MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. | An offensive explosion in the bottom of the eighth that saw Georgia College & State University score nine runs broke open a close game as they defeated Eckerd College 14-3 in the series opener Friday (Feb. 7) at John Kurtz Field.
The 13th-ranked Bobcats won their first game this season, climbing to 1-4, while the Tritons fell back to .500 at 2-2. GCSU will wrap up the three-game set with Eckerd Saturday (Feb. 8) with a doubleheader beginning at noon.
John Luke Glanton (1-0) cruised through the first three innings of the contest, collecting a pair of punch-outs as well. However, Eckerd put together a rally in the fourth inning as Luis Garrido punched a single and later scored via a wild pitch.
The Bobcats bounced back an inning later as Ben Hamacher and Carson Phillips had back-to-back doubles to score the first run. Matthew Mebane singled into left, stole second, and gave GCSU a 2-1 lead when he scored on an Evan Cowan RBI base knock.
GCSU added another in the sixth via a sacrifice fly from Hamacher, but Eckerd would rally in the seventh to tie the game at 3. Chri Cabina was hit by a pitch from Glanton to start the rally, and two runs came across quickly via three consecutive singles.
The Bobcats scored twice in the bottom of the inning to open up a 5-3 lead on RBI from Cowan and pinch-hitter Keagan Baxter.
GCSU broke the game open in the eighth as they sent 14 batters to the plate and scored nine runs on just four hits. Mebane cracked a shattering 375-foot three-run home run to give GCSU an 8-3 lead. Caleb Miele cleared the bases with a double later in the frame, while Phillips and Mebane drove in two more with their second at-bats of the inning.
Glanton collected the win, giving up three runs in a seven-inning effort, and accumulated four strikeouts. Griffin Davis pitched two scoreless innings to collect his first save.
Five Bobcats had two or more hits, including Phillips and Mebane, who had three apiece, while Hamacher, Cowan, and Miele each had two. Mebane and Miele also had four and three RBI, respectively.
About GCSU Athletics
Owning the top Academic Success Rate among all public colleges and universities in Division II for four consecutive academic years, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won five consecutive Presidents' Awards for Academic Excellence, and are two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup and four-time winners of the PBC Institution of the Year Sportsmanship Award. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' continued appearances in postseason competition as well as high-level academic success and community-service involvement. Bobcat Athletics embodies the mantra of "Graduating Champions for Life." Sign up at @GCSUBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports or subscribe to the
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