ROME, Ga. – Ethan Brant, a tip of the cap to you, young man.

Facing the final out in the top of the ninth, the University of West Georgia junior left fielder blasted a two-run bomb over the right-field fence to lift the Wolves to an exhilarating, 2-1 Gulf South Conference triumph over Shorter on Friday afternoon at the Robert H. Ledbetter Baseball Complex.

After UWG sophomore reliever Ezra Brown stranded runners at second and third in the home half of the eighth, the Wolves (6-7, 6-7 GSC) had one last chance against the Hawks (8-5, 5-5).

Junior center fielder Jason Fointno started the rally with a leadoff single, but Shorter reliever Kevin Ludden recorded a strikeout and popout to third base, bringing the Heard County High School product to the plate.

And what better time for Brant's first home run since the season opener on Feb. 7, erasing a frustrating day at the plate, as pitching reigned supreme for both squads.

"It was huge. He stayed in his at-bat, drove it to right field and was able to put us on top. It was huge for us," UWG head coach Jeff Smith said.

The Wolves received a stellar effort on the bump from all four of their pitchers on Friday, led by starter Jack Rasmussen.

The freshman right-hander fired 5.2 innings of four-hit ball, yielding one run with four walks and six strikeouts.

Shorter pushed its first and only run across with two outs in the sixth on an RBI single from second baseman Luis Acevedo against UWG reliever Peyton Berry. The sophomore right-hander kept the damage minimal by leaving the bases loaded to keep it a one-run game.

The Hawks threatened again in the eighth against Brown (1-0) behind a leadoff single from first baseman Cory Mason and a two-out double by center fielder Aaron Reardon, marking the first extra-base hit of the game for either team and putting runners on second and third.

But Brown dug deep and induced a popout to second base for a critical third out, setting the stage for Brant's heroics in the ninth.

Following a one-out walk in the bottom of the ninth, Smith made the call to the bullpen one final time to summon Sawyer Steele, and the senior standout wouldn't disappoint, recording a lineout to center and a strikeout to slam the door shut on Shorter and set the tone for a series victory on Saturday.

"All of our pitchers located and had command of the baseball in competitive situations and did a great job. That's what we know they can do and what we've expected them to do all year," Smith said. "It shows when we pitch, what we can do."

Brant (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) had the lone multiple-hit effort for the Wolves, while Fointno, senior first baseman Dan Oberst, sophomore right fielder John Michael McRae and senior catcher Lane Griffith also had base knocks.

The two teams will get back at it on Saturday with an 11 a.m. twin bill to close out the series.

"It's going to be competitive games. It'll be just like today. We had some areas where we didn't execute. We didn't get a couple of bunts down. But if we do the things that we're capable of doing, it's going to be good games for us," Smith said.