By Staff Reports

 

AMERICUS – The Georgia Southwestern State University Baseball Team (6-28, 2-19 PBC) got swept at home by the Cougars of Columbus State.

The Hurricanes fell on Friday, April 6, by the score of 9-5, then were swept in a double header on Sunday, April 8, by scores of 7-5 and 7-3. Sunday was Senior Day for the Hurricanes. GSW honored nine seniors: Dakota Long, Josh Logan, Jared Jones, Danny Molinari, Kyle Britt, Mitch Holloway, Matt Hubbard, Kyle Spinks and Andrew Patrick.

Unfortunately for GSW, they were not able to get a win in the three-game series to send these nine seniors out on a high note. In the first game on Friday, April 6, the Cougars scored two runs in the first to start the game. The Hurricanes responded positively by scoring a run in the bottom of the first. However, the Cougars scored four runs in the third and three in the fifth to take a 9-1 lead. The Hurricanes made a gallant effort to get back in the game as they scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth. However, it was not enough as the Cougars took Game 1 9-5. Columbus State scored nine runs on 17 hits and committed three errors, while the Hurricanes scored five runs on 10 hits and committed one error. Jonathan Martin led GSW offensively, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and scoring a run. Josh Logan went 2-for-5 and scored a run. CSU’s Frank Wager went 4-for-5, scored two runs and drove in two RBIs.

GSW starter Kyle Britt (2-3) took the loss. Britt went four innings, giving up eight earned runs on 13 hits. Two of those hits were home runs. He walked one and struck out four. Matt Hubbard came on in relief. Hubbard worked two innings, giving up one earned run on four hits. He walked one and struck out one. Andrew Patrick followed Hubbard in relief. Patrick worked two innings and didn’t give up any runs or hits. He neither walked any batters, nor struck out any. The final GSW pitcher used was Sage Holderfield. Holderfield worked one inning, giving up no runs and no hits. He walked one and struck out none.

The next two games were supposed to have been played on Saturday, April 7, but were postponed to Sunday due to rain.

In Sunday’s first game of the doubleheader, the Cougars scored two runs in the top of the second to take a 2-0 lead. They added two more runs in the top of the third before GSW got on the board in the bottom of the third. Jared Jones reached on an error, and Jason Baita was able to score an unearned run. By that time, the Hurricanes trailed 4-1. Columbus State added another run in the top of the fifth to make it 5-1 Cougars. However, the Hurricanes did not quit. They scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to get to within one at 5-4. In that frame, Jared Jones singled, driving in an RBI. Josh Logan scored on an error, and Jason Baita scored. By this time, Jones had advanced to third. He was driven in when Jonathan Martin hit a sacrifice fly. The Hurricanes were back in the ball game with a chance to win.

However, the Cougars struck back by scoring two runs in the top of the eighth inning. The Hurricanes tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the eighth, as they scored one run. However, that would be as close as they would come as CSU took the first game 7-5.

The Hurricanes would have one more chance to salvage a victory in the series.

After neither team scored in the first, the Cougars struck first by scoring a run in the top of the second. They scored three more runs in the top of the third to take a 4-0 lead. However, the Hurricanes responded with three runs in their half of the inning. Josh Logan singled to left field, scoring Bradley Hough and advancing Jason Baita to third. Jared Jones hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Baita. Then Jonathan Martin doubled to left center, driving in Josh Logan. The Hurricanes were back in the game, trailing 4-3.

However, the Cougars responded once again by scoring two more runs in the top of the fifth and then another run in the sixth to take a 7-3 lead. That would be all the scoring the Cougars needed as they took the second game 7-3, thus sweeping the three-game series.

Josh Logan went 2-for-4, scored a run and drove in an RBI. Kole Clark also did well at the plate in the final game of the series. Clark went 2-for-3. Jonathan Martin went 2-for-3 with an RBI and drew a walk. Columbus State’s Frank Wager had another good game at the plate for the Cougars. Wager went 2-for-4 and scored three runs.

GSW starter Kyle Spinks (1-5) took the loss. Spinks went six innings, giving up seven runs on 11 hits. One of those hits was a home run by Drew Webb in the top of the sixth inning. Spinks walked two and struck out three.

Harrison Timberlake came on in relief for Spinks. Timberlake worked three innings. He struck out four, walked none and gave up no runs on one hit.

T.J. Clark (5-3) got the win for the Cougars. He worked six innings, giving up three runs on seven hits. He walked three and struck out two.

The Hurricanes will play their final home game of the regular season on Wednesday, April 11, when they host Tuskegee University at 5 p.m. The Hurricanes are currently 6-28 overall and 2-19 in the Peach Belt Conference.