CARROLLTON, Ga. - The University of West Georgia Baseball team secured Game One of their three-game series against the Shorter Hawks, 12-3, on Friday night.

West Georgia (6-6, 3-1 GSC)put together a complete performance as they put recorded 12 runs, 18 hits while holding Shorter (9-3, 1-3 GSC) to three runs and six hits.

"Shorter's a good team and we played a solid game tonight against them," said head coach Jeff Smith. "We swung the bats well, got a lot of hits early, and chipped a few runs across before we were finally able to break it open late."

Will Dean got the start for West Georgia in Game One and breezed through the first innings, setting the stage for the UWG offense.

The Wolves' offense gave Dean a run to work with in the bottom half of the inning after Sam Ladner ripped an RBI-double to left center, driving in Luke Hatcher who singled earlier in the inning.

After Dean got through his fourth straight inning clean, the UWG offense got back to work. With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Cade Hohl recorded a two-out single and then stole second before Jackson Webb drove him in with an RBI-single, extending the Wolves lead to 2-0.

Shorter got on the board in the top of the fifth inning. The Hawks' left fielder, Justin Barnes began the inning with a lead-off double before a single from Thomas Schroeder put runners in the corners with no outs. Moments later, a throwing error from Webb scored Barnes and moved Schroeder to third before Schroeder scored after the next at bat, tying the score at two.

West Georgia retook the lead in the bottom half of the inning courtesy of an RBI-single from Jack Witmer before Shorter tied the game once again after a sacrifice fly from Levi Maddela.

With the game tied at three, the West Georgia offense exploded for five runs in the bottom of the sixth, beginning with an RBI-single from Walt McConnell that scored Hohl. Two batters later, Carson Mynatt singled, driving in Webb before an error from the Hawks scored two more UWG runs. With Mynatt on third, Sam Ladner recorded a sacrifice fly, bringing home Mynatt, giving the Wolves an 8-3 lead as we went to the seventh.

After six solid innings from Dean, coach Smith called on Jonathan Hickman out of the pen. Hickman got through the seventh inning clean before McConnell homered in the bottom half, extending the Wolves' lead to 9-3. 

In the eighth, West Georgia added three more runs courtesy of RBI-singles from Webb and McConnell before the junior scored later in the inning on another error from Shorter, propelling UWG to a 12-3 lead.

In the ninth, Hickman sat down Shorter 1-2-3 to clinch a Game One win for West Georgia.

McConnell led the way with a game-high four hits, three RBIs, three runs, and two stolen bases. 

On the mound, Dean finished with a line of 6.0 IP, 4H, 3R, 0ER, 5Ks.

"It starts right there on the mound and I thought Will Dean put together a great performance," coach Smith concluded. 

West Georgia will conclude their three-game series against Shorter on Saturday with a 1:00 p.m. double header.