AMERICUS - Georgia Southwestern jumped out to a 6-0 lead on Tuesday evening against Albany State University and held on for a 10-6 win in non-conference baseball action at Hurricane Stadium.
GSW improved to 7-17 this spring and 13-5 against Albany State since joining the NCAA in 2007. The Golden Rams fell to 5-16 overall.
Evan Alderman led off the game for GSW with a double and scored three batters later off a sacrifice fly from Davey King. The next batter, Paul Sorrow, singled to center field to score Brett Burgess and give the Hurricanes a quick 2-0 lead.
GSW struck again in the fourth inning. The Hurricanes brought eight batters to the plate and manufactured three runs off one hit, a bunt single by Zach Barron. King and Sorrow reached base after being hit by a pitch. Nick Fonseca walked. An ASU error led to two runs.
The Hurricanes stretched their lead to 6-0 in the fifth inning with a solo home run from King, his first four-bagger of the season.
ASU answered with a run in the seventh before Southwestern added three more in the bottom half of the frame. Burgess led off the inning with a single, then proceeded to steal second and third. He scored on a Sorrow sacrifice fly. Josh Tatnall drove in two runs with a two-out single down the right-field line.
The Hurricanes took a 10-1 lead to the ninth.
ASU scored three runs to pull within 10-4 and had the bases loaded with one out, but GSW forced a fielder's choice and Jared Crum struck out the final batter to give the Hurricanes the win.
Burgess and Barron led the GSW offense with two hits and two runs apiece. King scored three times.
Hector Carrasquillo and Uwen Udofia collected two hits apiece to lead ASU.
Coty Graham (1-2) was outstanding on the hill for GSW. Graham threw five scoreless innings, walked two, struck out six and held ASU to two hits. Matthew Hubbard worked two innings of relief, allowed a run, but did not give up a hit. Hubbard walked two and struck out two. Michael Ranieri pitched a scoreless eighth inning while Crum worked the ninth.
Sahir Fersobe (1-3) started for ASU and pitched 3 2/3 innings. Fersobe allowed five runs - four earned - and four hits. He walked one and struck out four. Damarkus Green matched Fersobe with 3 2/3 innings on the mound. Only three of Green's five runs surrendered were earned. Fontayne Washington got the final two outs for the Golden Rams.
GSW returns to the diamond on Wednesday to host West Georgia at 5 p.m.
