MONROE, LA. - Georgia Southern Baseball posted a 6-1 lead in the sixth inning and withstood a late ULM charge to down the Warhawks 9-8 on Friday Night. Seth Shuman did not allow an earned run in six and two thirds innings of work. Matt Anderson had a pair of hits and hit his second home run in as many games to lift the Eagles into a tie for first place in the Sun Belt East Division.

Georgia Southern and ULM will continue the weekend series on Saturday afternoon. First pitch has been moved up to 2 p.m. (ET) due to weather concerns in Northeast Louisiana.

SCORING INNINGS
TOP 3rd | GS 3 - ULM 0 | Matt Anderson slugged the Eagles out to a 1-0 lead with a big leadoff home run in the third. The Eagles kept their foot on the throttle, scoring two more on Tyler Martin's single down the left field line, handing the Eagles a 3-0 lead.
BOT 5th | GS 3 - ULM 1 | ULM got its first hit of the game in the fifth inning, playing small ball around an Eagle error to plate then unearned run and cut the lead to 3-1.
TOP 6th | GS 9 - ULM 1 | Georgia Southern sent 10 batters to the plate in the six runs off four hits and a pair of ULM errors. Mason McWhorter opened the inning with a leadoff double. Austin Thompson drove in a run with a single, while another crossed on the same play on an error. A wild pitch with Anderson at the plate scored the third run of the inning, while the Eagle catcher drove in the fourth with a single. The final two runs of the frame crossed on a Tyler Martin ground ball to short, putting the Eagles up 9-1.
BOT 6th | GS 9 - ULM 3 | ULM got a pair of unearned runs in the sixth inning when an outfield error opened the door for the Warhawks. A single to left when the inning should have been over plated a pair and cut the lead to six.
BOT 7th | GS 9 - ULM 7 | Two errors early in the seventh gave the Warhawks momentum, but Seth Shuman's eighth and ninth strikeouts of the game reduced the home side to its final out of the frame. A two-RBI triple to center, followed by a home run to right cut four runs off the Eagle lead at 9-7.
BOT 8th | GS 9 - ULM 8 | Relief pitcher Hayden Harris got the first two outs of the eighth inning, but a two out solo home run cut the Eagle lead to just a run heading into the ninth.

NOTES
- Seth Shuman struck out nine batters on Friday night to get above the 200 career strikeouts mark. He has 201 career Ks and needs 47 more to equal Tod Lee for 10th place on the career punch outs list at Georgia Southern. He earned his second win of the season, to improve to 2-4 on the year. He got through six quality innings, but the three runs allowed in the sixth inning
- Austin Thompson paced the Eagles with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, driving in a run and scoring a run.
- Matt Anderson's home run gave him back-to-back-home run games for the first time in his career. He now has four career home runs.
- Hayden Harris snapped a run of three-straight blown saves for the Eagle bullpen with a two inning save, his second of the year, to preserve the 9-8 win. He worked two innings and allowed one run off two hits and struck out four batters.
- With the win, Georgia Southern improves to 14-11 on the year, its highest mark above the .500 mark and has won a season-long five-straight games. The Eagles are 5-2 in league play, even with Coastal Carolina for first place in the East Division after the Chanticleers fell on Friday at Arkansas State.

Georgia Southern will make an appearance in Savannah on April 3rd for a non-conference game against College of Charleston at Historic Grayson Stadium. Tickets are on sale now for the game at GSEagles.com/Tickets. Due to high demand, fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance for the 6 p.m. game.

UP NEXT
The Eagles and Warhawks continue the series on Saturday afternoon. First pitch has been moved to 2 p.m. (ET) due to a chance of rain. Sunday's series finale has been moved up to a 1 p.m. (ET) start to ease travel concerns for the Eagles.