From Staff Reports

 

COLUMBUS – Having lost three games in a row, the Georgia Southwestern State University baseball team desperately needed to get their season back on track. They were able to do that by winning two of three games at Columbus State this past weekend.

The Hurricanes ended their three-game losing streak by winning the first game of the three-game series 4-3 on Friday, April 5. CSU responded by shutting out the Hurricanes 12-0 in Game 2 on Saturday, April 6. However, the Hurricanes won the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader 5-4 as they rallied from a one-run deficit in the eighth inning.

The Hurricanes are now 14-25 overall and 8-13 in the Peach Belt Conference. CSU falls to 22-13 overall and 9-9 in conference play.

Before the Hurricanes took on CSU this past weekend, GSW had a record of 3-19 against the Cougars in Columbus since GSW became an NCAA Division II program in 2007. Also prior to the three-game series, the Cougars were 15-3 at home this year and the Hurricanes had lost 11 straight regular season games against CSU.

GSW starting pitcher Tucker Smith improved his record to 7-2 on the season as he pitched a complete game in Game 1 of the series. Smith came out of the weekend ranked third in the Peach Belt Conference in earned run average (2.04). Smith is tied for first place in the conference with number of wins with seven and leads the PBC in complete games with four.

Bo Halcomb led the Hurricanes at the plate over the weekend. He went 4-for-10 with a double, a triple and three RBIs. GSW pitcher A.J. Hayes kept CSU scoreless for the final 2 and 2/3 innings in Game 3 to pick up his second win of the season. Miguel Urbina, who had just come off the disabled list, belted a two-run, game-winning home run in the eighth inning of Game 1 on Friday to help give the Hurricanes the 4-3 victory.

In Game 1, GSW’s Jonathan Martin opened the scoring with a two-out RBI single in the third inning, scoring Matthew Mamatas. The Hurricanes trailed 3-1 in the seventh inning of Game 1 before Halcomb led off the inning with a triple and scored when Tyler Skelton singled him in.

Urbina hit the two-run home run in the eighth inning off of CSU’s ace pitcher, Kolton Ingram.

Smith retired five consecutive hitters before recording the final out for his seventh win of the season.

In Game 2, GSW gave up seven runs and never recovered as the Cougars went on to win 12-0. In Game 3, Halcomb drove in Hunter Foster in the fourth inning for the first run of the game. Halcomb continued his good work at the plate by doubling home a pair of runs in the sixth inning to put GSW ahead 3-1. However, the Cougars responded in the bottom of the seventh when Grant Berry belted a three-run home run to give CSU a 4-3 lead.

The Hurricanes answered back in the top of the eighth inning. With one man on, Andy Moore singled to right field, driving in Jonathan Martin to tie the game at 4-4.

Then in the top of the ninth inning, the Hurricanes loaded the bases for Martin. He was able to draw a bases-loaded, two-out walk, scoring Mamatas from third to give GSW a 5-4 lead.

GSW reliever A.J. Hayes was able to improve his record to 2-2 as he got the win in Game 3. Hayes forced three fly-ball outs to give the Hurricanes a 5-4 win.

GSW will step out of conference play when they travel to Carrollton, GA to take on the University of West Georgia on Wednesday, April 10. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.