AMERICUS - The Georgia Southwestern baseball team used a seven-run first inning and a six-run eighth inning as bookends in its 16-2 victory over Albany State on Tuesday evening at Hurricane Stadium.
GSW belted 19 hits in the contest, including six doubles and a home run. Stephen Gaylor, John Duran and Andrew Anderson had three hits apiece to lead the assult.
With the win, the Hurricanes improve to 24-19 overall. Albany State falls to 21-20.
GSW wasted no time jumping on the Golden Rams. Gaylor was hit by a pitch to open the game. Duran singled to right-center and Michel Coffey cleared the bases with a bomb to left field, his second home run of the season. Corey Benson and Beau Parker each eventually drove home a run in the frame before Gaylor plated two to end the seven-run inning.
Albany State scored a run in the second off of a Greg Johnson solo home run.
Coffey drove home Gaylor in the bottom of the third with a single and the Hurricanes added two more runs in the fourth when Paschal Poston doubled in Benson, moved to third on an Andrew Anderson single and proceeded to score on a wild pitch.
The score remained 10-1 until the eighth. ASU scored a run in the top half of the inning and GSW tacked on six more runs in the bottom half. Scooter Houston opened the eighth for GSW with a ground rule double down the left-field line and added an RBI single later in the frame. Parker doubled to score two runs and Gaylor also doubled to plate a run.
GSW starting pitcher Matt Weaver (2-0) got all the run support he would need in the first inning. Weaver turned in a strong performance, tossing eight innings, holding the Golden Rams to one run on six hits while striking out five and walking one. Corey Hawes pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning and picked up a pair of strikeouts.
Albany State starter Jontario Stokes was tagged for seven runs in 2/3 of an inning. The Golden Rams used five pitchers in the ballgame.
Gaylor finished 3-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs, three runs scored and a walk to lead GSW at the plate. Duran finished 3-for-5, as did Anderson. Coffey went 2-for-5 with four RBIs. Benson, Houston and Parker added two hits apiece.
William Smalls went 2-for-3 to lead Albany State.
The 16 runs by GSW are the most scored in a game by the Hurricanes since Mar. 23, 2010, when GSW defeated Thomas (Ga.) at Hurricane Stadium, 18-10.
Ironically enough, the 'Canes entertain Thomas on Wednesday evening at 5 p.m.