The Georgia Southern University baseball team dropped a 2-1 decision to South Carolina in its opening-round game of the Columbia Regional in the NCAA Tournament on Friday evening in Columbia, S.C.

The fourth-seeded Eagles (36-25), led by Carrollton High School product Eric Jay Phillips, fall into an elimination game against No. 3 North Carolina State (34-26) today at 1 p.m. at Carolina Stadium. The Wolfpack suffered an 8-7 loss to No. 2 Stetson (42-18) in the first game on Friday.

The Eagles jumped out to an early lead on the defending national champions and top-seeded South Carolina (46-14), getting an unearned run in the top of the third off Gamecock starter Michael Roth.

USC answered with runs in the fourth and sixth, though, to take the lead in the low-scoring affair, as there were just six hits in the game combined. Phillips went 0-for-4.

GSU hurler Andy Moye worked eight innings, yielding two runs — one earned — on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Roth went seven innings, allowing an unearned run on two hits with two walks and four punchouts. Matt Price got the save for South Carolina, tossing 1.2 innings of hitless relief, fanning three and walking none.