AMERICUS, Ga. — The wind was howling out of the northwest Sunday afternoon at Hurricane Stadium, but it was Georgia Southwestern's bats that made the loudest noise.
Behind another steady outing from Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Week
Johnny Nutt and a pair of towering home runs, the Hurricanes powered past Georgia College & State University 11-3 to close out and clinch the conference series.
GSW improves to 10-5 overall and 5-1 in Peach Belt play.
Freshman of the Week Delivers Again
With the conference spotlight already on him, Nutt pitched like it.
The freshman lefty worked seven innings, scattering four hits and allowing just two earned runs while striking out nine. He maneuvered through early traffic in the first and fifth innings and consistently got ahead in counts, keeping Georgia College from building momentum.
Even when the Bobcats capitalized on a passed ball in the fifth and a two-run homer in the seventh, Nutt remained composed. His afternoon ended with a comfortable cushion and another win — moving him to 2-0 on the season.
Wade Johnson handled the final two innings, allowing just two hits to secure the series finale.
Fourth-Inning Breakthrough
After three quiet innings, the Hurricanes broke through in the fourth.
Devon Murphy ignited the rally with a single and aggressive baserunning before
Drake Harman punched an RBI single through the right side to open the scoring.
Edwin Melendez followed with a bases-loaded walk, and
Drew Reaves added another RBI on a fielder's choice.
Caleb Gipson capped the four-run frame with a double down the left-field line, stretching the lead to 4-0 and shifting the energy fully into the home dugout.
Adding On
GSW didn't let up.
In the fifth, Murphy and
Josh McDonald set the table again. Harman delivered another RBI single, Reaves worked a bases-loaded walk, and
Jacob Reeves drew an RBI free pass to push the advantage to 7-1.
By then, the pressure was constant — and the big swings were coming.
Tape-Measure Shots
The sixth inning turned decisive.
After Murphy reached, McDonald stepped in and launched a 401-foot blast to left field — his third home run of the season — pushing the lead to 9-1 and sending a jolt through the chilly afternoon air.
Two batters later,
Evan Wainman followed with a towering 391-foot shot to right-center, also his third of the season. Just like that, the Hurricanes had blown the game open at 11-1.
Wainman finished a remarkable 4-for-5 with two RBIs, while McDonald drove in two and scored three times. Harman also crossed the plate three times and drove in two, and Murphy reached base three times and scored three runs as the Hurricanes totaled 14 hits.
Closing It Out
Georgia College trimmed the deficit with a two-run homer in the seventh, but the outcome was never truly in doubt.
Nutt's steady command and the Hurricanes' relentless offense proved too much over nine innings. On a windy Sunday in Americus with gusts over 30 miles per hour, GSW combined power, patience and pitching — the kind of complete performance that closes a series with authority.
Next Up
The Hurricanes host Albany State at 6 p.m. Tuesday before hitting the road for a weekend PBC series at Augusta.
