ROME, Ga. – The University of West Georgia baseball team secured a Gulf South Conference series win with a Saturday split against Shorter at the Robert H. Ledbetter Baseball Complex to wrap up the three-game slate.

The Wolves pulled out a 5-4, 11-inning triumph in Game 1 on Saturday, but suffered a 10-4, seven-inning setback in the nightcap after capturing a 2-1 victory on Friday afternoon in the series opener.

Game 1
For the second consecutive day, the Wolves (7-8, 7-8 GSC) found themselves in a pitchers' duel with UWG freshman starter Andrew Smith going toe-to-toe against Shorter's Taylor Boisclair.

Each hurler gave up their only run on a solo home run with the Hawks (9-6, 6-6) striking first on a first-inning blast by left fielder Donavan Frayer and the Wolves answering in the third on a left-field shot from sophomore shortstop Brody Wortham.

Smith worked six innings, allowing the one run on three hits with three walks and six strikeouts, while Boisclair also fired six frames, yielding one hit with one walk and eight punchouts.

Both bullpens also took care of business, as the Wolves stranded a pair of runners in the eighth, but neither team really threatened until the 10^th when UWG started the first extra inning with junior left fielder Ethan Brant at second base.

Sophomore designated hitter Joe Skinner opened the inning with a single and freshman second baseman Griffin Bennink was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Following a strikeout, senior first baseman Dan Oberst brought Brant home on an RBI groundout and junior third baseman Collin Moore followed with an RBI single for the 3-1 lead.

In the home half of the 10^th, Shorter started with second baseman Justin Guyton on second. Guyton advanced to third on a sacrifice fly and scored on an RBI groundout by pinch hitter Kaleeq Brannigan to pull within a run. With two outs and nobody on, the Hawks rallied with a double by right fielder Jacob Pajer and an RBI single from Frayer for his third hit of the game.

In the 11^th, UWG senior catcher Lane Griffith started on second base, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on an RBI single by sophomore right fielder John Michael McRae. After McRae stole second, Brant drove him home on an RBI single for the 5-3 margin.

In the bottom of the 11^th, the Wolves gave up an RBI sacrifice fly and a two-out single, but sophomore Jenson Barker came on to relieve sophomore Ezra Brown and recorded the final out to secure the victory.

Senior Sawyer Steele was also dominant in relief, firing 3.1 innings of hitless ball, walking one and fanning five.

Offensively, seven different UWG players had a hit in the contest with Wortham connecting on the only extra-base hit for the visitors with his third-inning dinger.

Game 2
In the nightcap, the Wolves got off to a promising start by plating a pair of runs in the top of the first on an RBI single by Moore and Oberst scoring on a groundout for the 2-0 edge.

The Hawks got a run back in the home half of the first and took control with a five-run second, capped by a three-run home run from Brannigan for a 6-2 lead.

After Shorter added a single run in the third, the Wolves answered with an RBI base knock by McRae in the fourth to pull within 7-3, but Shorter tacked on three more runs in the home half on an RBI groundout, a run scoring on a wild pitch and an RBI double by catcher Nathaniel Butterworth.

West Georgia scored the final run of the game on a double by Griffith and an RBI single from Brant in the top of the seventh.

Wortham (2-for-3, SB, run) and Oberst (2-for-4, SB, run) had multiple-hit performances for the Wolves in Game 2.

West Georgia takes a break from GSC action with a midweek road trip to Columbus State on Wednesday for a 4 p.m. contest with the Cougars. The Wolves return to league play with a three-game series against West Alabama on March 19-20 at Cole Field in Carrollton.