Carrrollton, GA - Every team aspires to be in the equation against the top teams in the nation. The West Georgia Wolves took a step in that direction on Friday afternoon with a split against 3rd-ranked Georgia College & State. 

GCSU came in hot and took the opener 8-2, but freshman #Brandon Crumbley# continued with his solid start to his UWG career as the Wolves took the nightcap by a 10-4 count.

The afternoon was marked by big innings from both teams, as there were four different innings over the course of the two games where either the Bobcats or the Wolves scored at least three runs in an inning.

That started in the opening game with Georgia College, but not before the Wolves drew first blood.

After starter #Justin Key# struck out the side in the top of the first, West Georgia second baseman #Stuart Drew# led off the game for the Wolves with a triple to right field. Two batters later, first baseman #Andy Marinelli# singled through the left side, scoring Drew for a 1-0 lead for West Georgia.

That seemed to wake up the Bobcats, who erupted for five runs in the top of the second and thee more in the top of the fourth to take a commanding 8-2 lead.

That was it for the scoring in the first game, as the pitchers settled down for both sides. West Georgia senior #Anthony Winbourne# was solid, tossing five shutout innings in relief. He allowed just three hits in that span to hold the powerful GCSU lineup in check. For West Georgia, the Wolves had six hits in the first three innings, but managed just three over the final six frames.

Drew and Marinelli were the only UWG players with multiple hits on the afternoon, as Drew was 3-for-5 with a run scored and Marinelli was 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI.

In the second game, it was West Georgia's turn to erupt.

After the Bobcats knocked Crumbley around in the first two innings, the big right-hander settled down and found his groove. In that span, he allowed four runs on four hits. Crumbley was stellar in the final five innings, allowing no runs on no hits and held the GCSU lineup in check.

West Georgia kept up for the first three innings, scoring three runs to trail by just one heading into the bottom of the fifth.

In that inning, #Michael Hollis# kicked off the inning by getting on base after being hit by a pitch. Drew moved him to second on a sacrifice bunt, followed by a #Brett Wright# single, tying the game at 4-4.

Wright promptly stole second and moved to third on a throwing error. Marinelli drove Wright in to give the Wolves their first lead of the day. By the end of the inning, the Wolves had sent 12 batters to the plate, scoring seven runs on five hits while taking advantage of one error. The big blow of the inning came on Hollis' second at-bat, where his double down the left-field line brought home #Phillip Keys# and #David Buchanan#.

WIth the lead, but following a long offensive spell for West Georgia, Crumbley took the mound in the top of the sixth. He made short work of the Bobcats, shutting them down on just six pitches. The freshman threw in the top of the seventh to finish out his first complete game at West Georgia.

Drew, Marinelli and #Daniel Henley# each had two hits in the game with Marinelli picking up two RBI. Wright and Henley each scored two runs to lead the Wolves in scoring.

The same two teams will turn around and head for Milledgeville on Sunday afternoon, as Georgia College plays host to the Wolves in a second doubleheader, beginning at 1 p.m.