Baseball Southern Conference

Georgia Southern Completes Sweep

STATESBORO, Ga. -- Georgia Southern slammed three homeruns to fuel a
six-run first inning and complement a strong pitching performance from
junior Jared Comstock as the Eagles posted a 15-2 non-conference victory
over Coppin State Thursday afternoon at J.I. Clements Stadium.

The win, coupled with Wednesday's 14-0 triumph, gave GSU a sweep in the
brief two-game series.

Comstock (1-0) turned in a stellar outing during his first start of the
season, allowing four hits and just one earned run while issuing one walk
and fanning five during his 83-pitch effort. GSU also received a combined
three scoreless relief innings from Joe Maley and David Cogswell to secure
the victory.

Georgia Southern (13-14) jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the
first inning, batting around and drilling three homeruns off Coppin State
starter Graham Johnson (1-1).

Brandon Long opened the scoring with one out, lacing the first offering he
saw over the centerfield wall for his sixth round-tripper of the season.
After a single by Brandon Burnsed and a double from Flint Wipke, Mike
Economos launched a three-run shot down the leftfield line for a 4-0 Eagle
edge. Travis Adkinson followed by lining a double and came around to score
on Logan Phillips' second homer of the year - a two-run blast which easily
cleared the leftfield wall.

The Eagles added an unearned run in the second when Wipke reached on thid
baseman Eddie Wilson's miscue, stole second base and later scored on first
baseman Nick Wenger's throwing error.

Coppin State (9-16) finally broke an 11-inning scoreless drought, pushing
across a pair of runs in the top of the third against Comstock. Consecutive
singles by Chris Brown, Wilson and Greg Fleet loaded the bases before Amiel
Traynum tapped into a one-out fielder's choice to score Brown. Wilson came
around for CSC's second run when Georgia Southern second baseman Phillips
threw wildly into the dugout trying to complete an inning-ending double play.

Georgia Southern extended its lead to 9-2 with two more runs in the fourth,
using a two-out error by Coppin State shortstop Justin Riggs to score Greg
Dowling and Wipke after both had reached on a single and walk, respectively.

The Eagles batted around again and benefited from another pair of two-out
Coppin State errors and used RBI-singles from Dowling and Wipke along with
a two-run double by Adkinson to push six more runs across in the fifth and
increase their cushion to 15-2 and chase Johnson.

Johnson worked four-and-two-thirds of an inning, allowing 15 runs on 13
hits while walking two and striking out one. Only six of the runs Johnson
surrendered were earned.

Every starter in Georgia Southern's lineup picked up at least one hit with
Payne and Dowling leading the way with three each.

Georgia Southern returns to action this weekend, facing Georgia Tech in a
two-game series at Russ Chandler Stadium beginning Saturday at 1:00 p.m.