The Georgia Southwestern baseball team scored in every
odd-numbered inning en route to a 6-4 victory over seventh-ranked
Columbus State on Friday evening at Hurricane Stadium. The
'Canes punched five doubles and stole six bases in the
contest – both single-game season highs. GSW starting pitcher
Ryan Lackey earned the complete-game win.
The Cougars four runs came off of a pair of two-run home runs.
The first shot was delivered in the first inning by Jason Rogers,
his 22nd round-tripper of the spring. The second came with two outs
in the ninth by Mitch Rider. Sandwiched between the two-run homers
was seven scoreless innings where CSU managed only four hits.
After falling behind 2-0 early, GSW pushed across its first run
in the opening frame when Chris Lingham scored from third on a Zack
Stanton groundout.
Stanton drove in another run in the third when he beat out a
ground ball to first base, bringing home Bud Long – who
started the inning with a double.
The good fortune in odd-numbered innings continued in the fifth
when Stanton struck again. This time it was a double into
the right field corner that brought around Lingham to score.
With one out in the seventh, Lingham, Stanton and Trent Dooley
accounted for three-consecutive doubles and two more runs to put
the 'Canes ahead, 5-2.
Southwestern added an insurance run in the eighth when Jared
Allen scored on a Lingham groundout.
Stanton finished 3-for-5 with four RBIs - extending his hitting
streak to 18 games - to lead Southwestern at the plate.
GSW starter Ryan Lackey (3-3) allowed four earned runs and seven
hits in his first complete game of the spring to get
the win. He walked three and struck out seven.
Columbus State starter Iain Sebastian picked up the loss as he
allowed seven hits and four earned runs, pitching until one out in
the seventh. He walked five and fanned seven. Blake Sills finished
up for CSU, allowing one earned run.
Rider and Scoop Pharr collected two hits apiece to lead Columbus
State (32-9, 9-7 PBC) hitters.
Southwestern (23-14, 11-8 PBC) and CSU are back on the diamond
at Hurricane Stadium tomorrow (4/17) for a 2 p.m.
doubleheader. Senior Day ceremonies will take place before the
first game, at approximately 1:45 p.m. There are 10 seniors on the
Hurricanes' roster.
