By CHRIS WHITAKER
The Americus Times-Recorder

AMERICUS - Ashley Harris delivered the go-ahead run and Megan Wilkinson made a sliding catch for the final out as Georgia Southwestern salvaged a split with visiting Lynn University on Monday.

After dropping the first game 3-1, the Lady Hurricanes rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win Game 2, 4-3.

"I'm ecstatic, especially after the way we played the second game against Brewton Parker on Saturday," said coach Eddie Ward, referring to a 7-0 shutout in which the team was no-hit. "To come back and split with Lynn means a lot. I think it showed the girls a lot, and I think they will get a lot of confidence from this."

Game 1 opened with GSW taking a 1-0 lead in the first on a Katie Wooten single. Lynn (2-2) responded with a RBI-triple from Nikki Pallister in the fourth and a two-run single from Elizabeth Hawkins in the fifth.

Mariko Nomura took the loss, pitching six innings and allowing three runs - two earned - on six hits. Tiffany Milstid pitched a scoreless seventh.

The team was held to three hits.

"Mariko was throwing really well, and Tiffany Milstid did a heck of a job coming in throwing the seventh inning with the change-up of hers. We put the ball in play, but we didn't strike it real hard. Our pitching was good enough to sweep."

The Lady Fighting Knights struck first in Game 2, scoring twice in the first inning. An error in the third helped Lynn take a 3-0 lead in the fourth. But GSW answered in the bottom half of the inning back-to-back, two-out, RBI-singles from Anna Oswald and Harris.

Oswald tied the game on a wild pitch, but Harris was stranded at second base.

"I thought the kids showed a lot of hear there," said Ward. "I told them hitting is contagious, and the team will feed off one another. Down 3-0, we could have rolled over. They didn't, and they fought back and put the ball in play."

Jessica Martin started the game on the mound, going four innings and allowing three runs on four hits with five walks. Katie Mueller finished the game, pitching three innings and allowing no hits or runs while striking out three.

"I could not ask (Mueller) to do any better than she did, to face 10 batters and strike out 30 percent of them," said Ward. "She's a junk ball pitcher and every pitch of hers was working today."

GSW had eight hits in the game, but struck out 10 times to pitcher Callie Darlin (0-2).

"We've got to cut down the strikeouts," said Ward. "I wished they were all due to aggressiveness, then I wouldn't be mad. Sometimes it's pitch selection, and we're taking entirely too many third strikes."

The Lady Hurricanes are back in action Thursday at home with a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. against West Georgia.