CARROLLTON, Ga. - It was another great day at Cole Field as the University of West Georgia baseball team swept both sides of a double header with the Union Bulldogs, improving their record to 12-3 on the season and 6-2 in the Gulf South Conference.
"Offensively I thought we had some lapses," said head coach
Jeff Smith. "Obviously we did enough to win the games but i think that we had a few guys who gave AB's away due to their approach, and we can't have that happen," said Smith.
Game One: UWG 4, Union 0
Peyton Berry made his first start of 2023, pitching six beautiful innings allowing just one hit, no runs, and striking out four.
"Peyton was fantastic," said Smith. "It was probably one of the quickest nine inning games we've had this year, and it was because we went out and had a lot of clean innings, and he pitched extremely well and that's what we expect of him," said Smith.
The Wolves drew first blood in game one in the second inning after back-to-back singles from
Cooper Prince and
Jared Emory had runners at first and second with one out. UWG attempted a double steal and Union threw out Emory, but in the chaos, Prince came around to score the game's first run.
The Wolves got sporadic hits in the third, fourth, and fifth innings, but never could get any runs across, and with Berry rolling on the mound, the Wolves went to the sixth still holding a 1-0 lead.
In the sixth, the Bulldogs got their first runner on since the third inning thanks to a hit by pitch, but
Jackson Webb immediately picked him off, and Berry retired the next two batters in order to preserve the 1-0 lead.
The Wolves offense came back to life in the bottom of the sixth. After
Cade Hohl flew out to start the inning,
Henry Daniels started a string of three straight hits, blasting his third home run of the season over the left field wall to extend the lead to 2-0. Calabro and Fink then delivered back-to-back singles, putting runners on second and third with one out. After Prince grounded out,
Jared Emory delivered a 2 RBI single into left center, pushing the UWG lead to 4-0 going into the seventh.
Ryan Whitener relieved Berry in the seventh and immediately found himself in trouble following a lead off double and a walk. Whitener settled in, however, and got a double play followed by a flyout to preserve the shutout.
The Bulldogs threatened once again in the eighth, getting two runners on, but Whitener once again pitched out of trouble and put up another zero in the top of the eighth.
With nothing going on offensively for the Wolves in the bottom half of the eighth,
Jake Jordan was called on to end the game in the ninth. Jordan sat down the Bulldogs in order to secure the 4-0 victory in the opening game of the series.
Jared Emory finished the afternoon 3-4 at the plate with 2 RBI's, and Fink and Prince both finished with two hits a piece
Game Two: UWG 4, Union 2
It was the Bulldogs who broke through first in game two, scoring ___ in the opening frame.
Chase Townsend got two quick outs, but an error prolonged the inning, allowing a run to come across later in the inning on a wild pitch.
Union added another in the top of the third inning on a one out double from Netterville, but Townsend limited the damage to just one, as the Bulldogs led 2-0 going to the bottom of the inning. The Wolves could not answer in the third, and we went to the fourth with Union still holding a 2-0 lead.
Townsend sat the Bulldogs down in order in the top of the fourth, and
Sam Ladner put the first hit for the Wolves on the board in the bottom half.
Cade Hohl followed with a walk, and three batters later,
Logan Fink delivered an RBI single to put the Wolves on the board.
Cooper Prince walked right after, loading the bases for
Jared Emory. Emory flew out to the deepest part of the park, sending us to the fifth trailing 2-1.
The Wolves finally got the sticks going in the fifth.
Joseph Glozier drew a one out walk, and
Sam Ladner followed with his second home run of the season, putting UWG on top 3-2. Hickman continued to dominate on the mound, stranding the tying run at third in the top of the sixth.
In the bottom of the sixth, Fink got the inning started with a lead off double and advanced to third on a failed pick off. Two batters later,
Jared Emory drove him home with an RBI single, giving the Wolves a key insurance run and sending the game to the final frame with the Wolves leading 4-2. Hickman proceeded to sit the Bulldogs down once again in order, giving the Wolves a 4-2 victory, and securing the series.
Lander and Fink finished game two with two hits a piece, as they combined for four of the five UWG hits. Hickman finished with three innings of perfect relief, allowing no hits or runs and striking out five, earning the victory.
"We have to come out focused tomorrow and have focused AB's one through nine and have a well pitched game to have a chance at winning tomorrow," said Smith. "I don't think we've played a complete game yet in terms of everyone firing on all cylinders. We've gotten glimpses of that, but we have to put these things together as we move through the season," finished Smith.
These two teams are back in action tomorrow afternoon. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. from Cole Field
