AMERICUS - Randall Sheffield delivered a one-out, walk-off double to cap a three-run inning and give the Georgia Southwestern baseball team an 8-7 come-from-behind win over Stillman College on Tuesday evening at Hurricane Stadium. GSW trailed 7-5 heading into the ninth.
GSW improves its record to 8-19 this spring while Stillman falls to 12-11.
The Hurricanes found themselves in a hole early as Stillman posted four runs in the first. The Tigers first three batters reached base safely, two by well-executed bunts. Brad Sevenish highlighted the scoring outburst with a two-run single.
Stillman increased its lead to 5-0 in the third when Fernando Tanaka scored on an errant throw by the Hurricanes outfield.
GSW put together its first scoring inning in the third. John Duran knocked in Les Cromer with a single to right field and the next batter, Jarrod Taylor, plated Duran with a double to deep center field.
Southwestern tied the game in the sixth. Sheffield picked up a RBI, Neal Chambless scored from third on a wild pitch and Michel Coffey scored on a Stillman error.
The Tigers quickly regained the lead in the seventh inning and added another run in the eighth to take a two-run cushion into the ninth.
Duran singled to open the final frame for GSW. Taylor followed with a single and both men scored when the Stillman shortstop overthrew first base after fielding a Stephen Eldridge chopper up the middle. Pinch runner Zach Moss scored the game-winning run on Sheffield's slicing double that fell inside the right-field line.
Taylor led all batters with three hits. Duran, Chambless and Sheffield added two hits apiece. Cromer finished with a single and three walks to reach base safely in all four of his at bats.
GSW starter Earl Dupree pitched six innings, allowed five runs - two earned - and seven hits while walking two and striking out five. Drew Cataldo tossed two innings before Bray Bishop (2-1) picked up the win with a scoreless ninth inning of work.
Stillman brought six pitchers into the contest. Tanaka (0-1) came in from right field to pitch in the ninth and allowed three hits and all three of the GSW runs.
Both schools left eight men on base.
The two-game set between the Hurricanes and the Tigers concludes Wednesday at 2 p.m.
