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Georgia Southern University Athletics

Jaylen Paden
AJ Henderson - Georgia Southern Athletics
3
West Virginia WVU 0-1
4
Winner Georgia Southern GS 1-0
West Virginia WVU
0-1
3
Final
4
Georgia Southern GS
1-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
West Virginia WVU 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 3 8 3
Georgia Southern GS 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 X 4 4 0

W: Gross, Mitchell (1-0) L: Major, Aidan (0-1) S: Paden, Jaylen (1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Graham Cooper

Eagles Open the Season With Comeback Win, 4-3

Georgia Southern moves to 18-8 all-time against WVU

STATESBORO - A seventh-inning rally sparked by a Jesse Sherrill RBI bunt single propelled the Eagles to a season-opening victory against the West Virginia Mountaineers on Friday night, 4-3.

Georgia Southern (1-0) and West Virginia (0-1) were locked into a pitchers duel for much of the game, with both starting pitchers only giving up two runs and combining for 15 total strikeouts, with Ty Fisher fanning seven and WVU's Hampton striking out eight. Fisher went for four innings while Hampton pitched for six innings.

The Eagles would score the game's first run when JP Tighe scored on a throwing error to third base by WVU's catcher in the bottom of the second inning. WVU would respond in the top of the fourth inning when a RBI triple scored a runner, and double the lead to 2-1 when a WVU runner stole home. The Mountaineers would add one more on a sac fly to left field in the top of the fifth.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Eagles would load the bases with three walks, and Sherrill's bunt would advance Jarrett Brown to close the gap, 3-2. Noah Ledford blasted a hit through the left side and scored both J.C. Peacher and Zane Faulk, putting the Eagles on top, 4-3 at the end of the seventh inning.

The Mountaineers had opportunities in the top of the eighth and ninth innings, but strong pitching by Jay Thompson in the top of the eighth inning and Jaylen Paden in the top of the ninth inning would put a potential Mountaineer rally to rest.

Mitchell Gross recorded his first win at Georgia Southern, going for 2.1 innings with three strikeouts and only one hit. Paden recorded his first career save with two strikeouts in the top of the ninth inning.

QUICK HITS
  • Sam Blancato had the first hit of the season with a single through the right side in the bottom of the sixth inning.
  • Jesse Sherrill and Noah Ledford led the Eagles with 2 RBI and 1 RBI performances, respectively.
  • This is the first time since the 2020 season that the Eagles opened the season with a win. In both 2021 and 2022, the Eagles fell to Tennessee on Opening Day.
  • Five GS pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts. Ty Fisher recorded seven, Ga'von Wray recorded one, Mitchell Gross recorded three, and Jaylen Paden recorded two. Fisher's strikeout on Garcia in the top of the fourth inning was called on a batter's interference call.
UP NEXT
The Eagles will look to take the series against West Virginia on Saturday, February 18, at J.I. Clements Stadium. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m.
 
 
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