AMERICUS, Ga. – The Georgia Southwestern State University baseball team opened its three-game weekend series against Lenoir-Rhyne University with a 7-2 win on Saturday afternoon at Hurricane Stadium. The Bears rallied to take the final two games, handing GSW a 9-4 loss in Game 2 on Saturday and a 6-4 defeat in the finale on Sunday.

The Hurricanes exit the weekend with a record of 11-19 overall, while Lenoir-Rhyne improved to 14-17.     
 
NOTES 

• Only other meeting between these schools came in 2008. GSW won 14-5 in Americus.
• Lenoir-Rhyne has a winning record (9-7) on the road this season.
• The Hurricanes have lost five of their last six games. 

STANDOUT PERFORMERS

• Tucker Smith improved his record to 6-1 with a complete-game performance in Game 1 of the series. Smith comes out the weekend as the Peach Belt Conference leader in earned run average (1.64), wins (6) and complete games (3).   
• Jacob Harrell led GSW at the plate over the weekend. Harrell played in two of the three games, went 4-for-7 (.571) and scored a run. 
• A.J. Hayes struck out three over his 3 1/3 innings of relief. He was not charged with an earned run.
• Harrison Timberlake threw two scoreless innings of relief.    
• Matthew Mamatas went 6-for-14 (.429) at the plate with a double and three RBIs. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Harrell and Jason Baita collected three hits apiece in the opener to lead GSW's attack.
• Trailing 2-0 in the fifth inning of Game 1, the Hurricanes put together a five-hit rally that generated four runs. Hunter Foster drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out, two run triple. Andy Moore brought home Foster on the next GSW at bat with a single up the middle.
• The Hurricanes added three insurance runs in the sixth. Baita plated two of the runs with with a triple down the right field line.  
• Smith struck out seven, scattered seven hits and did not walk a batter while throwing 110 pitches. 
• GSW trailed 4-0 in the fifth inning of Game 2 before posting its second consecutive four-run fifth. In the nightcap, the Hurricanes capitalized on three errors by the Bears to get their four runs. Mamatas drove in two with a double to left field.
• Lenoir-Rhyne regained the lead in the sixth, added a run in the eighth and put the game away with three in the ninth.
• GSW scored four runs in Game 2 despite being held to two hits.
• The teams combined for nine errors in Game 2.
• GSW held the lead twice on Sunday. 
• The Hurricanes answered a two-run Lenoir-Rhyne first inning with three of their own in the bottom half of the inning off three hits, including RBI singles from Foster and Bo Halcomb.
• After Lenior-Rhyne tied the game in the second inning, GSW scored a run in the third with the help of a walk and throwing error.
• The final runs of the finale were scored by the Bears with three in the fourth. A hit batter, back-to-back doubles, a single and a sacrifice fly provided all the run support Bears pitchers would need to win the rubber game of the series. 
• GSW batters were held to two hits over the fourth through eighth innings.
• The Hurricanes put two runners on with singles in the ninth, but left both on base as the final out was recorded.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• GSW out-hit Lenoir-Rhyne in the series (25-21).
• The Hurricanes left 26 runners on base, Lenoir-Rhyne stranded 25.
• GSW put the leadoff man aboard on 9 of 26 opportunities (.346).
• Hurricane batters were 7-for-34 at the plate (.206) with two outs and 8-for-35 (.229) with an RBI opportunity.
• GSW's favorite inning to score in was the fifth. They pushed across eight over the weekend.
• GSW starting pitchers in the final two games combined to throw 5 1/3 innings.
• Lenoir-Rhyne generated seven of its 17 runs off Hurricanes starting pitching, 10 of its runs off the bullpen. 

UP NEXT

• The Hurricanes host a pair of midweek games starting with West Georgia at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.