GREENWOOD, S.C. - A day after holding 2nd-ranked Lander University to its lowest run total in a game this season, the Georgia Southwestern baseball team held the Bearcats to their second-lowest total in a 3-2 win to open a doubleheader on Saturday at Dolny Stadium. Lander defeated GSW in the nightcap, 13-3.
The Hurricanes record stands at 12-22, 4-14 in the Peach Belt Conference. Lander has an overall record of 27-6 and a mark of 17-4 in the PBC.
LU has had a potent offense this spring, scoring double-digit runs in more than half of its games (17 times in 33 opportunities).
Southwestern returns to the friendly confines of Hurricane Stadium to host Auburn Montgomery on Wednesday at 5 p.m.
GAME 1: GSW 3, LANDER 2
It was three runs on three sacrifice flies for the Hurricanes in Saturday's opener.
Michel Coffey drove home GSW's first run of the day in the third inning. After LU tied the game, Kyle Nobles brought home Randall Sheffield with a fly to center field in the sixth. Les Cromer pushed across the deciding run in the ninth with a fly ball to left field that scored Nobles.
Hurricanes starting pitcher Justin Lott did not factor into the decision, but turned in a strong performance going 5 2/3 innings and allowing two runs on six hits. Lott walked one and struck out six. Drew Cataldo (1-1) threw 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief before making way for Bray Bishop (sv 2) to collect the final two outs.
Josh Sanders was 2-for-3 to lead GSW batters.
Patrick Grady and Jacob Tisdale had two hits apiece for Lander.
GAME 2: GSW 3, LANDER 13
All 16 runs in the second game of the afternoon were scored by the end of the third inning.
GSW took an early 3-0 lead after scoring a run in the first inning and two in the second. Sheffield, Kevin Manos and John Duran produced RBI hits during that stretch.
Lander held a lead for the first time in the afternoon in the third and added what would prove to be plenty of insurance as the Bearcats pushed across 13 runs in the frame behind 10 hits and a pair of GSW errors.
Sheffield and Chase Young turned in multi-hit games for the Hurricanes. Sheffield was 2-for-5 and Young went 2-for-3 with a walk.
Dylan Folds was solid in relief over the final five innings, holding LU scoreless with only two hits while walking two and striking out a pair. Matt Suggs started the game for the Hurricanes and lasted only 2 1/3 innings. Of the 10 runs Suggs was charged with, only three were earned. Ryan Mosley pitched two-thirds of an inning as well.
LU starter Chess Malone (7-1) threw seven innings, allowed all three runs - two earned - and eight hits while walking one and striking out six. Johnny Walker and Jeremy Jansen each pitched an inning of scoreless relief.