AMERICUS - The Georgia Southwestern baseball team fell behind early in both games against UNC Pembroke on Saturday afternoon at Hurricane Field and could not recover as the Braves swept the doubleheader 9-1 and 5-2.
GSW surrendered three runs over the first two innings of the opening game before allowing four runs in the opening inning of the nightcap.
The Hurricanes have lost six of their last seven games and fall to 7-18 overall and 2-11 in the Peach Belt Conference. UNCP improves to 19-6 and 8-6 in the PBC.
The weekend series between the schools wraps up tomorrow at 1 p.m.
GAME 1: GSW 1, UNC PEMBROKE 9
The Hurricanes were held scoreless until the seventh inning when, trailing 9-0, Randall Sheffield made the most of UNCP's only error of the afternoon to score from second base.
Ethan Carter (7-0) was outstanding for the Braves, lowering his PBC-leading earned run average to 0.65 in 55 2/3 innings of work this spring, as he earned the complete-game win. Carter did not walk a batter and struck out six.
Frank Ambrosino (0-4) took the loss for GSW. Ambrosino pitched 5 1/3 innings. Drew Cataldo came on in relief to throw the final 3 2/3 innings and hold UNCP to a run while tallying three strikeouts.
Dalton Knight and Jordan Edgerton had 4-for-5 performances for the Braves. Edgerton drove in three run and belted a home run. Knight knocked in two.
Randall Sheffield went 2-for-4 for GSW, scored a run and stole a base.
GAME 2: GSW 2, UNC PEMBROKE 5
A costly two-out error in the first inning haunted the Hurricanes in the nightcap. The next batter, Derrick Phillips, belted a grand slam to dead-center field to put UNCP ahead 4-0.
Blane Parker drove in the first Hurricane run of the game in the fourth inning with a single through the left side of the infield to drive in Sheffield.
After UNCP added a run of their own in the fifth, Sheffield rounded out the scoring with a single to right center that plated Michel Coffey in the sixth.
UNCP starter Jordan DeLoach improved to 2-0 as he threw six innings, allowed eight hits, both GSW runs, walked one and struck out four. Dale Innes picked up his first save of the spring as he held the Hurricanes scoreless over the final three frames.
Matt Suggs (3-4) was the tough-luck starter for the Hurricanes. Suggs pitched eight innings, was charged with five runs - one earned - and walked one while striking out four. Ryan Mosley pitched a scoreless ninth.
Edgerton and Knight led the Braves once again with two hits apiece.
Sheffield was a perfect 4-for-4 in the nightcap with two more stolen bases and a RBI.