AMERICUS - An Andrew Archer two-out, two-run single in the eighth inning lifted the Georgia Southwestern baseball team past Augusta State, 4-3, in the Peach Belt Conference series finale at Hurricane Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The win improves GSW to 15-12 overall and 4-5 in the PBC. Augusta State slips to 13-15 overall and 7-5 in conference play.
Southwestern trailed early when ASU took a 2-0 lead in the second, but tied the game in the fifth inning behind a two-out, two-run single from Heath Lock.
Augusta State regained the advantage in the sixth on a sacrifice fly from Casey Hanrahan.
In the eighth, Stephen Gaylor opened the inning for GSW with a bunt single to the pitcher, but was thrown out at second on a stolen base attempt. John Duran and Michel Coffey followed with back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with one out. The next batter, Jared Allen, hit a ground ball to second that could not be handled cleanly and the Hurricanes had the bases loaded. ASU's Josh Barks struck out Andrew Anderson to set the stage for Archer's heroics. Archer delivered a line shot to center that brought around Duran and Coffey, the decisive run.
Stephen Daneman entered in the ninth and held off ASU to pick up his second save of the spring as the Jaguars left runners at second and third as the game ended.
Neither starter factored into the decision. Jody Sellars tossed six innings for GSW, scattered five hits, allowed three runs, walked one and struck out four. Matt Blume pitched five innings for ASU, struck out three and allowed two runs on three hits.
Matthew Suggs (3-0) threw a dominant two innings of middle relief for the Hurricanes for the win, striking out four batters of six batters faced. He struck out the side in the eighth.
Josh Barks (0-3) is tagged with the loss after three innings of action. The two runs surrendered in the ninth were unearned.
Archer was the lone GSW batter with multiple hits, finishing 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs.
Jeff Rice was the only ASU batter with a multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-4.
The Hurricanes travel to Thomas (Ga.) on Wednesday for a non-conference game at 4 p.m.