Southern gets back-to-back wins over UAPB Golden Lions

Baton Rouge, La. - The Southern Jaguars baseball team improved to 13-8 overall and 6-2 in the SWAC after taking a doubleheader from Arkansas-Pine Bluff, beating the Golden Lions 6-5 and 11-1. The Jaguars came back from a 5-1 deficit to beat the Golden Lions 6-5 in game one. Wilmy Marrero drove in Taylor Roy for the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth.

Frazier Hall knocked out his fifth home run of the season when he drilled a two-run shot off the scoreboard in the fifth inning. The Jaguars won game two with ease, beating the Golden Lions 11-1 behind three hits and three RBI by Marrero. Jaguars pitcher Jesse Holiday picked up the win going 4 2/3 innings, striking out five batters, while allowing only one run on one hit.



SU sweeps Pine Bluff

As it turned out, a day like this was just what Wilmy Marrero needed. Marrero, who spent much of this season starting at third base and batting cleanup for the Southern baseball team, woke up Saturday morning, had a little breakfast, then took a seat in the dugout as the Jaguars began their doubleheader sweep of Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Lee-Hines Field.

Marrero, a junior from Houston, had been 2-for-12 in his last four games. But by the end of Saturday’s first game — in which SU rallied for two ninth-inning runs and a 6-5 win — Marrero found himself back on the field, shortly after SU coach Roger Cador made a double switch.

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SC State Bulldogs happy to get a chance

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Preparing for another FCS playoff appearance was something South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough did not envision six weeks ago.

He acknowledged that a 14-0 loss to Bethune-Cookman on Oct. 16 more than snapped the Bulldogs’ MEAC-record 21-game winning streak. Pough referred to it as one of the lowest points in his tenure, and how S.C. State rebounded to win an at-large berth to face Georgia Southern in today’s opening round as one of the highest.

“I had no idea we had a shot,” Pough said. “The fact that we hadn’t had very good luck in getting an at-large berth up until now, and I was so down in the dumps. I felt like I had done a poor job of creating a sense of urgency in preparation for Bethune. They came in and had outplayed us and shut us out.

No secrets for GSU, South Carolina State

STATESBORO - Football Championship Subdivision first-round playoff opponents Georgia Southern and South Carolina State are neighbors without many secrets.

Video technicians for both schools split the 98-mile trek down Route 301 from Statesboro to Orangeburg, S.C., on Sunday to exchange tapes of the teams' four most recent games. Usually, teams download their tapes and send them over the Internet, but it proved easier and faster just to drive the DVDs to a designated spot.

'Mighty Mouse' leading SCSU

David Erby could see it coming. Sitting in his stance, pre-play, the diminutive linebacker (he claims 5-10, 225) sniffed the play out, and on the snap, sprinted toward a Norfolk State receiver. He got there when the ball did, dropping the Spartan with a whack that drew an audible reaction from the home stands at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium not once, but twice, the second time coming when the play was shown on the stadium's video board.  "I love it," Erby said. "You have to give the fans something to watch."

Erby, the MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, has given Bulldogs fans plenty to watch this season, recording 92 tackles and 5.5 sacks. A former safety and tailback at Rock Hill High School, Erby doesn't exactly match up physically next to fellow Bulldogs linebackers Marshall McFadden (6-2, 235) and Julius Wilkerson (6-4, 225). But Erby makes up for his non-prototypical size with a "Mighty Mouse" style of play, taking on whatever comes his way.

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Georgia Southern smacks Savannah State, 48-3

STATESBORO, GA - The triple option returned to Georgia Southern on Saturday night. A lot of optimism for the Eagles came back after a game at Paulson Stadium as well. GSU pleased its fan base in at least three ways. They moved the ball methodically, played defense with relentlessness and couldn't have been better in special teams.

The result was an overwhelming 48-3 victory over neighboring Savannah State in the season opener for both teams. "The option is back," a speaker over the stadium public address system proclaimed after GSU's first offensive play. "I'm just glad they were happy at the end of the game," GSU first-year coach Jeff Monken said.





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