The Mountaineers came in on a 10-game winning streak, including a three-game sweep of Rider University and a pair from Presbyterian and Niagra, but after an up-and-down start to the season, the Georgia Southern Eagles entered Southern Conference play with an 8-3 win over the previously unbeaten Mountaineers in Game 1 of a doubleheader Saturday at J.I. Clements Stadium and a 5-2 win in Game 2.
It was a five-run fifth inning in Game 1 that put the Eagles (8-7, 2-0 SoCon) ahead for the first time, and it was the first time the Mountaineers (10-2, 0-2) trailed after the fifth inning this season.
Three-straight doubles by ASU helped it build a three-run lead in the top half of the fifth, but Eric Phillips (2-for-4) got things started for the Eagles with a single after GSU entered the inning trailing 3-0. Roman Grimaldi (1-for-3, HR, 2 R) drew a one-out walk and an Arthur Owens flyout left runners on the corners with two down.
The Eagles were just getting started.
Shawn Payne – batting in the leadoff spot for the second-straight game - drew a walk to load the bases, and Kevin Bowles was hit by a pitch to drive in Phillips to open the scoring. Kyle Blackburn (2-for-5) dropped a two-run single into shallow right to bring it even at 3-3, and after an A.J. Wirnsberger walk, designated hitter Steve Cochrane (2-for-4) lined a two-run single into right to leave the Mountaineers trailing 5-3 as the rain started falling.
“We had a lot of different guys contribute,” said GSU coach Rodney Hennon, “and we’ve got to come back focused and ready to compete all day long today.”
Game 3 of the series will be played today at J.I. Clements.
The teams sat through a 43-minute rain delay before resuming play in the seventh inning, of Game 1, and each team sat its starting pitcher when play resumed. Jake Brown (2-2, 3.45 ERA) finished with seven strikeouts, six hits and three earned runs in six innings of work He didn’t walk anyone. Appalachian’s Matt Andress pitched five and was tagged with all five runs from the fifth.
The defense played error-free ball behind GSU pitching through both games.
“It didn’t matter at all that (ASU) was 10-0 coming in,” said Brown. “Working, fast, pounding the zone and throwing strikes puts the defense on their toes. If you don’t do that, they get on their heels and they start making errors. Keeping the defense on its toes is key.”
Georgia Southern added some insurance in the seventh and eighth innings. Phillips lifted an RBI double to the left-center gap to score Wirnsberger and give GSU a 6-2 cushion. The Eagles got two more in the eighth on a solo homer down the right-field line by Roman Grimaldi and a sacrifice fly by Kevin Bowles that drove in Owens and left it at the 8-3 final margin.
Dexter Bobo pitched two scoreless innings for the save and Colin Snow allowed a hit and a walk in the seventh inning.
SUBHEAD: Georgia Southern 5, Appalachian State 2, Game 2
A three-run homer by Cochrane was the difference in a pitcher’s duel between Georgia Southern’s Matt Murray and Appalachian State’s Tyler Jackson as the Eagles took Game 2 of Saturday’s doubleheader 5-2 Saturday at J.I. Clements Stadium in the opening series of Southern Conference play for both teams.
Cochrane’s homer came with two outs and Wirnsberger and Bowles on base with two outs. It was the first time on the day the switch hitter batted right-handed.
“If the first game I had all my at-bats left handed,” said Cochrane. “They had been feeding me off-speed, and they hadn’t seen me right handed yet. I figured I’d get a fastball early in the count. They threw one right out over the middle of the plate, and I got a hold of it.”
Murray went deep, pitching 7.1 innings and allowing only one earned run, tagging 11 strikeouts.
“The past two starts my fastball’s been better – not great yet – but I’m commanding it,” Murray said. “I had all three pitches tonight and I was just keeping them off-balance.”
Jackson pitched six innings for the Mountaineers, allowing four runs on five hits and striking out a career-high nine.
The Eagles got some insurance after Cochrane’s long ball when Owens knocked an RBI double that drove in Grimaldi in the second, and capped off the scoring in the eighth on a Wirnsberger double that scored Blackburn.
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