Long weather delay wreaks havoc on Statesboro Regional; Eagles’ game PPD to Saturday

STATESBORO, Ga. (WTOC) - UPDATE (1:10 a.m.): Notre Dame picked up a 3-2 victory over Texas Tech in the regional’s opening contest.

Notre Dame’s Jared Miller scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 8th inning. Tech tied the game at 2 in the top of the 8th on Easton Murrill’s two-RBI single.

The Irish move into the winner’s bracket and will play the winner of Georgia Southern and UNCG on Saturday. Tech will face the loser of GS-UNCG in an elimination game on Saturday.

The plan on Saturday, weather permitting, is for three games to be played. Each game would start 55 minutes after the conclusion of the previous contest.

Georgia Southern and UNCG are scheduled to begin play on Saturday at 10 a.m.

ORIGINAL STORY (8:55 p.m.) An hours-long weather delay was the star of the show on Georgia Southern’s first ever day as an NCAA Baseball Regional host.

Because of the delay, Georgia Southern and UNC Greensboro won’t be able to play their scheduled game until Saturday. If Texas Tech and Notre Dame are able to complete their game on Friday night, the Eagles and Spartans will start their contest at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The Red Raiders and Fighting Irish were able to get just four outs in the books before a weather delay hit around 2:30 p.m., with the Irish leading 2-0.

The stadium was cleared for lightning and saw a nearly 25-minute heavy downpour around 3:00 p.m.

Gates reopened at 5:00 p.m. and the Red Raiders and Irish were set to pick up at 5:35 p.m. But that never happened as more rain hit. The tarp was put back on the field around 6:00 p.m.

Tech and Notre Dame restarted play at 8:30 p.m., almost six hours after play was originally halted.

Several fans stuck through the long rain delay, hoping to see some action Friday night. A few Eagle fans we spoke to say the rain delay puts a little damper on Friday, but it won’t take away from their excitement to finally see Georgia Southern in this position.

“At the end of the day, it’s baseball and it’s playoff baseball here in Statesboro,” says Eagle fan Jacob Wigand. “For me, I think it’s a big deal. I’m still excited to come back tomorrow, later tonight, whenever.”

“I was excited all season long for regionals to come to Statesboro,” says Eagle fan Ethan Rhine. “Now we just have to wait a little longer.”

Stay with WTOC for updates from the Statesboro Regional all weekend long.

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