AMERICUS, Ga. – The Georgia Southwestern State University baseball team opened its three-game weekend Peach Belt Conference series against Lander University with a thrilling 9-8, come-from-behind win in 12 innings on Friday night at Hurricane Stadium, then proceeded to take the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, 11-7. Lander pulled out a 6-4 win in the finale.

The Hurricanes exit the weekend with a record of 16-27 overall, 10-14 in the Peach Belt, while Lander fell to 16-27, 11-13 in conference play.     
 
NOTES 

• GSW has won four of the last six games against Lander.
• The Bearcats road record dropped to 5-11 this spring, while GSW improved its home record to 8-13.
• Lander leads the all-time series, 19-14.
• GSW is 9-9 all-time at home against Lander.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS

• Jonathan Martin led GSW at the plate over the weekend, going 9-for-14 with a double and four RBIs. He was walked once and hit by a pitch once. 
• Tyler Skelton and Matthew Mamatas had six hits apiece. Each collected a double. Skelton drove in six and was walked three times.
• Cole Garrett held the Bearcats to one run and three hits over his six innings of relief to earn the win in Game 2 of the series.
• Harrison Timberlake turned in another strong start after making his first collegiate start last weekend. Timberlake held Lander to a pair of runs until the eighth inning of the finale.
• Freshman Morgan Bell got his first collegiate win on Friday, made two relief appearances over the weekend, did not allow a hit over 1 2/3 scoreless innings.    

HOW IT HAPPENED

• GSW scored a run in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings of the opener to stay within striking distance of the Bearcats. A double by Mamatas in the fourth was the only extra base hit by the Hurricanes during that stretch. Three walks in the fifth and three singles in the sixth helped generate each run those innings.
• Trailing 5-3 in the ninth, Lander walked a pair of batters before Bo Halcomb singled to left to bring home Kole Clark and as the ball got away from the left fielder, Hunter Foster came around from first to score on the play and force extra innings.
• Lander scored three in the 12th inning, but the Hurricanes answered with another rally in the bottom half. Jamison Wilks singled to open the frame, Skelton walked, Martin was hit by a pitch and Foster followed with a two-run single through the left side of the infield. Devin Shea beat out a bunt on the next play and the Hurricanes capitalized on an errant throw to first that brought home the winning runs.
• GSW jumped out to an early 5-1 lead in the opening game of Saturday's doubleheader. A string of four consecutive singles help spur a four-run second inning. Jacob Harrell drove in two with his base hit.
• After GSW surrendered five runs to the Bearcats in the third, Skelton put GSW back on top with a two-run single in the bottom half of the inning.
• The Hurricanes went ahead for good in the sixth inning after a two-run double down the right field line by Halcomb.
• GSW added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh off a sacrifice fly by Skelton and an RBI single from Martin.
• Inning-ending double plays turned by GSW in the fifth and eighth helped squash any thoughts Lander had of a comeback.
• Martin put the Hurricanes ahead in the finale with an RBI single in the third inning. 
• After allowing a pair of Lander runners to cross the plate in the fourth, GSW regained the lead, 3-2, in the seventh inning. Skelton and Foster both drove in a run.
• A three-run home run by Lander capped off a four-run inning and put the Hurricanes in a hole late. This time the GSW rally fell short as the Hurricanes picked up a run in the ninth off a single by Skelton, but lost 6-4.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• GSW out-hit the Lander in the series, 40-32.
• The Hurricanes left 36 runners on base, Lander stranded 22.
• GSW put the leadoff man aboard on 16 of 29 opportunities (.552), Lander was 12-for-30 (.400).
• Hurricane batters were 11-for-35 at the plate (.314) with two outs and 15-for-43 (.349) with an RBI opportunity.
• GSW's favorite innings to score were the second, seventh and 12th. They pushed across four in each of those frames over the weekend.
• GSW pitchers walked 14 batters over the series and struck out 24.  
• Lander generated 10 of its runs off Hurricanes starting pitching, 11 of its runs off the bullpen. 

UP NEXT

• The Hurricanes travel to Valdosta, Ga., Tuesday for a non-conference game against Valdosta State University at 6 p.m.