AMERICUS, Ga. – Tuesday's double header versus the Brewton-Parker College Lady Barons (22-22) was one of two tune-ups for the Georgia Southwestern Lady Hurricanes before finishing Peach Belt Conference play. The mid-week action didn't go exactly as GSW would have liked, but the Lady 'Canes took both games (7-2, 4-3) thanks to Gabby Buck's two-run homerun in game two to give the Blue & Gold the lead for good.
GAME ONE: Georgia Southwestern-7 Brewton-Parker College-2
Things did not kick off for Georgia Southwestern as they would have liked. On the arm of Amber May, the Lady Barons no-hit the Lady Hurricanes for the first four innings of the game. BPC held a slim one-run read during that time after Marissa Brown singled to the left side of the infield to score Alyssa Jones from third.
It would be the only run surrendered by Georgia Southwestern starter Casey Burns, but it would knock her out of earning the win in the decision. The senior pitched four innings while scattering one hit, three walks and just one strikeout. Burns would be replaced by Katie Maddox before the onslaught of Hurricane run support that would rain down in the fifth inning.
The five spot put up in the fifth began with back-to-back singles by Brittny Dennison and Jessica Chewning. Six batters later, four GSW hitters had accumuluated RBI's, including one by Janna Anderson, Mason Moreland and Gabby Buck. The plethora of runs was capped by Rachel McElroy's two RBI double to score Hayley Knight and Buck.
With the four-run lead on her hands, Katie Maddox would shut the door on the Lady Barons coming out of the bullpen. Maddox would throw the final three innings while only giving up three hits an unearned run and three strikeouts to earn the win.
GAME TWO: Georgia Southwestern-4 Brewton-Parker College-3
Again the Lady Hurricanes would dig themselves an early hole in game two. A one-run Lady Baron lead was equalized in the third inning courtesy of a Avery Purser RBI single that scored Hayley Knight. The game would see-saw back into BPC's favor in the fifth inning.
Starter Erin Vick was charged with a throwing error that allowed Marissa Brown to reach on a bunt. The error was compounded by a bad pitch to Sadie Mullins that was driven over the fence for the two-run home run. Vick would leave the game on the hook for the loss as Brewton-Parker led 3-1. Jessica Martin would come in relief of Vick to retire the rest of the side in the fifth without incident.
Coach Ward and company would cut the two-run lead in half in the bottom of the fifth inning. Ashley Cavender would drive in Gabby Buck after she and Rachel McElroy singled in the inning. Cavender's run batted in would come off BPC's Ashley Williams who had came out of the pen in the inning. Buck scored the run to cut the lead to one, but it would not be the last run she would score in the game.
After giving up a one-out single to Mason Moreland, Williams struck out Hayley Knight to bring up Gabby Buck with two outs. The third baseman turned on a pitch and crushed a home run of the left-center field fence to give the Hurricanes the lead.
Jessica Martin would strike out the final two outs of the seventh inning to earn the win, which gave both relievers out of the GSW pen on the day the victorious decision. Martin would end the game going two and two-thirds innings surrendering only one hit, no runs while striking out three.
Georgia Southwestern's record improves to 20-26 (3-13 PBC) for the 2012 season. The Lady Hurricanes will have a final tune-up at Thomas University on Friday before wrapping up the season at Lady Canes Field this weekend with Francis Marion and UNC Pembroke. First pitch in Thomasville on Friday is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
