Eubanks pitches no-hitter

Published 10:47 pm Monday, July 17, 2006

MOULTRIE — Colquitt County’s Aaron Eubanks has made a little history.

The former Packer threw the first no-hitter ever in the Carolina Virginia Collegiate League as his Danville Cougars blanked the West Virginia Shockers 4-0 in the first game of a Sunday doubleheader.

Danville also won the second game 7-0.

The Georgia Southern left-hander struck out 15, including 11 in a row. He walked three and hit two others. Eubanks is now 2-0 and leads the Cougars in earned run average.

“Today, he definitely had his best stuff,” Danville manager Buddy Smith said. “He threw hard and was able to locate his breaking ball.

“I think that he definitely improved this summer and he should go into fall baseball at GSU with a great shot at being a conference starter.”

The win also was the first complete game of the season for Eubanks, who has been brought along slowly by Smith after pitching sparingly last spring in his first season at Georgia Southern.

“I wasn’t ready,” Eubanks said. “They worked me into the rotation.”

Smith said Eubanks “could only got about three innings at the start of the summer, but now he is solid for five or six.”

Eubanks said his fast ball was working and his curve ball was “biting.”

“I didn’t throw any changeups,” he said.

The Cougars supported Eubanks with their first multi-home run game. Jim Doran of Carson Newman and Brian Schools of St. Joe’s each connected.

Eubanks is no stranger to no-hitters. During Colquitt County High’s 2003 run to the Class AAAAA state championship, he allowed only one base runner in a 5-0 victory over Tift County, and that batter reached on a walk.

Eubanks and former Colquitt County High and current Georgia Southern teammate Will Southwell have helped lead the Cougars to a 22-6 record and a place atop the Carolina Virginia Collegiate League standings.

A victory in any of the team’s four remaining games would clinch the league championship. Eubanks is expected to be the starting pitcher on Sunday in the league tournament, should the Cougars get that far.

The Cougars also will play in an invitational tournament in Hickory, N.C., following the conclusion of the season.

Eubanks signed with Clemson following his high school career, which concluded with the state championship and the Region 1-AAAAA Player of the Year honor. He transferred to Georgia Southern before last season.

Eubanks lived and played in Virginia and North Carolina this summer while awaiting the birth of his first child, due on Sept. 19.

“It’s been tough,” he said of being away from his wife much of the summer. “But she understands it’s good for my career.”