Posted: Mar 08, 2019
AMERICUS, Ga. – Georgia Southwestern State University starting pitcher Tucker Smith tossed his second complete game of the season and led the Hurricanes to a 9-2 victory in the Peach Belt Conference series opener against Flagler College on Friday evening at Hurricane Stadium. Smith scattered four hits, limited the Saints to one earned run, walked a batter and struck out eight over his 113 pitches.
GSW improved its record to 9-11 overall, 4-6 in the PBC, while Flagler dropped to 11-10, 5-5 in conference play.
NOTES
- The Hurricanes were swept last season at Flagler, but have won the last three meetings in Americus.
- Flagler is 2-7 on the road this spring.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Tyler Skelton, Jonathan Martin, Hunter Foster and Jacob Harrell had two hits apiece.
- Skelton hit his fifth double of the season, while Jason Baita ripped his first triple of 2019.
- Smith closed the day with the lowest cumulative ERA (1.13) in the PBC and improved his record to 4-0.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Flagler struck first with a run in the third inning after a two-out single was followed by an RBI double Aaron Anderson.
- GSW quickly answered with a five-run effort in the bottom half of the third. Baita provided the spark with his one-out RBI triple.
- The Hurricanes tacked on four more runs in the fifth inning. A leadoff double by Skelton was followed by singles from Martin, Foster, Bradley Hough and Jacob Harrell. The Saints prolonged the rally with two errors.
- Smith faced the minimum in the fourth, fifth and sixth.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- GSW out-hit the Saints, 10-4.
- Both teams left four runners on base.
- GSW put the leadoff man aboard three times. On all four occasions Flagler had a leadoff batter reach base, it was with the aid of a GSW error.
- The Hurricanes were 5-for-13 (.385) with an RBI opportunity.
- All of GSW's runs were scored over two innings. The Hurricanes pushed across five in the third and four in the fifth.
UP NEXT
- The Hurricanes and Saints wrap up their PBC series on Saturday with a doubleheader at noon.