Eagles Snap Losing Streak with 15-4 Win
4/27/2013 1:50:50 AM | Baseball
Box Score | Video: Post Game with Starter Justin Hess
STATESBORO, Ga. - The Georgia Southern Eagles scored 15 runs and got a strong outing from Justin Hess to snap an eight-game losing streak with a 15-4 win over the Elon Phoenix at J.I. Clements Stadium Friday.
Georgia Southern (22-19, 11-11 SoCon), who had been held to four runs or less in eight of their previous nine games, posted their second-highest run total of the season. The Eagles scored runs in the first five innings of the contest and plated four runs in the second and six more in the fifth inning.
Hess (4-4) backed the offense outburst with a strong outing to earn his fourth win of the season. The senior righthander allowed just two runs – one earned – on six hits and two walks. Hess posted a season-high 10 strikeouts for the second-straight start and pitched into the seventh inning.
Elon (22-22, 14-8 SoCon) struck for single runs in the first and second innings off of Hess but was held scoreless for the next five frames until they struck for a run in the eighth inning. The Phoenix, who entered the weekend in second place in the conference, fell for the ninth time in their last 11 games.
Dylan Clark (5-3) was unable to get an out in the second inning and suffered the loss after allowing six runs. Clark allowed seven hits over an inning plus. Jacob Baker allowed six more runs over the next three innings. Jordan Darnell allowed three runs over an inning before Brandon Kacer tossed three shutout frames.
GSU tallied their 15 runs on 15 hits and nine walks. Every starter except for T.D. Davis recorded a hit . Davis walked twice and scored a run in the fifth inning. Stryker Brown led off and tallied three hits in the eighth different lineup in as many games. Tyler Avera drove in three runs on a pair of hits and Ben Morgan finished with three hits and two RBIs.
Elon tallied 11 hits but no more than two in any inning before recording three in the eighth inning. Quinn Bower and Chris Bresnahan posted a pair of two-hit games and every spot in the batting order tallied at least one hit.
Robbie Dodds plated a pair of runs with a second inning double and finished with two hits. The Eagles scored their first six runs on two-RBI doubles. Kyle Streicher had the other double that inning, while Tyler Avera doubled in two runs in the first inning.
Georgia Southern sent 11 batters to the plate in the fifth inning and scored six runs off of three hits and five walks. The first three batters reached base and scored a run before Chase Griffin was thrown out at the plate for the first out of the inning. The next five hitters all reached safely and three more runs scored before a fielder's choice and a ground out ended the inning.
The series continues tomorrow with a 2:30 p.m. first pitch. The Eagles will send Jason Richman to the mound to face Spencer Medick. It will be Jimmy Buffett Beach Day at J.I. Clements Stadium. There will also be a Communication Arts department Tailgate prior to the game and free food will be provided from 12 to 2 p.m.
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics and twitter.com/GSAthletics, and its new "Eagles GATA" mobile app for Android and iOS.
