'Canes Can't Convert, Hang With West Georgia

'Canes Can't Convert, Hang With West Georgia

AMERICUS - Georgia Southwestern batters went 1-for-16 with runners on base and 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position in a 7-1 loss to the University of West Georgia on Wednesday evening in a non-conference baseball game at Hurricane Stadium.

GSW lost its fourth straight game and fell to 17-25 this spring, while West Georgia won its third game in a row to improve to 16-25. West Georgia won both meetings in 2017 and the last five games in the all-time series between the schools.

The Wolves scored a run in the third, another in the fourth and a two-run blast by Brett Anderson sparked a three-run fifth.

Trailing 5-0, GSW pushed across its lone run of the evening in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Jared Jones.

West Georgia got that run back in the sixth with the help of a two-out GSW error and tacked on the final score of the evening with a sacrifice fly in the ninth. 

GSW center fielder Evan Alderman led all batters with three hits. Will Redding was 2-for-3 at the plate with a walk for the Hurricanes. 

Ryan Raper, Ben Utley and N.J. Williamson had two hits apiece to lead West Georgia.

Starting pitcher Jarrod Crum (2-3) took the loss for GSW after allowing two runs over four innings. Crum walked three and struck out three. Jordan McIlwain struggled in 2/3 of an inning, surrendering three hits and three runs along with a pair of walks. Matt Hubbard calmed the waters with 2 1/3 innings of relief. Hubbard held the Wolves to one hit and an unearned run. Coty Graham pitched 1 2/3 innings and Lawson Stewart was called on to get the final out.

UWG starter Joe Vonderschmidt was pulled in the fourth after the first three batters reached base. Mitchell Mannino (3-2) proceeded to get three straight outs and followed with four additional innings of relief work in the win. Mannino held GSW to one run and four hits. Dalton Reagin tossed a scoreless ninth.

The Hurricanes travel to Milledgeville, Ga., for a three-game weekend Peach Belt Conference series against No. 22 Georgia College beginning Friday at 5 p.m.