GSW loses first two at North Georgia

GSW loses first two at North Georgia

The Georgia Southwestern baseball team was swept in a Peach Belt Conference West Division doubleheader Saturday afternoon at No. 15 North Georgia, 3-1 and 9-6.

Trent Dooley finished the day 3-for-8 with a double and two walks to lead Southwestern at the plate. Byron Haynes went 2-for-6 with two RBI, a run scored and three walks.  

GAME 1: #15 NORTH GEORGIA 3, GSW 1

North Georgia broke a scoreless game in the sixth inning with two runs. The leadoff batter recorded the only hit of the frame with a single. A pair of walks and a balk helped NGCSU take a 2-0 lead. 

The Hurricanes answered with a run in the seventh when Jared Allen, who led of the inning with a walk and stole second, scored on a Bud Long single down the left field line.

NGCSU added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh.

Ryan Lackey (1-2) tossed six innings for GSW, allowed two runs on three hits, walked four and struck out five.

Chris Rearick (5-0) threw 6.1 innings for the Saints, allowed one run, scattered five hits, walked one and struck out 10.

GAME 2: #15 NORTH GEORGIA 9, GSW 6

Southwestern jumped to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap when Long scored on a Zack Stanton sacrifice fly and Dooley scored off a single by Haynes.

North Georgia scored a run in the bottom of the first and took the lead for good in the third with a four-run frame.

Both teams scored a run in the fourth.

GSW cut the Saints lead to a run (6-5) with two in the fifth. Paschel Poston hit a RBI single and later scored on a NGCSU fielding error.

North Georgia (15-6, 6-2 PBC) scored a run in the sixth and two in the seventh to put the game out of reach.

Southwestern pushed across a run in the eighth when Haynes walked with the bases loaded and two outs, but that would complete the GSW scoring.

Jody Sellars (4-1) suffered his first loss of the spring, allowing seven runs, all earned, on eight hits while walking four and striking out one.

Michael Patton (2-1) picked up the victory for NGCSU in relief, going 2.2 innings and allowing a pair of hits and one run.

Jacob Rickett tossed a scoreless ninth for his fifth save of the season.
 
The Hurricanes (9-6, 3-2) close out the series at North Georgia on Sunday (3/14) at 1 p.m. Live stats and the NGCSU audio broadcast are available in the baseball schedule section of www.gswcanes.com.