AMERICUS - A trio of Georgia Southwestern players collected four hits apiece to pace the Hurricanes in a 17-3 non-conference baseball victory over West Georgia on Wednesday evening at Hurricane Stadium.
Les Cromer was a perfect 4-for-4 for GSW while Josh Sanders and Stephen Eldridge each finished the game 4-for-6. All told, the Hurricanes finished with a record-setting 20 hits in the ballgame. The 20 hits is a program best for GSW in a regular season game during its NCAA era (since 2007).
The Hurricanes have won four of their last five games to improve to 11-20 this spring. UWG drops to 18-12. The Hurricanes have won all six meetings with UWG since joining the NCAA.
GSW wasted little time getting on the board on Wednesday as Eldridge drove in Sanders in the first inning to grab an early 1-0 lead.
The Wolves jumped ahead in the fourth behind a pair of runs off four hits.
GSW opened the flood doors in the fifth by scoring four runs on four hits. Eldridge, Neal Chambless and Cromer singled in runs. The next inning GSW added four more runs to open a 9-2 advantage. John Duran, Michel Coffey, Kyle Nobles and Cromer produced RBIs.
The Hurricanes weren't finished. In the seventh, GSW errupted for eight more runs. Eldridge and Cromer collected a pair of RBIs in the inning, Nobles and Sanders drove in runs and Randall Sheffield added a pinch-hit RBI single.
UWG rounded out the scoring with a run in the eighth.
Sanders tied a single-game program record with four runs scored. Chambless scored three times. Every batter in the lineup reached base safely during the contest. The Hurricanes put the leadoff hitter on base in six of their eight opportunities and were 4-for-6 with the bases loaded. Cromer and Eldridged finished with four RBIs apiece.
John Mark Rhodes led the Wolves with a 3-for-5 night. Shaquille Jackson added two hits.
GSW freshman Earl Dupree picked up his first collegiate win after throwing the first five innings, holding UWG to two runs while walking four and striking out three. Drew Cataldo tossed three innings of relief, allowed one run and two hits, walked one and struck out four. Chase Burnfin threw a scoreless ninth.
Alex Allen (0-1) allowed four earned runs in 1 2/3 innings of relief to take the loss for UWG. The Wolves threw seven pitchers in the game.
Southwestern returns to Peach Belt Conference play on Friday at 6 p.m. with the opening game of a three-game weekend series at No. 2 Lander University.
