CARROLLTON, Ga. – West Georgia rallied late in both contests Saturday afternoon as the Eckerd baseball team dropped a pair of games to the Wolves, 12-5 and 6-4, on opening day at Cole Field.
After UWG took an early 3-0 lead in the opener, Eckerd responded to even the score with three runs in the fifth inning. However, West Georgia took the lead in the bottom of the inning and plated runs over the next three innings to take the first game.
EC took an early lead 3-1 lead through four innings in the second game, but West Georgia rallied again in the fifth inning to even the score before going ahead in the six to take the finale.
HOW IT ENDED
Game One
Final: West Georgia 12, Eckerd 5
WP: Tyler Garner (1-0)
LP:
Robin Allen (0-1)
Sv: C.J. Fehriback (1)
HR: Jermond Willimas, Dan Oberst
Game Two
Final: West Georgia 6, Eckerd 4 (7 Inn.)
WP: Ryan Parker (1-0)
LP:
Chase Achuff (0-1)
Sv: Sawyer Steele (1)
HR: Dylan Johnson (1)
Records: Eckerd 0-2; West Georgia 2-0
KEY MOMENTS
Game One
- West Georgia got on board first with a run in the opening frame. Jermond Willimas reached on a walk and scored two batters later on a ground out to shortstop.
- The Wolves added another two runs in the second inning off of a Triton throwing error and an RBI groundout.
- Eckerd's offense finally broke through in the fifth inning, plating three runs to tie the score. Cameron Wademan and Mikey Burke hit back-to-back singles to center field and Chase Achuff brought them in with a double ripped down the left field line. Santos Grande plated Achuff with an RBI single through the left side.
- UWG took the lead in the bottom of the frame with an RBI single to center field.
- The Tritons threatened to score in the sixth. Michael Ballard led off the inning with a double down the right field line, but Eckerd was unable to push a run across. Meanwhile, the Wolves added three runs in the bottom of the inning on a homerun and a two-run single.
- Dan Oberst hit a homerun in the seventh before the Wolves added four runs in the eighth via a pair of bases-loaded walks and a two-run single.
- Eckerd rallied for a run in the eighth and ninth innings but was unable to make up the difference. In the eight, Grande and Mitch Donofrio led off the inning with singles and Ballard drew a walk to load the bases, where Wademan plated a run with a bases-loaded walk. In the ninth, Achuff doubled to left and scored on a pair of wild pitches.
Game Two
- EC struck first as Grande doubled to left center to bring in Sam Cochrane, who reached on a hit by pitch.
- The Tritons added another run in the third as Achuff plated Cochrane on a single to left center.
- Andrew Shaw retired the first eight batter he faced before giving up a homerun to Dylan Johnson in the third.
- Eckerd made it 3-1 in the third as Ballard hit a two-out single and scored on an RBI double to right by Tim Mira.
- UWG pulled within one run in the fourth on an RBI double before evening the score at 3-3 on an RBI single through the right side.
- Mira quickly answered for the Tritons, ripping an RBI triple to right center, bringing in Ballard for a 4-3 lead.
- The Wolves responded to take the lead in the bottom of the inning. Joseph Hill and J McRae led off the inning with a single and a hit by pitch. Hill scored two batters later on an RBI single before McRae crossed for the go-ahead run on a Triton error. UWG added an insurance run with an RBI single.
- The Tritons were unable to get a runner on in the next inning as they fell in the seven-inning game.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Achuff, Grande, Donofrio, and Wademan each collected two hits in the opener while Cochrane, Ballard, and Mira each had two in the finale.
- Both Ballard and Achuff finished the day with a pair of doubles while Achuff had three RBIs.
- Robin Allen allowed two earned runs over five innings in the opener while Shaw threw four innings, allowing one earned run in the finale.
UP NEXT
Eckerd concludes the three-game series tomorrow with a single game at noon.
