MEMPHIS, TENN. - Georgia Southern Baseball dug itself a big hole in the first inning, conceding nine runs, but strung together seven unanswered runs to drop the final 9-8 decision. The top half of the lineup carried the torch for the offense on Sunday tallying 11 of the team's 16 hits including three from Steven Curry. The Eagles drop the series, but host Campbell for a three game set on Tuesday and Wednesday nights at the friendly confines of Jack Stallings Field at J.I. Clements Stadium.

QUOTABLES
Head Coach Rodney Hennon
"We just didn't play very good baseball out of the gate. You've got to pitch, you've got to play defense and we didn't do that early in the game. That being said, it would have been easy in a 9-1 game for guys to cash it in, but I thought our guys showed some character and they continued to play. I'm really proud of the effort we got out of the guys from the bullpen today. They came in, did their job and continued to put up zeros. We got some big at bats to scratch back into the game, but the difference in the game was defense. They made some critical plays in the field, took away a three-run home run that would have given us the lead and laid out to make a big double play. That's probably the difference in the ballgame, but we're going to continue to work and get ready for two games this week against Campbell."

CRUCIAL MOMENTS
Top 1st - GS 1 - MEMPHIS 0 - Steven Curry's leadoff single set the table for a run in the first inning for the Eagles. Tyler Martin knocked in the run with a single up the middle to make it 1-0.
Bot 1st - GS 1 - MEMPHIS 9 - The Tigers went through two Georgia Southern pitchers to plate nine runs off six hits with three Eagle errors. The big inning capped a 54 minute first frame.
Top 3rd - GS 2 - MEMPHIS 9 - Ryan Cleveland lifted his second home run of the series in the third frame, hitting a big fly over the wall in centerfield. It was his third home run this week when factoring in Wednesday's win over College of Charleston.
Top 5th - GS 4 - MEMPHIS 9 - Ryan Cleveland and Mason McWhorter drove in one run each in the fifth frame to score two runs and slice the lead to 9-4 as the Eagles continued to cut into the lead.
Top 7th - GS 7 - MEMPHIS 9 - Tyler Martin's double down the line in left plated McWhorter and Cleveland, while a throwing error allowed Martin to reach third. Freshman Luke Berryhill cut the lead to two with his first collegiate RBI on a single down the line in right.
Top 8th - GS 8 - MEMPHIS 9 - McWhorter cut the lead to one in the eighth with a two out double to right. The rip scored C.J. Brazil and moved Curry, the tying run, around to third base. A strikeout, however, snuffed out the threat. Earlier in the inning, Mitchell Golden's fly out to left nearly left the yard, but Carlos Williams' snag against the wall denied the go-ahead three run home run.

GAME NOTES
- Steven Curry extended his hit streak to five games, going 3-for-5 in the game with two runs scored.
- The Eagles needed two pitchers, Chase Cohen and Jacob Condra-Bogan to get out of a 63 pitch first inning. The outing was the shortest start of Cohen's career, going 0.1 innings and featuring six runs, four earned off three hits and an error. He was handed the loss to fall to 0-1 on the year.
- Ryan Cleveland hit his third home run of the week and second in the series with his third inning blast. He went 7-for-17 this week, hitting .411 in the four games.

NEXT UP
The Eagles have a two game midweek series scheduled with Campbell starting on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. The same teams will go at it again on Wednesday night at 6 p.m.

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