Georgia Southern Plates Five Early Runs to Push Past Elon, 5-4

Sunday, March 4

1 p.m.

Georgia Southern University

6-6

Elon

5-7

Elon

Georgia Southern

Georgia Southern Plates Five Early Runs to Push Past Elon, 5-4

3/4/2018 5:33:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Eagles avoid the sweep with league play just two weeks away

BOX SCORE

STATESBORO, GA. – Georgia Southern Baseball got five runs in the first three innings to take a 5-4 win over Elon in the series finale with the Phoenix on a Chamber of Commerce Sunday afternoon. The win helped the Eagles avoid the series sweep and improve to 6-6 on the year. Next up is a Tuesday evening matchup with Holy Cross on Jack Stallings Field at J.I. Clements Stadium. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at the friendly confines

QUOTABLES
Head Coach Rodney Hennon
"I thought we swung the bats better today, obviously we've been fighting it over the last few games. We were able to get a lead early, and that was good to see. I still felt like we left some runs out there, especially in the fourth inning to extend the lead. I thought David Johnson gave us a solid effort, then Eric Goldstein and Zach Cowart came in to get some big outs out of the bullpen."

SCORING PLAYS
Bottom 2nd - Noah Searcy sparked the Eagles to get a run in the second inning with a one out single up the middle. After a strikeout reduced the Eagles to their final out of the frame, Matt Anderson doubled down the left field line. The ball was misplayed by the Elon left fielder which allowed Searcy to score and put the Eagles up, 1-0.
Bottom 3rd - The Eagles hung a four-spot in the third by quickly loading the bases with no outs. Mason McWhorter drove two in with his double to left. With two outs in the inning and the bases still loaded, Matt Anderson singled to center, bringing two more runs in to make it a 5-0 advantage for the good guys.
Top 5th - Elon touched starting pitcher David Johnson up for three runs off four hits in the fifth inning, cutting the lead to 5-3 as the freshman was charged with earned runs for the first time in his collegiate career.
Top 6th - A one out walk put a runner aboard for Elon in the sixth and ended Johnson's outing. Relief pitcher Lawson Humphries walked his first batter and allowed both runners to move up on a wild pitch. A ground out to first retired the second out of the inning, but plated a run to cut the lead to 5-4. A fly out to center ended the frame with the tying run 90 feet away.

NOTES
- Elon stranded seven batters aboard in their final four trips to the plate. Their best chance came in the eighth as they loaded the bases, but a big strikeout by Zach Cowart retired the side and left the bases full of Phoenix with no damage.
- Cowart earned his first collegiate save, working 2.1 innings, allowing no runs off two hits with two walks and a strikeout.
- David Johnson picked up his first collegiate win, going 5.1 innings and scattering seven hits while allowing four runs, all earned. He walked three and fanned two.
- Mitchell Golden went 3-for-4 in his second-straight day hitting in the No. 3 slot in the lineup. Playing shortstop for the Eagles, he scored a run in the third inning.
- Georgia Southern's opponent for Tuesday, Holy Cross, was scheduled to play Mercer in a Saturday-Sunday-Monday series in Macon. Due to travel difficulties, the series was rescheduled to begin on Sunday evening at 9 p.m. with a Monday doubleheader closing out the set before the Crusaders make their way down I-16.

UP NEXT
Georgia Southern will welcome Holy Cross to Statesboro for a non-conference contest on Tuesday evening. The Crusaders face Mercer, Georgia Southern and Charleston Southern on their swing through the region. First pitch on Tuesday night is set for 6 p.m.

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