Georgia Southwestern baseball honors Evan Bozof

AMERICUS — While many were hoping for the luck of the Irish to get them through their Tuesday, Georgia Southwestern State University was hoping former pitcher Evan Bozof was smiling down on them.

The former honor student tragically passed after a battle with meningococcal meningitis in 1998, but his memory has lived on within the baseball program. His ashes were poured onto the pitcher’s mound and Tuesday, he was further immortalized when GSW retired his number 17, fittingly on St. Patrick’s Day.

Former teammates of Bozof gathered at the left field gate to unveil the giant number 17 baseball there to honor him.

Bozof’s father threw out the ceremonial first pitch to the 2015 Evan Bozof Scholarship Recipient and junior pitcher Earl Dupree. The Albany State Rams weren’t able to do much to disrupt the festivities as they fell to the Hurricanes 10-6.

The Hurricanes got on the board in the bottom of the first and held that two-run lead into the bottom of the fourth, when they added three more runs.

The Rams got on the board in the top of the seventh when Ryan Latner stole second and Herron Gardner stole home on the throw. The Rams exploded for five runs in the top of the ninth but it was too little too late at that point as the Rams fell to 5-15. ASU finished with eight hits and three errors in the contest.

ASU had four different players record an RBI. Sahir Fersobe was the losing pitcher in the contest and fell to 1-3 on the season. In three and two-thirds innings of work, the freshman gave up four hits and five runs.