CARROLLTON, Ga. – The University of West Georgia baseball team spilt a Gulf South Conference twin bill against Union on Sunday at Cole Field, prevailing in an 8-6 decision in the opener before suffering a 10-5 setback in the nightcap.
The Sunday split sets up a 1 p.m. rubber game on Monday back at Cole Field with the series on the line.
Here's the breakdown of Sunday's action:
Game 1
The Wolves (13-16, 12-14 GSC) rallied in the opener, plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh to break a 6-all tie in a contest where both pitching staffs dealt with control issues.
West Georgia overcame eight walks and four hit batsmen, as junior
Robert Coleman steadied the ship with 4.2 innings of relief, allowing two runs on four hits with four walks and six strikeouts. Although Coleman yielded more free passes than UWG head coach
Jeff Smith wanted to see, he was able to keep his team in the hunt behind several key strikeouts.
"That's the key stuff there. He didn't have his best stuff, but he was able to get outs and pitch out of some jams and help us get the win," Smith said.
From there, senior
Sawyer Steele (3-1) shut down the Bulldogs over the final three shutout frames, giving up just one hit with two walks and six punchouts to earn the victory after nearly four hours of action.
The Wolves took the early lead on a two-run homer by senior first baseman
Dan Oberst in the first, but the Bulldogs (11-18, 9-17) answered with a pair of runs in the top of the second.
The visitors took the lead at 4-2 in the third behind RBI singles from center fielder Austin Zeitler and second baseman Patrick Music before the Wolves got a run back in the home half on an RBI triple by junior third baseman
Collin Moore.
UWG tacked on three more runs in the fourth to retake the lead after junior left fielder
Ethan Brant connected on an RBI double and junior center fielder
Jason Fointno scored on the play on a throwing error. Sophomore right fielder
John Michael McRae made it a 6-4 contest with an RBI groundout to bring in Brant.
Union pulled even at 6-6 in the top of the seventh, but the Wolves capitalized on pitching issues by the Bulldogs to capture the lead for good, scoring a pair of runs on back-to-back bases-loaded walks to Fointno and Brant.
Steele retired the side in order in the eighth and stranded a pair of runners in the ninth to seal the Game 1 'W' for the Wolves.
Oberst (3-for-5, HR, 2 runs, 2 RBI) and sophomore second baseman/shortstop
Brody Wortham (2-for-4, BB, 2 runs) accounted for five of UWG's 11 hits in Game 1.
Game 2
In the nightcap, UWG freshman hurler
Jack Rasmussen held the Bulldogs scoreless through four innings before the visitors got on the board on an RBI single from first baseman Cooper Bullough in the top of the fifth.
Union stretched the lead to 3-0 in the sixth on a two-run homer by Zeitler, but the Wolves rallied with a four-run spot in the home half of the inning behind a pair of bombs.
Oberst connected on the first of his two blasts before junior shortstop
Joseph Hill made his triumphant return from injury with a three-run homer to put UWG up at 4-3. Hill was playing his seventh game of the season and only his third since Feb. 13.
"That was huge. Joseph has been injured and he was able to get an opportunity to come in today and came up big with a three-run homer," Smith said. "Hopefully, that's big confidence for him moving forward."
Oberst delivered another deep ball in the seventh, but the Bulldogs answered with seven runs over the final two innings to avoid the Sunday sweep.
Oberst (2-for-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI) and Hill (1-for-3, BB, HR, 3 RBI) accounted for the offense in Game 2 for West Georgia.
The Wolves aim to rebound in Monday's 1 p.m. rubber game with the opportunity to secure the series victory.
"The No. 1 priority is to win a series every weekend. We've got a chance to do that tomorrow," Smith said.
