Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CLINTON, Miss. – The University of West Georgia baseball team busted out the bats for a Gulf South Conference sweep of Mississippi College on Friday to open the three-game series.

The Wolves cranked out a combined 32 hits to club their way to 6-5 and 13-7 victories over the Choctaws at Frierson Field, while also receiving some quality efforts on the bump in key situations from the pitching staff.

UWG sophomore shortstop Brody Wortham ignited the offense with a 5-for-5 performance in Game 1, while junior left fielder Ethan Brant delivered a four-hit, four-RBI showing in the nightcap to secure the sweep.

UWG head coach Jeff Smith noted how hitting can get contagious when multiple guys start swinging it well, and that's exactly what happened for the Wolves on Friday in the Magnolia State.

"We were able to swing the bat and give ourselves a great opportunity to win the series on Day 1," Smith said.

West Georgia will seek the series sweep in a 2 p.m. finale on Saturday.

Game 1
Following four scoreless frames from each starting pitcher, the Wolves (12-14, 11-12 GSC) drew first blood in the top of the fifth, plating four runs on five hits, highlighted by a blitz of two-baggers.

Brant started the rally with a leadoff bunt single, which was followed by another bunt single by junior center fielder Jason Fointno. After the Choctaws (8-15, 5-13) recorded an out, UWG rattled off three consecutive doubles, the first of which came from senior first baseman Dan Oberst to drive in a pair of runs, while Wortham and junior third baseman Collin Moore added RBI doubles for the 4-0 lead.

"That was huge for us. We got some things going and we laid down a few bunts and put some pressure on them. We were able to get four runs there and it kind of gave us a little bit of a cushion," Smith said.

Mississippi College got a run back in the sixth on an RBI single by first baseman Caleb Reese. After the host squad loaded the bases, Smith summoned senior Sawyer Steele to relieve sophomore starter Peyton Berry and he delivered a flyout to left field to keep it a 4-1 contest.

West Georgia added a run in the eighth on a solo blast by freshman designated hitter Jackson Webb, but the Choctaws answered in the home half of the inning with a solo home run from right fielder Ken Scott and an RBI double by second baseman Lane Willis to cut the deficit to 5-3.

The Wolves manufactured a key insurance run in the top of the ninth after junior second baseman Cody Mish reached on a single and later scored on a balk.

That would prove especially critical after Mississippi College rallied in its last at-bat, scoring a pair of runs on a Scott single before Steele ended the game with a strikeout for the dramatic 'W.'

Offensively, Wortham had a monster effort at the plate, going 5-for-5 with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI, while Mish (2-for-4, 2 runs) also had a multiple-hit effort. Oberst added a two-run double, Moore connected on an RBI double and Webb blasted the solo home run.

Berry (1-3) earned the win behind 5.2 innings of work, allowing one run on five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts, while Steele picked up the save, tossing 3.1 innings of relief, yielding three earned runs on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

"Peyton was lights-out in Game 1. He gave us a quality start. Sawyer was able to come in there and hold them off and preserve the win," Smith said. "We made some mistakes, but we were able to battle out of some of those situations."

Game 2
With the nightcap knotted up at 5-all through five innings, the Wolves erupted with eight runs over the final three frames, including five in the top of the ninth to put the game to bed.

In the five-run ninth, Brant stroked his fourth hit and fourth RBI of the game with a double, while Fointno tacked on a two-run single and Oberst delivered the dagger with a two-run bomb for the exclamation point on the offensive fireworks.

"The guys kept battling and we took the lead and held our own right there on the mound. We had to battle out of some situations. But offensively, we put some things together and did real well," Smith said.

Both teams put up four-spots in the second inning, as Brant started the scoring barrage with an RBI single and Mish cleared the bases for a three-run single with the last run coming in on a throwing error.

The Choctaws responded in the home half, scoring four runs on just one hit, as the Wolves gave up three walks and a hit batsman with freshman starter Jack Rasmussen battling control issues in the frame. Sophomore Ezra Brown came in and got a pair of flyouts to get out of the jam knotted up at 4-all.

Brown would toss 3.1 innings of relief, allowing one run on four hits with three walks and two strikeouts before giving way to junior Robert Coleman, who really gave the Wolves a boost with his performance.

Coleman (2-3) earned the win behind 4.1 innings, yielding just one earned run on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

"Rob came in and made some good pitches. We made some mistakes behind him that didn't help him out, but he was able to battle out of it. Collin Moore makes a double play by stepping on third base and throwing across the infield to get out of one inning with the bases loaded. It was huge," Smith said.

The 19-hit attack featured six multiple-hit efforts for UWG with Brant (4-for-5, 2B, 2 runs, 4 RBI) leading the charge, followed by Webb (3-for-5, run), Mish (2-for-3, BB, 3 RBI), sophomore first baseman Joe Skinner (2-for-3, 2 BB, 2 runs), senior catcher Lane Griffith (2-for-4, run, RBI) and Fointno (2-for-4, SB, 2B, 3 runs, 2 RBI).

The Wolves ride the wave of momentum into Game 3 on Saturday, where they'll look to open the month of April with a bang and make a move up the conference food chain.

"(Saturday) is going to be a big day for us. We've got Andrew Smith going on the mound. We're looking for a quality start out of him and for our hitters to continue to do what they do," Smith said. "We're looking to bring home the sweep and get some movement here in the conference."