STATESBORO, GA. - A walk-off single to left by Brendan Donovan in the 10th inning ended Georgia Southern's 2017 campaign in the Sun Belt Championship Game on Sunday at J.I. Clements Stadium. Ryan Cleveland put the Eagles ahead 6-4 in the top of the ninth inning with a three-run home run, but back-to-back solo jobs by the Jaguars in the bottom of the frame forced the game to extras.

"Congratulations to South Alabama, they played great," said Head Coach Rodney Hennon. "Just an unbelievable college baseball game today. So proud of our kids, they just kept fighting, as they've done all year long. Unfortunately, we came up on the short end. I just spoke to those guys, that's a tough conversation to have, nothing I can say that makes anyone in our program feel any better, but you're not defined by wins and losses. The character of those young men, every person in our program, I'd so proud of. I love 'em."

SCORING PLAYS
Bot 3rd - GS 0 - USA 1 - South Alabama got its first two hits of the game in the third, stringing them together for a run off a sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 lead after three.
Bot 4th - GS 0 - USA 2 - An RBI single to left from Drew LaBounty doubled the South Alabama lead in the fourth. The soft liner was enough to score a runner from second with two outs in the inning.
Bot 5th - GS 0 - USA 3 - A double down the line to left by Donovan scored another run for the Jags in the fifth to push the lead to 3-0.
Top 6th - GS 2 - USA 3 - Steven Curry put the Eagles on the board, driving in a pair of runs with a single up the middle. Steven Curry and C.J. Brazil both scored on the play to make it a 3-2 game.
Bot 6th - GS 2 - USA 4 - Hunter Stokes gave the Jags an insurance run to make it 4-2 with a solo home run.
Top 8th - GS 3 - USA 4 - The Eagles took advantage of a Mitchell Golden leadoff single, moving him to third on a single. Evan McDonald hit into a double play, allowing a run to score as the Eagles made the USA lead just one.
Top 9th - GS 6 - USA 4 - Showcasing a flair for the dramatic, Georgia Southern got a single and a walk to start the ninth inning, setting the table for Ryan Cleveland. The senior destroyed the 3-2 pitch over the wall in center, sending Eagle Nation into pandemonium and a two-run lead.
Bot 9th - GS 6 - USA 6 - South Alabama answered immediately when Dylan Hardy and Eddie Paparella hit back-to-back solo home runs to tie the game and force extra innings.
Bot 10th - GS 6 - USA 7 - After recording an out, a walk and a hit put runners on the corners for South Alabama. Donovan ran into a humpbacked liner to left on the 2-2 pitch, finding the grass and allowing Hardy to scamper home.
 
GAME NOTES
- Cleveland's home run in the ninth inning was his 16th of the season and the 48th in his career. He finishes his four years in Statesboro tied for sixth on the career home runs chart.
- Brian Eichhorn, Jordan Wren, Tyler Martin and Logan Baldwin each earned Sun Belt All-Tournament honors for their play in the week's Championship.

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