STATESBORO, Ga. - After waiting out inclement weather for four hours and 15 minutes, Western Carolina came out strong taking game two from Georgia Southern, 11-3, Saturday evening (April 24) at J.I. Clements Stadium. Justin Hess came on in relief to throw 5.1 innings allowing only one run after WCU scored 10 early.

Georgia Southern (22-18, 13-7) was outhit 16-5 by Western Carolina (24-13-1, 7-9-1). Shawn Payne (Stone Mountain, Ga.) went 2-for-3 with two runs to lead the Eagles. Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.) also posted two hits going 2-for-4.

Ross Heffley was 3-for-4 for WCU to pace the Catamounts. Matt Benedict picked up the win to move to a perfect 6-0 on the season throwing six complete, allowing two runs (one earned) on only three hits. Eagle starter Matt Murray (Spring City, Pa.) was charged with the loss after three innings and seven runs.

Western Carolina quickly scored two in the top of the first. Matt Johns reached on a fielder's choice and scored on a single up the middle off the bat of Heffley. A Radley Haddad double to the left field wall scored Heffley as WCU took a 2-0 lead after the first frame.

Trevor Collias made it a three-run ballgame with a solo shot to left field in the fourth that opened what would become an eight-run fourth inning. The Catamounts sent nine batters to the plate in the third before an out was recorded as WCU closed the inning collecting six hits and eight runs off 13 batters for a 10-0 lead.

A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) put the first Eagle hit on the board singling on a full count to left center in the second, but it wouldn't be until the fourth when the Eagles would begin to cut its deficit. GSU used two Catamount errors and one hit to plate a run, making the score 10-1.

The Catamounts took the run back pushing their advantage back to 10-runs with a Tyler Kirkpatrick solo home run to left center in the fifth.

With runners on first and third in the fifth, the Eagles picked up their second run off an error when Benedict faked a throw to first and spun around to look at the runner on third. The Catamount starter lost control of the ball faking an attempt to the third baseman. The ball bounced to the warning track in front of the home dugout, scoring an Eagle from third.

After giving up one run in the fifth, reliever Hess (Panama City, Fla.) held the Catamounts scoreless for four innings while the Eagles picked up another run in the seventh. A groundout from Kevin Bowles (Statesboro, Ga.) scored Payne who reached on a single for an 11-3 tally.

Payne roped his second hit of the contest, a double to left center in the bottom of the ninth, but was stranded when Catamount Preston Hatcher closed out the game for a final 11-3 score.

The final game of the series will take place on Sunday, April 25, at 1:30 p.m.