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Georgia Southern University Athletics

Sean Smith
AJ Henderson - Georgia Southern Athletics
4
Radford RAD 5-6
5
Winner Georgia Southern GS 5-8
Radford RAD
5-6
4
Final
5
Georgia Southern GS
5-8
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Radford RAD 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 4 8 1
Georgia Southern GS 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 5 7 1

W: Phillips, Jacob (1-0) L: SEABROOKE Carter (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Graham Cooper

Baseball Walks Off Radford in Series Opener, 5-4

JD Kaiser ties it up and Sean Smith ends the night with an Eagles victory

STATESBORO - Sean Smith's sac fly to right center field brought home T.J. McKenzie, sealing the Friday night victory for Georgia Southern at J.I. Clements Stadium, 5-4.

The Highlanders (5-6) scored first with a Conner Butler sacrifice bunt in the top of the third inning, scoring Breckin Nace and taking an early 1-0 lead. Georgia Southern (5-8) responded in the bottom half of that frame when Sam Blancato reached on a bunt single back at the pitcher, scoring Jarrett Jenkins and tying the game up at one-all.

Southern briefly took the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning with a Daniel Haab RBI, scoring Sean Smith and taking the 2-1 lead. In the top half of the fifth inning, the Highlander's Jhonkeanu Perez snuck a home run around the left field foul pole, taking a 3-2 lead during the middle phases of the game.

From the sixth inning to the eighth inning, both teams made quick work of the other, limiting base runners and not allowing the other to score. In the top of the ninth inning, Radford claimed an unearned insurance run when Perez knocked an RBI-single to first base, scoring Hunter Keen.

Needing two runs to tie and three to win, the Eagles went to work in the bottom of the ninth inning. With one out, Josh Tate snuck a single through the right side of the field, followed by a Blancato walk and a Kent Schmidt walk to load the bases. The Eagles brought McKenzie in to pinch run for Schmidt and Radford brought Carter Seabrooke in from the bullpen to end the Eagles threat, but JD Kaiser took the first pitch from the southpaw to left center field to score Tate and Blancato and tie the game at four-all. Smith took one strike before attacking the next pitch, watching the fly ball to right center land in the center fielder's glove, but the throw would not make it home in time, scoring McKenzie and giving the snapping the Eagles' three-game skid.

Jacob Phillips earned the victory after two and a third innings of work, allowing only one run on three hits, striking out three. Phillips was the pitcher in for the Eagles when the walk-off occured. Seabrooke was tagged with the loss after giving up the game-winning run.

UP NEXT
Georgia Southern looks to take the series from the Highlanders on Saturday afternoon at J.I. Clements Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
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