On a cloudy Saturday afternoon, the Georgia Southern University baseball team was able to defeat the University of Tennessee at Martin 10-1.

This marks the first time GSU is able to start the season 2-0 since the 2009 season. “We have kind of started off pretty rough losing the last two years’ season openers,” Junior outfielder Victor Roache said, “It feels great to come out the gates and get two wins.”

Senior Eric Phillips had a solid night getting three hits, driving in two runs, and had two stolen bases. Roache belted his first homerun of the season and had two runs batted in to go along with two walks. Junior T.D. Davis also had two hits and two runs batted in.

“It is always nice to start out on top but the hard part is maintaining,” Phillips said.

In the bottom of the first inning Roache belted a two-run homerun deep over the leftfield wall, his first of the season. After a single, hit batter and a stolen base, Davis grounded into a fielder’s choice but it was enough to score Phillips from third base to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead.

Scooter Williams, junior, led off the second inning with a double off the wall, just missing a homerun by a few inches. With no outs in the second inning, UT Martin was forced to make a pitching change after their starting pitcher Brendan Lozupone was struggling with his control and getting hit well by the Eagles’ batters.

In the second inning still, the Eagles were able to score another run off a fielder’s choice, increasing their lead to 4-0.
In the top of the fourth the Skyhawks threatened with the bases loaded but GSU starting pitcher Josh Adams was able to get out of the jam forcing a ground ball to the shortstop.

The Eagles continued the scoring in the fifth inning when Davis ripped a double down the leftfield line to up the lead to 5-0. Freshman second baseman Tyler Avera hit a single to leftfield and Davis was able to slide around the tag at home plate to score GSU’s sixth run.

The Skyhawks were able to plate one run in the top of the sixth inning before GSU was able to add four more runs to the scoreboard in the eighth inning with a few solid hits.

“I look forward to the rest of the year,” Phillips said, “We have a good lineup and I feel this year will be very productive.”

The Eagles will conclude the three game series against UT Martin at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday with a chance to sweep the opening series of the season.