AMERICUS - The Georgia Southwestern baseball team dropped Game 1 of the weekend Peach Belto Conference series with the University of Montevallo, 13-5, on Saturday afternoon at Hurricane Stadium, but came back in the nightcap to win a 6-5, 12-inning thriller on Stephen Eldridge's walk-off double.
GSW ends the day with a 3-5 overall record, 1-1 in the PBC, while Montevallo sits at 6-3 overall, 1-1 in PBC play.
The three-game series comes to a close on Sunday at 1 p.m.
GAME 1: GSW 5, MONTEVALLO 13
The Falcons scored 10 runs on GSW over the third and fourth innings to put the game out of reach.
Southwestern took advantage of a Montevallo error in the first inning to jump out to a 1-0 lead. The home side was not ahead for long.
GSW allowed four runs on three hits, two walks and a hit batter in the third inning to fall behind 4-1.
Stephen Eldridge followed Jarrod Taylor's double with a home run blast in the bottom of the frame to pull GSW within a run, 4-3.
Montevallo answered with six-run barrage aided by five walks in the fourth inning. The Falcons added a run in the sixth and two more in the eighth to take a 13-3 advantage.
The Hurricanes pushed across the final two runs of the contest, one in the eighth and another in the ninth. Taylor brought home Les Cromer with a double to left field in the eighth and Josh Sanders plated Zach Moss with a sacrifice fly in the ninth.
Starter Lance Shelton (1-2) took the loss for the Hurrianes after pitching 3 1/3 innings and allowing nine earned runs on nine hits. He walked three and struck out four. Dylan Brown walked four in his 1/3 of an inning before Justin Barnes threw 4 1/3 innings and surrendered three runs. Coty Graham tossed a scoreless ninth inning.
Montevallo starter Cody Hughes (1-0) threw five innings of four-hit ball while allowing three runs - two earned. He struck out four. Kincade Koehler allowed a run in his three innings on the hill and Tanner Koch gave up a run while throwing in the ninth.
Taylor was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and a RBI to lead GSW batters. Moss also collected two hits, one of which was a double.
Will Fulmer and Vinny Rodriguez had three-hit games for Montevallo. Fulmer scored twice, had a double and drove in three. Rodriguez touched home once, had a double and tallied two RBIs.
GAME 2: GSW 6, MONTEVALLO 5 (12 INNINGS)
The Hurricanes saw a five-run lead disappear in the eighth inning, but rebounded with the 12th inning heroics to earn a split in the afternoon doubleheader.
Les Cromer slapped a double over the center fielder's head to bring around Josh Sanders from first base and give GSW its first run of Game 2. Cromer moved to third on Stephen Eldridge's infield single and eventuall scored on a balk.
Josh Tatnall scored from third on as the Hurricanes hit into a double play in the second and GSW went ahead 3-0.
From there the two sides combined to score seven straight unearned runs. GSW pushed two across in the seventh inning to extend its margin to 5-0.
Montevallo took advantage of three Southwestern errors in the eighth and tied the game, 5-5.
The bats went silent on both sides until the 12th inning, managing to combine for only one hit until the Hurricane rally.
Cromer delivered a one-out single and Eldridge came through with the two-out game-winner.
Eldridge and Sanders and three hits apiece in the nightcap. Eldridge had two RBIs and Sanders scored twice.
Will Fulmer delivered another three-hit performance to lead Montevallo.
Neither starter factored into the decision.
Matthew Suggs started on the mound for the Hurricanes and pitched a solid 7 1/3 innings. He was charged with four unearned runs and six hits while walking two and striking out six. Earl Dupree threw 1/3 of an inning, Myles Gay tossed a scoreless 1 1/3 innings and Coty Graham (1-0) picked up his first collegiate win by holding the Falcons scoreless over the final 2 2/3 innings.
Starter Jeremy Bagnall threw 6 1/3 innings for Montevallo. Bagnell allowed five runs - three earned - on 11 hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out three. Edward Brandsema (1-2) took the loss after 5 1/3 innings on the mound. Brandsema held GSW to three hits while walking two and striking out eight.