Three games into the season and Emerson Hancock continues to impress.
Friday night against Georgia Southern, the Cairo native was at it again, scattering five hits over five innings to help pitch the Bulldogs to a 3-1 win before a crowd of 2,247 fans at J.I. Clements Stadium in Statesboro.
Hancock did allow his first run of the year, but walked only one with five strikeouts to help 9th-ranked Georgia improve to 8-1 on the year.
The sophomore right-hander has been a big reason why. In 18 innings, Hancock has allowed just five hits with four walks and 17 strikeouts with a miniscule ERA of 0.50.
Georgia Southern pitcher Seth Shuman wasn’t bad himself, allowing just two runs with 11 strikeouts in a solid seven innings. Hancock – along with Ryan Webb and closer Aaron Schunk – were just better.
Webb was even more impressive than Hancock, allowing just one hit with a career-high seven strikeouts over three innings before Schunk pitched a perfect ninth to earn his second save.
“We won with pitching and defense and some timely hitting,” head coach Scott Stricklin said. “We need to do a little more offensively, and we know that but you have to tip your cap to (Seth) Shuman and (Hayden) Harris, those guys were good tonight. Now we get ready for a doubleheader, and the goal is to find a way to win the series when you’re on the road against a good team.”
Georgia gave Hancock and company all the runs they would need in the third after C.J. Smith led off with a single, followed by Cam Shepherd who doubled down the right field line. Riley King followed with a RBI groundout before Schunk added a sacrifice fly to make the score 2-0.
The Eagles (3-5) had their chances early.
Georgia Southern left four runners in scoring position through the first three innings before scoring the first run anybody has tallied off Hancock all year with a fourth-inning single by Steven Curry.
The Eagles had a chance to tie in the seventh following a pinch-hit double by Tyler Martin to lead off the inning only to have Webb retire the next three batters – two by strikeouts – to end the threat.
Georgia Southern finished 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position as the trio of Bulldog pitchers managed eight strikeouts in those situations.
The two teams wrap up their series on Saturday with a day-night doubleheader with Game 1 set for 1 followed by the nightcap at 7:30.
