliable pitchers — was frustrated by the inability to locate his changeup early but shifted into cruise control once he found the pitch. Wofford’s only run came in the third when a solo homerun to left by designated hitter Shane Kirkley tied the game at 1-1. After that, Eubanks retired 14 straight, setting the Terriers down in order in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
The Eagles played solid defense behind him, highlighted with a leaping grab by Miller, who ended the sixth by jumping over the centerfield wall to rob catcher Keith Munns of a solo home run.
Economos started the day in the first with a solo homer to left — his eighth bomb this year and second in as many games. After Kirkley knotted the game in the third, the Eagles scored 11 unanswered runs, beginning with Parker’s solo shot to right and Southwell’s RBI base hit with two outs in the fourth. Parker is riding a 13-game hitting streak.
Georgia Southern added two more runs in the sixth, stretching its lead to 5-1 on A.J. Wirnsberger’s two-run single, which scored Parker and designated hitter Kyle “Sugar Bear” Blackburn. Parker reached on a double and Blackburn was onboard after a walk.
Second baseman Jeremy Beckham opened the six-run seventh with a leadoff double, and Economos and Miller followed with a single and a walk respectively. Parker was then hit by a pitch, scoring Beckham, and pinch hitter Justin Klinger drew a walk to bring home Economos.
Right fielder Sterling Dye later lost Shehan’s high fly ball in the glaring sun, allowing two more runs to score, and Southwell knocked a two-run double off the wall in right-center to push the lead to 11-1.
The Eagles will go for their first SoCon series sweep this afternoon at 1:30 with freshman right hander Brian Wilkerson (4-7, 5.43) on the mound. Freshman lefty Zack Parmer (3-1, 7.33) is scheduled to start for Wofford.
Alex Pellegrino can be reached at (912) 489-9413.
