STATESBORO, Ga. - Georgia Southern scored two runs in the sixth inning to go ahead of College of Charleston and eventually win a 4-2 decision in Sunday's rubber game to win the weekend series.
The loss marked just the second time that College of Charleston (21-8, 11-3) has not won a weekend series this season. Georgia Southern moved to 5-7 in SoCon play with the win.
CofC starter Matt Pegler (5-1) was tagged with his first loss of the season as he allowed three runs on eight hits through 5.1 IP and struck out just one. GSU's Will Middour picked up the win in a quality start, going 7.0 IP and giving up just two runs on five hits.
The Cougars' Marty Gantt broke out of his weekend slide with a strong performance on Sunday, going 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Junior Bradley Goodson hit a solo home run in the fifth inning for his fifth bomb of the season.
Stryker Brown had a big day for Georgia Southern as he went 2-of-3 with a triple, a run and an RBI. On the day, the Eagles tallied 13 hits with four going for extra bases.
Georgia Southern got on the board first in the third inning with some small ball as Scooter Williams laid down a bunt and legged it out for a hit. After he stole second base, Michael Burruss singled him home to put GSU up 1-0.
College of Charleston tied the game in the next half-inning with some small ball of their own. Gantt led off the inning with a single and stole second, his 13th base swipe of the season. After a Brandon Murray walk, Daniel Aldrich laid down a bunt to advance the runners and Tyler Jackson picked up a sacrifice fly RBI that scored Gantt from third base.
The Cougars broke the 1-1 tie in the fifth inning off of Goodson's two-out solo home run to left center field.
CofC's lead did not last long as Georgia Southern had its first three hitters reach safely in the sixth inning, including the tying run off the bat of Brown. After Kyle Owings relieved Pegler, a hard hit ball deep into the hole proved unworkable for Goodson and Georgia Southern plated another run in Chase Griffin to take a 3-2 lead.
The Eagles added an insurance run in the eighth inning off of David Peterson when Brown hit a leadoff triple and Hunter Thomas hit a pinch-hit single back up the middle to make the score 4-2.
The Cougars threatened in the top of the ninth inning, using hits from Murray and Brandon Glazer to put two runners on, but Jarret Leverett struck out Cody Martin to end the game.
College of Charleston will next host nationally-ranked South Carolina on Wednesday night at 6 p.m. at Patriots Point.
