STATESBORO, Ga. — Appalachian State University baseball, the Sun Belt Conference's top fielding team, committed four errors, including a costly miscue in the bottom of the ninth inning that led to Georgia Southern scoring two unearned runs and dealing the Mountaineers a 4-3 defeat on Friday evening at chilly J.I. Clements Stadium.

Appalachian State (5-7, 0-1 Sun Belt) entered the Sun Belt opener ranked first in the conference and 38th nationally with a .976 fielding percentage. However, the gloves failed the Mountaineers on Friday night, as their season-high four errors and two passed balls contributed to only two of Georgia Southern's five runs being earned.

Despite the sloppy defense, Appalachian took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning, thanks to scoring three runs on back-to-back two-out doubles by Jaylin Davis and Grayson Atwood in the top of the eighth.

Georgia Southern's Aaron Mizell led off the bottom of the ninth with a clean single to right field off Appalachian State relief ace Taylor Thurber. The Eagles' next batter, Chase Griffin, bounced what might have been a double-play ball to App State shortstop Dillon Dobson but Dobson booted the routine grounder to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Pinch-hitter Kody Adams followed with a perfect bunt up the third-base line that he beat out for a hit to load the bases.

Following Adams' bunt single, freshman Ryan Ross replaced Thurber on the mound and got a strikeout and a popup to bring the Mountaineers within one out of victory.

However, Georgia Southern's Hunter Thomas followed with a slow bouncer to the right side that scooted just past diving first baseman Conner Leonard. Ranging to his left, second baseman Michael Pierson fielded the ball but his throw to Ross, who was covering the first-base bag, was not in time to catch Thomas. Additionally, the ball was hit so feebly, there was enough time for Griffin (Georgia Southern's catcher) to come home all the way from second on the infield single and score the winning run.

The Eagles' ninth-inning comeback overshadowed a terrific performance by Appalachian State's pitchers, which limited Georgia Southern's high-powered offense to nine hits (including just six that left the infield) and struck out 14 batters.

Starter Jeffrey Springs headlined Appalachian's strong showing on the mound, surrendering four hits and striking out 10 in six innings of work. Thurber (2-1) suffered his first loss of the season despite not allowing an earned run in 1.2 innings of work.

Offensively, Appalachian State managed just six hits, including Davis' game-tying two-run double and Atwood's go-ahead RBI two-bagger in the eighth. Playing in his first game of the season, sophomore Tyler Stroup drove in the Mountaineers' only other run on a groundout in the second inning.

Appalachian's only other offensive highlight came when Pierson singled in the first inning to reach base for the 42nd-consecutive game and extend the nation's longest on-base streak.

The Mountaineers will look to rebound on Saturday when it faces Georgia Southern (9-5, 1-0 Sun Belt) in the second game of the three-game weekend series. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.