STATESBORO, Ga. – The record may not show it, but the Fairfield University Baseball team has seen plenty of positives during their season opening series against Georgia Southern. Today, the Stags led the Eagles, a 38-win team last season, until the bottom of the eighth inning, but Georgia Southern would respond for six runs in the frame, for an eventual 8-5 victory.
 
Even when the Eagles (4-3) turned a 3-2 deficit into an 8-3 lead the Stags (0-3) would not go down quietly. Eric Cerno and Dan Ryan started the rally with one-out singles to put runners on first and second. The Stags would then draw three-straight walks with Jack Gethings and Kevin Radziewicz driving in a pair of runs. The Stags had the go-ahead run at the plate but Braxton Johns would strike out the final hitter in picking up his 11th career save in just his sophomore season.
 
The Stags were the first team on the board when Tom Ryan drove in a run with a single up the middle. The Eagles would tie the game in the bottom of the frame.
 
Fairfield would add the pressure by scoring runs in the seventh and eighth innings with a Tim Zeng RBI double and an Anthony Boselli sacrifice fly. But as was the theme to the afternoon, the Eagles would answer right back.
 
Gethings had two of Fairfield's six hits, leading the team. Austin Pope had an impressive spring debut by holding the Eagles to one run over five innings while striking out four.
 
The Stags will next hit the road on Friday, March 2, when they travel to George Mason. First pitch for the three game series is 2:30pm.