STATESBORO – The 24
th-ranked Georgia Southern baseball team fell to Coastal Carolina, 5-4, on Friday night at J.I. Clements Stadium.
Georgia Southern (28-14, 14-5 SBC) got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning when
Austin Thompson was able to reach base safely thanks to a Chanticleer fielding error, bringing home
Noah Ledford. The Eagles added on to their lead in the bottom of the third inning, when a
Jason Swan sacrifice fly to center plated
Jesse Sherrill for a 2-0 Eagle lead.
Coastal Carolina (24-14-1, 12-6-1 SBC) cut the GS lead in half in the top of the fourth inning and took the lead in the top of the fifth inning with a bases-clearing double, taking a 4-2 lead over Georgia Southern. The Eagles would get a run back in the bottom of the fifth when a Sherrill RBI-single drove in Thompson, but the Chants would plate an insurance run in the top of the seventh.
Georgia Southern chipped away at the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning, when a
Noah Searcy fielder's choice brought
Christian Avant home. In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Eagles were down 5-4 with a runner on third base, but a strikeout looking ended the game and gave Coastal Carolina a 5-4 series-opening win.
QUICK HITS
- Jay Thompson is second in the nation in pitcher appearances at 27. He's only behind North Carolina's Shawn Rapp.
- Noah Ledford led the Eagles' offense with a 3-for-4 day at the plate. He had two singles and a double.
- Jesse Sherrill, Jason Swan, and Noah Searcy all had an RBI each.
- Both starting pitchers threw over 100 pitches each.
UP NEXT
The Eagles will try to even up the series tomorrow at J.I. Clements Stadium. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.