AUGUSTA, Ga. - The Georgia Southwestern baseball team lost its Peach Belt Conference series opener at Augusta University on Friday evening, 10-5, before storming back on Saturday with a doubleheader sweep of the Jaguars, 8-5 and 4-0, to win the three-game set at Lake Olmstead Stadium.
Evan Alderman led GSW batters with a .462 average over the series and Dylan Brown turned in a stellar performance in the finale, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning.
The Hurricanes have won three of their last four games and finished the weekend with a record of 7-11, 2-4 in the PBC, while Augusta dropped to 6-10, 2-4.
GSW returns home to host Albany State on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
GAME 1: GSW 5, AUGUSTA 10
A five-run fourth inning proved to be the difference for Augusta in the series opener.
GSW jumped out to a 3-0 lead, sparked by a two-run home run from freshman Jonathan Martin in the second inning. Augusta answered with a two-run shot of its own in the bottom half of the second and pulled away with five runs in the fourth.
Evan Alderman led the Hurricanes offensive attack, going 4-for-4 with a double, RBI and walk. Martin added two hits and two RBIs.
GSW used four pitchers in the game, with starter Kyle Spinks (0-2) taking the loss after 3 1/3 innings on the hill. He surrendered seven runs, walked one and struck out one.
GAME 2: GSW 8, AUGUSTA 5
The Hurricanes rallied from two runs down in the seventh to take Game 2 of the series.
GSW trailed 4-2 until Alderman plated Clay Patrick with a bunt single and later scored off a double from Zach Barron.
In the eighth inning, GSW added the game-winning run when Will Redding walked with the bases loaded. Jared Jones added a pair of insurance runs on the Hurricanes next at bat when he singled home Alex Kranick and Alderman.
Jones had three hits and three RBIs in the win. Alderman and Barron added two hits apiece.
GSW starting pitcher Jordan McIlwain (2-2) fought through three Hurricane errors and six hits to hold Augusta to four runs - two earned - over 6 2/3 innings. He walked four and struck out three. Lawson Stewart picked up the final out in the seventh inning and Mitch Holloway came on to get his third save of the spring with two innings of relief.
GAME 3: GSW 4, AUGUSTA 0
Dylan Brown turned in a masterful performance in the finale to guide the Hurricanes to a PBC series win. Brown retired the side in order in the second, third and fourth innings and took a no-hitter into the seventh. He scattered two hits over seven innings, walked five and struck out seven.
GSW jumped on Augusta in the first inning with a two-out RBI single from Jones and Barron added a RBI single of his own two batters later in what would prove to be all the run support Brown would need.
Patrick belted a two-out double in the fourth inning to stretch the Hurricanes lead to 3-0 and scored on the next GSW at bat when Kranick singled.
Matt Hubbard closed things out with two innings of scoreless relief.