By Chris Whitaker, The Americus Times-Recorder
West Alabama took two games from Georgia Southwestern on
Saturday by scores of 8-3 and 4-2.
The 25th-ranked Tigers built a 3-0 lead in the first inning of
Game 1 and led 8-0 before the Hurricanes cracked the scoreboard in
their final at-bat.
Jared Allen was 3-for-4 on the day, and Daniel Lynn had a
two-run single in the ninth to lead the Hurricanes (2-4). Noble
Coley drove in the team's other run with a bases-loaded walk.
R.M. Cozza (0-2) took the loss, going 7.1 innings and allowing
five runs on eight hits.
"They were putting the ball in play early on in our end, and we
kept getting ground balls that were finding holes," said coach
Bryan McLain. "When we finally got out of that inning I told them
ground balls are what we're supposed to do, and if we keep doing
what we're doing, they're going to start going to guys with white
jerseys on, and they did. (Cozza) did a great job, and we held them
in check the next seven innings."
Nick Wheeler was 3-for-5 with two two-run singles in the first
and ninth innings for the Tigers (3-1). Mike Schmitt (2-0) pitched
seven innings allowing no runs on three hits in recording the win.
McLain said GSW made some "bonehead" plays that helped the
Tigers pull away in the ninth off one hit and three errors.
"If we played a little better defense that inning, the score
would have been 5-3 at the time and we'd be up with the bases
loaded and a chance to win," he said.
Rob Dahlberg and Dallas Rogers also had two hits and a RBI
apiece for UWA.
The Hurricanes led 2-1 in Game 2 when the Tigers used a 3-run
fourth inning to win the 7-inning game. An error in the fourth kept
the inning alive. That's when Noah Sanders hit a two-run homer to
put UWA up 4-2.
"That guy should have never came to the plate that inning," said
McLain. "We've got to make that play. When we get in a spot like
that where we get a ground ball on a double play, we've got to turn
that. We didn't get it done, and to their credit, they took
advantage after that."
Zack Whitman pitched a complete game, allowing four runs - one
earned - on three hits.
RBI-singles from Allen and Chris Lingham in the first and second
innings would be all the runs GSW would score.
Cody Adams had two hits in the game for the Hurricanes.
"I was disappointed a little bit offensively," said McLain. "To
take advantage of the two pitching performances we had; we did a
really good job pitching. The scores don't really show how well we
had pitched. We'll try to bounce back and play well (Sunday). We'll
try to put ourselves in position to win at the end of the day and
see what happens."
The two teams will finish the four-game series today with the
first pitch set for 2 p.m.
PICTURED: Cody Adams
PHOTO BY: Chris Fenn
