A crowd of 3,133 was on hand to watch the Georgia Southern baseball team clinch the opening series against the West Virginia Mountaineers on Saturday, February 18, by a final score of 6-2.
The Mountaineers (0-2) struck first in the contest in the top of the first inning with a bases-loaded walk, to take a 1-0 lead against the Eagles (2-0). Ben Johnson would get the next WVU batter to bat into a double play to escape the inning without any more damage on the scoreboard.
Georgia Southern would respond in the bottom of the third inning when a throwing error by the WVU second baseman would allow Jonathan Jaime to reach base safely, along with scoring Jesse Sherrill to tie the game up at 1-1. The bottom of the fifth inning would see the Eagles add two to its score to take its first lead of the day, as a sacrific fly from Noah Ledford would earn Sherrill's second run of the day, and a fielding error by WVU's first baseman would score an unearned Sam Blancato run to end the bottom of the fifth inning with the Eagles up 3-1.
Georgia Southern would go on to double its lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, when a Sherrill RBI single to right field with bases-loaded would score Kyler Hultgren and move all the runners down one base. Blancato's two-RBI single up the middle would plate J.C. Peacher and Blake Evans to give the Eagles a five run lead going into the top of the seventh inning.
West Virginia threatened in the top of the ninth inning, when the Mountaineers scored one run off of a passed ball. Jay Thompson was brought in the record the final out of the game, and earned the save as the bases were loaded with the tying run at the plate.
Ben Johnson earned his first victory of the season after a seven strikeout performance. Johnson only allowed four hits and only gave up a single run in 74 pitches.
QUICK HITS
- Sam Blancato led the Eagles offensively with a 4-5 day, scoring a run, two RBI, and one extra base hit.
- Three Eagles pitchers combined for nine strikeouts. Ben Johnson had seven, Thomas Ross had one, and Jay Thompson had one.
- The 3,133 on hand at J.I. Clements Stadium was the sixth-largest home crowd in program history.
- Freshman Jonathan Jaime made his first collegiate start this afternoon, batting clean-up as a DH.
UP NEXT
The Eagles will go for the season sweep of West Virginia on Sunday, Feb. 19, at J.I. Clements Stadium. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. with Zachary Harris making his collegiate debut on the mound.