MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- The Georgia Southwestern baseball team rallied from an eight-run deficit to tie the University of Auburn at Montgomery in the eighth inning on Tuesday evening, only to have the full comeback thwarted in the ninth with a fielder's choice walk-off by the Warhawks at the AUM Baseball Complex. The Hurricanes suffered a 14-13 setback and had their record fall to 4-3 this spring despite belting three home runs in the game.
Miles Hartsfield hit the eighth home run of his GSW career with a solo shot in the fifth inning. Kalvin Alexander and Noah Roberts had two-run blasts during the Hurricanes comeback. Alexander hit his third home run of the season in the sixth and Roberts long ball came in the eighth during his 14th at bat as a member of the Hurricanes.
AUM scored a pair of runs in each of the first four innings and added three in the fifth to bolt to an 11-3 lead. GSW dug out of the hole with five runs in the sixth, three in the seventh before eventually evening the score in the eighth. After getting a fly out to open the ninth, GSW allowed the Warhawks to load the bases and a bouncing ball to Hartsfield at shortstop got caught in the grass just long enough to prevent the Hurricanes from turning an inning-ending double play.
GSW had three players finish with multiple hits. Hartsfield went 2-for-6, had the home run, drove in a pair and scored twice. Matthew Manuel was 2-for-4 with an RBI-double. He was walked once and scored three times. Roberts was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
The Hurricanes pitching staff struggled while allowing AUM to collect 20 hits. GSW used six pitchers. Daemon Woodruff had the best showing by holding AUM to their only scoreless inning in the eighth. Grant Adams (1-2) suffered the loss with 1 2/3 innings and the decisive run.
Colorado Christian University (1-6) makes the long trip to Americus this weekend to take on the Hurricanes. Game 1 of the three-game series is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m.
