AMERICUS, Ga. – Georgia Southwestern continued its early-season surge Tuesday night, pulling away from Auburn University at Montgomery for an 11-1 run-rule victory in seven innings at Hurricane Stadium.
With the win, the Hurricanes improved to 3-1 on the season, with all three victories ending early due to the run rule, and extended their streak to three straight wins over the Warhawks.
After surrendering a first-inning run, GSW responded with a relentless offensive attack, scoring in five consecutive innings and backing a strong outing on the mound to close out the game in just 1 hour and 55 minutes.
Five-Run Third Turns the Tide
Auburn Montgomery struck first in the opening frame, but the Hurricanes quickly settled in and flipped the momentum in the bottom of the third with a decisive five-run inning.
Drew Reaves jump-started the rally with a double to left-center, and after a walk to
Carson Shaw,
Noah Jones laid down a bunt single that resulted in an error, allowing Reaves to score and tie the game.
With traffic on the bases,
Devon Murphy delivered the biggest swing of the night, ripping a three-run triple to left-center to put GSW firmly in control. Moments later,
Josh McDonald followed with an RBI single to cap the inning and give the Hurricanes a 5-1 advantage.
Offense Keeps Pressure On
Georgia Southwestern added to the lead in the fourth, scoring twice on RBI singles from Murphy and McDonald, pushing the margin to 7-1.
The Hurricanes continued to apply pressure in the fifth, using patience at the plate to manufacture two more runs. Walks to
Evan Wainman and Shaw set the stage for Jones, who delivered an RBI single to right, before
Drake Harman followed with a run-scoring base hit down the right-field line.
GSW put the finishing touches on the night in the sixth inning. After walks to Wainman and Reaves, Shaw laced a double into the left-center gap, driving in two runs to extend the lead to 11-1 and trigger the run rule.
Johnson Sharp in Start
On the mound,
Wade Johnson earned his first win of the season, turning in a steady and efficient performance. The right-hander worked six innings, allowing just one run on five hits, while striking out five and working out of early traffic.
Rem Maxwell tossed a clean seventh inning to close out the victory.
Balanced Night at the Plate
The Hurricanes finished with 14 hits and seven walks, with production spread throughout the lineup:
- Murphy went 2-for-4 with four RBIs, including the three-run triple.
- McDonald collected three hits and two RBIs.
- Jones finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
- Reaves scored three times and reached base twice.
Next Up
GSW hits the road for the first time this season. The Hurricanes travel to North Greenville University for a three-game series starting Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. NGU is currently ranked No. 5 in the D2 Baseball rankings and entered the season at No. 10 in the American Baseball Association Coaches preseason poll .
