Baseball Takes Series Behind Third Quality Start

STATESBORO, Ga. - Behind the third quality start in as many days, the Georgia Southern Baseball team rallied from a one-run deficit to knock off the College of Charleston Cougars on Sunday. The Eagles picked up their second Southern Conference series victory with a 4-2 win over the top team in the league standings.

Will Middour (Atlanta, Ga.) threw the third-straight quality start from the Eagles' pitching staff, who allowed just eight runs and struckout 36 batters in the series. Middour tallied career highs in strikeouts and innings pitched to keep the deficit to one-run, before Georgia Southern (14-15, 5-7) went on top 3-2 with two runs in the sixth inning.

Middour struck out five batters in seven innings and held College of Charleston (21-8, 11-4) to just two runs on five hits before turning the game over to the bullpen. Jarret Leverett (Eatonton, Ga.) (S, 2) allowed two hits in the ninth inning but combined with Drew Johnson (Peachtree City, Ga.) to close the door. Both relief pitchers struck out a pair of batters in their respective frame, and  Leverett pick up his second career save against the Cougars.

Georgia Southern retook a one-run lead after Ben Morgan (Evans, Ga.) plated the deciding run on a two-out infield single in the sixth inning. The first three Eagles reached base to start the frame and drove in the first run of the inning on a bouncing ball up the middle from Stryker Brown (Dalton, Ga.). Chase Griffin (Leesburg, Ga.), who singled through the left side, came around to score on Morgan's hit after being moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt by T.D. Davis (Evans, Ga.).

The Eagles added an insurance run in the eighth inning to increase their lead to two runs. Hunter Thomas (Johns Creek, Ga.) notched a pinch-hit single to score Brown, who tripled to lead off the frame. Thomas was caught stealing second base, before Morgan added his second hit in as many at-bats, a double into the right field corner.

College of Charleston got to Middour in the fourth and fifth inning before he retired five-straight batters to end his day on the mound. The Cougars scored a single run in both innings to take a 2-1 lead. A sacrifice fly from Tyler Jackson drove in Marty Gantt, who led off the inning with a single, after a sacrifice bunt from Daniel Aldrich moved two runners into scoring position. Bradley Goodson added a two-out solo shot in the fifth to go up 2-1, just one of two hits allowed by the sophomore starter in the final three innings.

Georgia Southern struck for a single run in the third inning to take an early lead on a two-out hit from Michael Burruss (Marietta, Ga.). After a ground out to start the frame, Scooter Williams (Detroit, Mich.) reached on a bunt single down the third base line and stole second base to move into scoring position. Burruss dropped a ball into to left field to score Williams without a throw for the first run of the game.

Georgia Southern wraps up a four-game homestand on Wednesday against Bethune-Cookman before heading off to Davidson for a three-games series which starts on Thursday. The Eagles will welcome in former pitching coach Jason Beverlin, who is in his first season at the helm with the Wildcats, with a 6 p.m. first pitch.

The game can also be heard on the Boomer 103.7 FM and inside the stadium on 88.1 FM. Audio for all games is also available on the web and subscription video is available for all home games at GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com/Eaglevision.

Fans can follow their Eagles at GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com or receive short updates at facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics or on Google+ at gplus.to/GSAthletics.

Category: Baseball

Published on Sunday, 01 April 2012 17:48