Carrollton, GA – The West Georgia offense was out in full force in Sunday afternoon's 2011 baseball season opener, as the Wolves pounded out 18 runs en route to a pair of victories over Talladega. UWG took the opener 7-0, followed by an 11-3 blasting in the second game.

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While the offense was in solid form with seven different players collecting hits in the first game, the story of the opener was in the pitching, as freshman #Brandon Crumbley# was masterful in his first career start at West Georgia. Crumbley threw six innings to open the season, allowing just two hits for his first victory in a UWG uniform.

“Brandon has been chomping at the bit to get out there,” said head coach Skip Fite. “He redshirted last year and has really matured as a pitcher and you saw the result out there today, six innings of shutout ball.”

The Wolves gave Crumbley all the support he would need in the second inning. In that frame, senior catcher #David Buchanan# led off inning with a walk, followed by a free pass issued to junior #Garrett May#. An infield single from #Phillip Keys# moved the runners to second and third, followed by a sacrifice fly from #Daniel Henley#, scoring Buchanan with the first run of the year. #Stuart Drew# followed that two batters later with a single that scored May to close out the second-inning scoring.

#Justin Whitehead# scored a run on a wild pitch in the third, setting up the big inning in the fourth.

In that stanza, Henley led off with a triple, followed by a #Danny Bodziak walk. #Brett Wright# belted a single to center, scoring Henley and Bodziak for the big stroke of the inning. Wright advanced to second on the throw, then promptly stole third and scored on a wild pitch.

Wright was solid on the basepaths for the Wolves in both games, tallying four stolen bases over the course of the two games.

West Georgia added one more run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly from Drew to close out the scoring. #Keith Manley# worked a scoreless seventh on the mound for the Wolves to finish off the Tornadoes.

The line for Crumbley in the opener was solid, as he gave up no runs on two hits in six innings, striking out two and walking three. Seven different players had one hit in the game, with Drew and Wright the only multi-RBI players. Henley scored twice to lead the Wolves in that category.

In the nightcap, things started off shaky for starter #Jared Slaven#, who was roughed up for three runs on four hits with three walks in just two innings of work. But his team took care of things, as the Wolves pounded across nine runs in the first inning and #Jammie Sexton# pitched 4 1/3 innings of shutout ball in relief to take the victory.

After going scoreless in the opener, Talladega stormed back in the first inning of the second game, scoring two runs in that frame.

But that didn't faze the Wolves, as Fite sent 12 batters to the dish in the bottom of the first as the UWG offense erupted for nine runs. There were two big blows in the inning, starting with catcher #Andy Marinelli# and his first home run at West Georgia.

Drew led off the bottom of the first and was hit by a pitch, followed by a single to right field from Wright. Marinelli cleared the bases with a blast to left field that nearly left an indention on the UWG scoreboard.

The Wolves second basemen, Drew, was a part of the second big play as well in his second at-bat of the inning. With the bases loaded, the junior hit a slow roller in-between second and first, scoring Keys from third. The Talladega first baseman fielded the ball and fired to second, attempting to get #Michael Hollis# on a force play running from first. The ball careened off of the second baseman's glove and ended up in center field, scoring May from second. As Hollis took off for third and Drew moved to second, the center fielder's throw sailed into the dugout, giving both Hollis and Drew home on the ball out of play.

West Georgia added a run in the third and the sixth, but the damage was done and West Georgia cruised to a 11-3 victory. #Justin Key# closed out the seventh to seal the UWG victory.

Sexton was solid in the victory, allowing two hits in 4 1/3 innings, giving up no runs and no walks and striking out five.

Marinelli was the offensive hero in game two, going 3-for-4 with four RBI and a run scored. Drew was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBI and Keys scored two runs to add for the cause.

West Georgia returns to action on Friday afternoon at home against top-five opponent Georgia College & State, followed by a return trip against GCSU next Sunday.