STATESBORO, Ga. – Kris Richards led off the game with a home run, but Georgia Southern answered with three runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back in an 8-3 win over UNCG to kick off a three-game Southern Conference set at J.I. Clements Stadium on Friday.
After a lightning delay of more than two hours, Richards hit the game's second pitch out to left field to put the Spartans (10-6, 1-3 SoCon) up 1-0.
The lead was short-lived, however, as the Eagles (8-10, 1-3 SoCon) took advantage of some shaky defense to claim the lead in the bottom half. After Scooter Williams drew a four-pitch walk to lead off the inning, Michael Burruss followed with a double to bring in Williams and tie the game.
A passed ball allowed Burruss to move to third, and Stryker Brown lifted a sacrifice fly to left to knock in Burruss for an unearned run. GSU would add another unearned run in the inning on a UNCG throwing error.
The Eagles would add to their lead in the third inning on Brown's RBI single up the middle, which brought in Casey Kicklighter.
UNCG would get back within two at 4-2 in the top of the fifth. After Christian Wolfe led off with a double, he would come around to score on Richards' single and a GSU fielding error.
The Eagles would score a pair of runs in each of the next two innings, however, to open up a comfortable lead. Williams hit a two-run double in the sixth and Kicklighter had an RBI single in the seventh and would later score on a double play to make it 8-2.
The Spartans got a run back on TJ Spina's two-out RBI single in the eighth, but that was as close as UNCG would get.
Richards, Wolfe, Spina and Thomas Troelstrup had two hits each for the Spartans, who matched the Eagles with 10 hits. Williams, Kicklighter and Brown had two each to pace Georgia Southern.
Chris Beck (2-2) picked up the win, going 7 2/3 innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on nine hits and three walks. He struck out nine.
Tyler Hollstegge (1-2) took the loss, allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings. Dominique Vattuone worked 3 1/3 innings of relief, allowing two runs on two hits and a walk.
Game two of the series starts Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
AGATE
Georgia Southern 8, UNCG 3 (Mar 16, 2012 at Statesboro, Ga.)
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UNCG................ 100 010 010 - 3 10 1 (10-7, 1-3 SoCon)
Georgia Southern.... 301 002 20X - 8 10 2 (8-10, 1-3 SoCon)
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Pitchers: UNCG - Tyler Hollstegge; Dominique Vattuone(3); Jonathan Jones(6); Tyler Frazier(7);
Pete Schultz(7); Adam Boghosian(8) and Trevor Edwards. Georgia Southern - Beck; Leverett(8);
Rowe(9) and Clark, C.
Win-Beck(2-2) Loss-Tyler Hollstegge(2-1) T-2:48 A-894
HR UNCG - Kris Richards (4).
Weather: 82, 5 W, Cloudy
Frazier faced 2 batters in the 7th.
- UNCG -
