Carrollton, GA - UWG baseball head coach Skip Fite came into this weekend's season opening series with Augusta State with designs on a victory over his old program. Using a strong pitching performance, his Wolves gave him a series win, taking the first two games of the weekend before falling in the finale. Sunday's doubleheader started with a 5-1 win for West Georgia, followed by a narrow 5-4 loss in the nightcap.

The split followed up on West Georgia's 14-6 victory over Augusta State on Saturday afternoon. Saturday, it was #Max Aeschilmann# that was the star of the day, but on Sunday, it was Game 1 starter #Cody Skinner#, a transfer from West Georgia Technical College. Skinner, a native of nearby Ranburne, AL, tossed seven innings on Sunday, allowing one run on six hits while striking out seven.

Between Skinner and Aeschilmann, the Wolves combined for 12 strikeouts in 11 innings of work. Add in Game 3 starter #Seth McClure#, and the Wolves had 16 strikeouts in 16 innings or work in their debut weekend.

The Wolves threatened first in the opening game, loading the bases with two outs in the bottom of the second inning with center fielder #Gabe Herman# at the plate. But the junior came up just short in a ground out, ending the first scoring threat of the afternoon for either team.

Augusta State came right back, scoring a run in the top of the third to move ahead for the first time all weekend. West Georgia's bats remained silent until the bottom of the fifth, when junior right-fielder #Brett Wright# led off the inning with a double.

#Garrett May# followed that with a walk, then both Wright and May moved over on a sacrifice bunt from Herman. Senior All-American #Stuart Drew# doubled down the right-field line, bringing home both runners for a 2-1 UWG lead. Two batters later, #Galen Smith# reached on an error, scoring Drew for the third run of the game for the Wolves.

The UWG pitchers bore down after that, holding Augusta State scoreless over the final innings while the Wolves added two more insurance runs. Sophomore #Jamie Sexton# came on in relief in the eighth and pitched the final two innings, allowing no runs on a hit with two strikeouts.

Drew led the UWG offensive, going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, two RBI and a run scored. #Justin Croft# and Wright each went 2-for-4 as the only other hitters with multiple hits in a game.

In the nightcap, the Jaguars jumped out to a 3-1 advantage in the first two innings, then added two more for a 5-1 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth for the Wolves.

In that inning, West Georgia loaded the bases and scored one run, followed by a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth. Freshman #Tanner Drennan# was at the plate with two outs and a runner on second and third before making the final out of the game.

#Andy Marinelli#, Smith, #Evan Hester# and #Adam Whitlock# each had two hits in the second game Sunday. McClure went five innings in his UWG debut, allowing three runs on four hits with four strikeouts.

West Georgia is off until Thursday, when the Wolves play host to North Georgia at Cole Field in a single game.