Story courtesy of Georgia Southern sports information
Georgia Southern 11, North Florida 3
STATESBORO, Ga. ? A day after managing just three hits, Georgia Southern’s offense exploded for 13 hits defeating North Florida 11-3 at J.I. Clements Stadium Sunday afternoon. The Eagles split their two-game, season-opening series with UNF.
Josh Lairsey worked out of an early jam in the first. With runners on the corners, the junior left-hander got a foul out for the second out. Lairsey, the SoCon leader in pickoffs last year, caught Damon Olinto off first base to end the inning. Then the Eagles got their bats going.
With one out, Brett Pelfrey was hit by a pitch in the first inning. Later with two down, Derrick Smith lined a 3-2 pitch that hit the right field foul pole spotting Southern to a 2-0 lead.
Jeremiah Parker singled to lead off the second then scored on David Richardson’s first home run. During the next at-bat freshman Chris Shehan, making his first start, got his first collegiate hit. He took second on a sacrifice bunt by Jeremy Beckham then scored on Chris Hollis’ RBI single to centerfield.
The Eagles (1-1 overall) scored three more runs in the fifth. Parker hit a RBI single and two more runs scored on two UNF throwing errors. With two outs and the bases loaded in the sixth, Mike Economos lined a shot to right centerfield that cleared the bases, staking the Eagles to an 11-1 lead.
UNF (1-1) scored a single run in the seventh and eighth inning for the final margin.
Lairsey (1-0) allowed just one unearned run off five hits in 5.2 innings, retiring 10 straight at one point. He walked three and fanned eight, the second-best strikeout performance of his career.
“Josh gave us a great effort today. He got into a bit of a jam in the first inning but worked his way out of it. From there I thought he took control,” said head coach Rodney Hennon. “Our bullpen came in and did a good job as well... Hitting can be contagious. We got going early and didn’t let up.”
A.J. Battisto gave up two runs in 2.1 innings and struck out four without issuing a walk. Mike Chiciak pitched a scoreless ninth. The Eagle pitching staff combined for 13 strikeouts.
Pelfrey, Economos, Parker and Shehan paced the offense with two hits apiece. Pelfrey, moving up from seventh to second in the batting line-up, scored two runs and Greg Dowling scored three times. All but one starter scored a run.
Olinto had two hits to lead the Ospreys. Ryan Amason (0-1) took the loss, allowing five runs on five hits in 1.2 innings.
The Eagles travel to Jacksonville University on Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 7) for a 4 p.m. game.
Story courtesy of Wofford sports information
Longwood 11, Wofford 10
SPARTANBURG, SC ? Longwood University scored five runs in the seventh inning and held off a late Terrier rally to defeat Wofford 11-10 Sunday afternoon at Russell C. King Field.
The big blow for the Lancers was a three-run homer by Travis Lydon. Longwood (1-2) entered the seventh inning trailing 7-5. A hit batter, a fielding error and an infield single scored one run before Lydon hit his homer to left.
The game was scoreless until Wofford (2-1) pushed across a run in the third as Adam Wood, Eric Sturkie and Ben Austin all reached base on infield singles to load the bases. Chuck Eller hit a sacrifice fly to center to score the Terriers’ first run.
Wofford added a run in the fourth on Shane Kirkley’s solo homer. Longwood scored twice in the fifth to tie the game on a bases loaded walk and an infield single.
The Terriers took a 7-2 lead with a five-run fifth. Stephen Johnson doubled in a pair of runs in the inning. Longwood responded with three runs in the sixth. Two walks and a single loaded the bases before Robbie Bailey cleared them with a three-run double.
Lydon’s homer keyed a five-run seventh for Longwood which also added a single run in the eighth on an RBI double by Lydon to take an 11-7 lead.
The Terriers scored three times in the eighth to pull within one. Adam Wood and Ben Austin singled before pinch hitter Keith Munns scored Wood with a single to center. Eller then singled home two runs to close the lead to 11-10. That is when Longwood brought in reliever Brett Mangigian who escaped the eighth inning and pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the ninth.
Wofford reliever J.D. Melton took the loss as he allowed five hits and three runs in one inning of work. Longwood’s Alan Moore was credited with the win in relief.
The Terriers will host Liberty on Friday at 4 p.m. The three game series with the Flames will include single games on Saturday at Sunday at 1 p.m. each day.