Eagles Secure Sweep Over Fairfield With 8-5 Sunday Win
STATESBORO, GA. – Georgia Southern Baseball took its first series sweep since the 2016 season on Sunday with a 8-5 win over Fairfield at J.I. Clements Stadium. The Eagles logged 10 hits in the game and stranded 13 runners on base to improve to 4-3 on the season. Georgia Southern plays twice in the Holy City, visiting The Citadel on Tuesday and College of Charleston on Wednesday afternoons.

The sweep was Georgia Southern's first of a weekend series since March 11-12, 2016 when they took three over Appalachian State. It is the first non-conference weekend sweep since taking three over Georgia back in 2015.

QUOTABLES
Head Coach Rodney Hennon
"I'm proud of our guys, any time you can sweep a weekend series, you've got to feel good about that. We got another strong effort from a starting pitcher. I thought David (Johnson) did a really good job and got deep in the game. I thought we had some big at bats and executed in some big situations down the stretch. We left some runners on base at times earlier in the game when we had a chance to get some runs, but the guys hung in there and were able to take advantage of some free bases and do enough to win the game."

SCORING PLAYS
Top 5th - A throwing error on the leadoff hitter opened the door for Fairfield to score the game's first run with a single up the middle.
Bottom 5th - Two singles and a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third in the home half of the fifth. The fourth ball to Mason McWhorter got away from the Fairfield catcher, allowing Johns Hamilton to score from third. After Avant was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Roury Glanton hit into an inning-ending double play to end the Eagle threat with the game even at 1-1.
Top 7th - A Tim Zeng double with a runner on second and two outs gave Fairfield their second lead of the game at 2-1.
Bottom 7th - A single, a bunt single and a walk loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh. Chandler Corley hit a ground ball to second and beat out the double play relay as McWhorter scored. A failed squeeze attempt and a fly ball to center stranded two and kept the game tied at 2-2.
Top 8th - A hit batter and a single through the right side put runners on the corners with one out. A sacrifice fly gave Fairfield its third one-run inning of the game and a 3-2 lead.
Bottom 8th - A leadoff walk and a single put the Eagles in business in the eighth. Mitchell Golden beat out a bunt single and Hamilton was able to score when the Fairfield second baseman muffed the throw. After McWhorter was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Avant was hit as well, sending Curry home. Roury Glanton and Chandler Corley both singled to plate runs, while Matt Anderson and Jeddediah Fagg both delivered sacrifice flies to score six and bat around for the first time in 2018.
Top 9th - Relief pitcher Chase Cohen got the first out of the ninth before two singles put a pair aboard for the Stags. Back-to-back walks, however loaded the bases and scored a run as Cohen reached the end of his outing. Braxton Johns came in, walked another batter to make it 8-5, but the sophomore got the final out with a strikeout to earn his first Division I save.

Trojans Sweep Doubleheader Against Fort Wayne
LITTLE ROCK - Little Rock baseball's starting pitching dominated Fort Wayne Sunday, leading the Trojans to 2-0 and 7-1 wins in a doubleheader at Gary Hogan Field, upping their season record to 4-3 on the year.

Game One:
Cole Townsend went the distance on the mound in game one getting the complete game shutout for his first win of the season. He limited the Mastodons to three hits while striking out
eight and no walks allowed. The performance lowered his ERA on the season to 2.03 and upped his strikeout total to 11.

Both RBIs came from Troy Alexander, giving him seven on the season. In the first inning, Alexander had Marcus Ragan on third with two outs and found his pitch on a 1-0 count, slapping it up the middle to score Ragan.

Alexander's second RBI came as an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh. Matt Merino led off with a double to center and Alexander followed it up with a single up the middle on the next pitch. Alexander ended game one going 2-for- 4 at the plate.

Chase Coker ripped his third triple of the season in the bottom of the eighth inning, which ranks first nationally. Coker ended game one 1-for- 3 at the plate keeping his batting average above .450 on the year.

Game Two:
Chandler Fidel followed in the footsteps of Townsend in game two, throwing a complete game to earn his first win on the season. Fidel had the shutout bid going through seven before a Mastodon solo shot in the eighth ended the pursuit.

Fidel finished with six strikeouts with six hits allowed and is now 1-1 on the year with a 4.30 ERA in his third appearance.

Ragan's bat came alive in game two, going 4-for- 5 with two doubles and an RBI. Alexander had another solid outing going 2-for- 4 with a run and two stolen bases. Merino knocked in two RBIs while Coker, Ryan Benavidez and James Gann had an RBI each.

The Trojans earned their first series victory of the year, taking two of three from Fort Wayne in the weather-shortened weekend series. Little Rock's pitching has also started to settle into its groove, allowing just four runs over the last 35 innings.

Little Rock (4-3) now travels to Stillwater, Oklahoma, to take on Big-12 opponent Oklahoma State in a two game series Tuesday and Wednesday. Opening pitch against the Cowboys is scheduled for 4 p.m. both days from Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.

UTA's Austin Earns First Career Save In 6-5 Win
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Logan Austin escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning to earn his first career save, leading UTA baseball to a 6-5 win over Stephen F. Austin in the series opener of a two-game set, on Sunday night at Clay Gould Ballpark.

UTA (2-2) outlasted SFA (0-6) for the opener of the modified two-game series in Arlington. The Mavs and Jacks were originally scheduled to participate in SFA's tournament in Nacogdoches but heavy rain throughout the week thwarted the event, allowing UTA to host SFA on Sunday and Monday.

The Mavs jumped out to an early lead, plating three in the third inning and took a 5-1 lead into the sixth inning. SFA plated three unearned runs in the sixth and after UTA scored a run in the bottom of the frame, SFA cut the lead to 6-5 with a run in the seventh. SFA rallied to load the bases with one out in the ninth, with Austin entering from the bullpen for his season debut. He induced a soft fly out to left and a fielder's choice to end the game.

The game saw a total of 22 walks and two hit batters, with the Mavs drawing a total of 12 walks in the win.

LEADING THE MAVS
Christian Hollie, making his first start of the year in leftfield, earned UTA's lone multiple-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a walk and a double. UTA also got three walks from each RJ Williams and Easton Johnson, with the Mavs getting hits from Noah Vaughan, Omar Salinas and Phil Berthiaume.

ON THE MOUND
A senior right-hander, Daniel James made his first start of the year, working three hitless innings, working around five walks with two strikeouts. With the Mavs scoring three in the bottom of the third, UTA turned to junior righty Dylan Schneider to start the fourth. Schneider worked 2.2 innings, allowing three hits and four runs – one earned. Brad Vassar got three outs, allowing two hits before UTA used Tristan Tom and Jordon West (1-0) in relief in the seventh.

West earned the win with 1.1 innings, allowing a hit and walk, striking out two. After a leadoff double in the ninth, UTA turned to Adam Meyer, who got an out before giving way to Logan Austin. Austin earned his first career save, coming in with the bases loaded and one out in a one-run game. He induced a soft fly out to leftfield before getting a roller to third base to end the game.

SFA starter Seth Campbell (0-1) worked four innings, allowing three hits and three runs, walking six and striking out six. SFA also used Trayson Kubo, Cole Ridgely, Dru Dziedzic, Jesus Gamez and Tyler Starks in relief.

NEXT
The series will conclude on Monday at 1 p.m. CT at Clay Gould Ballpark. UTA will start senior righty Trae Patterson (0-0, 9.00 ERA) vs. SFA senior righty Trevor Kiminski (0-1, 9.82 ERA). The game will be broadcast live on UTAMavs.com.

HOW THEY SCORED
Bottom third: UTA broke through in the bottom of the third to take a 3-0 lead on three hits and three walks. The rally started with a leadoff single from Berthiaume, laced up the middle. After Johnson and Williams each drew walks while bluffing bunts, the bases were loaded for Vaughan. Vaughan pulled a two-run single down the rightfield line, scoring Berthiaume and Johnson but was thrown out at second trying to stretch it into a double.

Top fourth: The Jacks got a run back to cut the lead to 3-1. Will Cerny was hit by a pitch to open the inning, scoring on a one-out single from Nic Minor through the left side.

Bottom fifth: The Mavs added on in the fifth, getting a one-out single from Hollie and walks from Olson and Minjarez to load the bases with two outs. Berthiaume and Johnson then each forced in runs with bases-loaded walks.

Top sixth: The Jacks cut into the lead with three in the sixth inning, starting with one out after a dropped pop fly. Will Cerny then drew a walk and after a groundout moved both runners into scoring position, Minor singled through the left side to score a pair and pinch hitter Antonio Lima singled through the right side to score a third.

Bottom sixth: UTA added on in the sixth, getting a leadoff walk from Vaughan, who took second on a groundout and stole third with one out. Olson then scored Vaughan with a chopping groundout to the right side.

Top seventh: The Jacks cut into the lead in the seventh, getting a one-out double from Jared Martin. The Jacks then got hit by a pitch and drew two straight walks to force in a run.

Coastal Carolina Baseball Holds on Versus West Virginia, 5-2
CONWAY - Seth Lancaster was 2-for-2 with two RBI to lead Coastal Carolina to a 5-2 victory over West Virginia Sunday afternoon in the Brittain Resorts Invitational at Springs Brooks Stadium.

Lee Sponseller walked twice and scored twice while Cory Wood and Zach Biermann each added two hits.

Anthony Veneziano (1-0) earned the win. The sophomore allowed two hits and two runs off two solo home runs with two walks and four strikeouts.

Coastal struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Sponseller drew a leadoff walk and scored on a two-out double by Matt Beaird.

Chants pushed their lead to t 2-0 in the third. Wood hit a leadoff double, moved to third on an error and scored on a Lancaster sacrifice fly.

Sponseller scored his second run of the game to give Coastal a 3-0 lead in the fourth. The graduate senior hit a leadoff single, moved to third on a Biermann double and scored thanks to a sacrifice fly by Keaton Weisz.

In the fifth, Lancaster delivered his second RBI of the game when he hit a solo home run over the right-center field wall. The senior has two home runs this weekend and three for the year.

West Virginia got on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh with back-to-back home runs. Jimmy Galusky started the frame with a home run to left-center field and Kyle Gray followed with a home run to right-center.

Coastal got one of those runs back in the bottom of the seventh. Lancaster doubled, Kevin Woodall Jr.., was intentionally walked and Cameron Pearcey walked to load the bases. Biermann was hit by a pitch to force home Lancaster and give CCU a 5-2 lead.

The Mountaineers made it interesting in the ninth, loading the bases with the potential winning run at the plate. However. Freshman Shaddon Peavyhouse induced a game-inning ground out to earn his first save. Overall, he worked three scoreless innings, allowing three hits.

Baseball Closes Brittain Resorts Invitational with 15-5 Win over VCU
CONWAY - Coastal Carolina scored seven runs in the first inning and pulled away with three in the sixth to defeat VCU, 15-5, in the final game of the Brittain Resorts Invitational at Springs Brooks Stadium. The game, originally scheduled for Feb. 26, was moved to Sunday night due to rain in the forecast for Monday.

The Chanticleers, with a 5-2 win over West Virginia earlier Sunday, improves to 7-2 while VCU drops to 3-5. Coastal will return to action Wednesday by hosting region rival UNC Wilmington at 4 pm before welcoming Ball State, Maryland and Radford next weekend for the Johnny Gardner Law Firm Tournament.

For the Chants in the nightcap, Lee Sponseller was 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored while Kyle Skeels was 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored. Seth Lancaster was 0-for-2 but walked three times and scored three times.

Coastal got off to quick start, scoring seven runs in the bottom of the first. Cory Wood hit a leadoff double in the bottom of the first while Kieton Rivers and Lancaster walked to load the bases. Kevin Woodall Jr., also drew a walk to force home Wood while Sponseller delivered a two-run single. Two batters later, Zach Biermann lined an RBI single to center. Keaton Weisz hit a two-run double and Cameron Pearcey capped the scoring in the frame with an RBI single.

The Rams used a pair of doubles in the third inning to start a rally. Josh Simon hit he first two-bagger and, two batters later, Haiden Lamb doubled to plate Simon. After a single by Steven Carpenter, Jack Schroeder cleared the bases with a three-run home run to cut the deficit to three, 7-4.

Coastal answered with three runs in the bottom of the third. Skeels and Biermann were hit by pitches to begin the home half. Parker Chavers, who was 2-for-2 with an RBI and run scored, brought home Skeels with a double off the right field fence. Wood grounded out to drive in Biermann and a throwing error allowed Chavers to score as well.

VCU bounced back with a solo home run by Zac Ching to make the score 10-5 in the top of the fourth. However, the Chants once again answered in the home half. Lancaster walked, stole second and scored on Sponseller's triple. Skeels then dumped a single into right field to bring home Sponseller.

The Chants made is baker's dozen in the sixth. Lancaster drew a leadoff walk, stole second and scored on an RBI single by pinch hitter Tor Sehnert. Then Skeels drilled a two-run home run for a 15-5 cushion.

Scott Kobos (1-0) started and got the win. The junior allowed six hits and five run with no walks and three strikeouts.

App State Baseball Forces Extra Innings Before Falling At UNCW
WILMINGTON, N.C. — After allowing a first-inning run to UNCW, Appalachian State tied the game in the third and didn't give up another run until the Seahawks drew a bases-loaded walk in the 10th inning of their 2-1 victory Sunday at Brooks Field.

App State pitchers Brandon Boone, Bobby Hampton and Kaleb Bowman combined for 12 strikeouts over the first nine innings. UNCW, which lost 6-2 to the Mountaineers (2-4) on Saturday, won the series without producing a 10th-inning hit.

A walk and two wild pitches with no outs triggered two intentional walks to load the bases, and Mason Berne drew a game-ending walk on a 3-2 pitch.

David Sheaffer's RBI single gave the Seahawks (5-2) a first-inning lead, and the score remained tied at 1-1 for an extended period after Bailey Welch raced home from second on Joel McDaniel's RBI single with one out in the third inning.

From the time UNCW opened the bottom of the fourth inning with a single until the start of the 10th inning, the Seahawks' hitters struck out 10 times as Boone, Hampton and Bowman collectively retired 18 of 19 batters.

The Mountaineers' starting pitchers now have a 2.51 ERA on the season after Boone, a Wilmington native who graduated from Hoggard High School before attending nearby Brunswick Community College, gave up the one earned run on five hits and struck out five hitters in four innings. Hampton allowed one hit and struck out three batters in 2.2 innings, and Bowman posted four strikeouts as he retired all seven batters he faced.

Boone gave up a single and walk to the first two batters he faced, and a hit by pitch loaded the bases right after Sheaffer delivered an RBI single with two away in the first inning. Boone induced a groundout to McDaniel at shortstop to strand three runners, and UNCW left seven men on base in Boone's four innings.

Boone didn't allow a second-inning run after the Seahawks used a double and wild pitch to put a runner on third with one out. He didn't give up a run after allowing a leadoff double and hitting another batter with a two-out pitch in the third inning, and he followed the leadoff single in the fourth with three consecutive strikeouts.

McDaniel, Jason Avers, Beau Myers and Calev Grubbs had one hit apiece to lead the Mountaineers' offense.

App State had two runners on base with one out in the seventh inning and two runners on with two away in the ninth inning, but a pair of pick-offs hurt those scoring chances. UNCW reliever Austin Warren allowed a leadoff single to Grubbs in the 10th and retired the next three batters to earn the win.

The Mountaineers return to action Tuesday at Western Carolina before opening their home schedule against Marshall with a three-game series that begins Friday in Boone. After that, App State plays South Carolina at Charlotte's BB&T Ballpark on March 6.

Troy Falls to No. 3 Florida State in Finale
TALLAHASSEE, Florida – Third-ranked Florida State utilized a five-run second and a three-run seventh to push past Troy, 9-4, in the finale of the three-game set Sunday at Dick Howser Stadium.

Troy (4-4) struck first on a Cole Prestegard solo shot in the second inning – the homer marked the second of the season and he finished the game 3-for-4.

That would prove to be the Trojans' only lead, as the Seminoles (7-0) stormed back to score five runs in the bottom of the frame and never looked back on their way to the series sweep.

After the second inning, the game was put on halt for an hour and 18 minutes due to a rain delay. CJ Carter entered after the delay and went to work on the mound – only allowing one run and scattering three hits around two strikeouts in four innings.

Troy was able to cut it to three in both the sixth and seventh innings, partly because of Matt Sanders' perfect day at the plate. The senior finished 3-for-3 with two doubles, two walks and two runs scored. Joey Denison also turned in a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-5 with a run driven in.

FSU was led offensively by Drew Mendoza, who was able to go 2-for-2 with a triple, two walks and two runs scored. Freshman starter Austin Pollock (1-0) picked up his first career win after going six innings, allowing only two runs – one earned – on five hits.

Rush Hixon (1-1) suffered the loss on the mound for Troy after giving up five runs on five hits in two innings – he struck out two.

Ragin’ Cajuns Baseball Falls In Eventful Series Final Against Wright State
LAFAYETTE, La. – The 20th-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball team fell 4-3 to Wright State on Sunday in an eventful series finale at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.

The defeat marks the first non-conference series loss for the Cajuns (2-5) since 2012 against Southern Miss. Both the Ragin' Cajuns and the Raiders (2-4) tallied 11 hits in the contest.

Freshman Austin Perrin was handed his second loss of the year allowing three runs on seven hits with four walks and three strikeouts in 4.0 innings of work. Caleb Sampen earned the victory for Wright State going 5.0 innings with two runs on seven hits and a walk, while Derek Hendrixson picked up the save limiting Louisiana to one run on four hits with five strikeouts in 4.0 innings.

LEADING THE CAJUNS

Junior Gavin Bourgeois had a career-best three hits with an RBI and scored a run. Daniel Lahare had two doubles in the game and scored a run. Kennon Fontenot and Kole McKinnon also had a pair of hits in the game.

Freshman Brock Batty tossed three innings of scoreless relief to lower his ERA on the season down to 0.87 through three appearances.

HOW IT HAPPENED

For the second straight game, the Ragin' Cajuns took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Hunter Kasuls brought home Bourgeois on a sacrifice fly to centerfield.

Wright State took the lead in the top of the third on a two-run homer to straight away center by Peyton Burdick. The Raiders tacked on another run later in the inning on an RBI single up the middle by Seth Gray to make the score 3-1.

Louisiana pulled within a run in the bottom of the fifth when Bourgeois brought home Lahare on a single to center with one out.

The Cajuns appeared to have taken the lead in the bottom of the seventh on a ball hit to right field by Lahare that was originally ruled a two-run homer, but was then ruled to be a double off of the wall instead.

The Raiders added an insurance run in the top of the ninth on a two-out, bases-loaded walk to pinch hitter Zane Harris to extend their advantage to 4-2.

McKinnon gave the Ragin' Cajuns life in the bottom half of the ninth with a two-out solo blast to left field to cut the Wright State lead to 4-3. After Bourgeois reached on a single to left field, freshman Hayden Cantrelle was called out at first on a bang-bang play to end the contest.

UP NEXT

Louisiana will host Nicholls in a 6 p.m. contest on Wednesday to close out its four-game homestand at Russo Park. Following the matchup with the Colonels, the Cajuns head to Houston, Texas for the Shriners College Classic held at Minute Maid Park from March 2-4.

Bobcats wrap up series victory over McNeese Sunday
SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State baseball team suffered a 1-0 setback to McNeese State in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Bobcat Ballpark.

The Bobcats, having already clinched the series with wins Friday and Saturday, were unable to push a run across to fall to 3-4 on the season. The Cowboys (1-6) earned their first victory of the campaign a year after winning the Southland Conference Championship.

TXST's best chance to score came in the first inning. The maroon and gold drew three walks to load the bases, but the threat ended with a groundout. Sophomore Cole Coffey was issued a leadoff walk in the fifth and reached third base on a flyout, but that opportunity was also halted with a groundout.

The game was delayed for 58 minutes after the second inning due to a quick rain shower at the field, and neither team was able to find much offense the rest of the way.

The lone run for the visitors came on a sacrifice fly from Mitchell Rogers in the top of the ninth inning. Zach Rider registered a leadoff pinch-hit single and reached third on a sac bunt. He then scored on Rogers' flyout to right field.

The only other hits were recorded by Jake Cochran, Shane Selman and Dustin Duhon.

Texas State starting pitcher Brandon Lewis had the best performance of his career to earn the no-decision. He doubled his best strikeout total, finishing with eight punchouts. He lasted 5.0 innings to tie for the longest outing of his career. He also conceded a career-low two hits and did not give up a run in a start for the first time in his tenure.

Senior Cam Baird tossed a clean 3.0 innings of relief. He did not give up a run on one hit, while walking two.

McNeese pitchers Adam Goree and Cayne Ueckert combined to throw a no-hitter. Goree tossed the first 2.0 frames and finished with one strikeout and three walks. Ueckert also walked three and hit a batter, but he struck out five and kept the Bobcats off the scoreboard across the final 7.0 innings.

Texas State next hits the road for a midweek clash with Baylor at 6:35 p.m. in Waco, Texas.