VALDOSTA, Ga. — From the very first inning, Georgia Southwestern made it clear this would be no ordinary road trip.
The Hurricanes erupted for six runs in the opening frame and never looked back, cruising to a 14-3 victory over Valdosta State University Tuesday evening at Billy Grant Field.
The 11-run margin marks the largest victory for GSW in Valdosta during the program's NCAA era (21 games) and stands as the second-largest margin in favor of the Hurricanes in the overall series history between the two programs.
GSW improves to 8-4 on the season.
Six-Run Statement to Start
It took only a few minutes for the Hurricanes to seize control.
Caleb Gipson sparked the night with a leadoff single and promptly stole second and third.
Devon Murphy and
Josh McDonald followed with pressure on the basepaths, and defensive miscues by VSU helped plate the first three runs.
Then
Drew Reaves delivered the thunder.
The junior third baseman launched a three-run homer to left field, capping a six-run first inning that stunned the home crowd and put GSW firmly in command at 6-0 before the Blazers recorded their third out.
The Hurricanes added two more in the second, pushing the lead to 8-0 and forcing Valdosta State into early bullpen changes.
Johnson in Full Control
While the offense built separation,
Wade Johnson quietly took care of the rest.
The right-hander worked six innings, allowing just three hits and two runs while striking out two. He attacked the zone, kept hitters off balance and limited free passes, throwing 85 pitches in a composed outing.
Jordan Walden handled the seventh in relief as GSW maintained complete control.
Even when Valdosta State scratched across single runs in the third and fourth, the Hurricanes immediately answered — never allowing the momentum to shift.
Fifth-Inning Surge Breaks It Open
With an 8-2 lead entering the fifth, GSW delivered the decisive blow.
Edwin Melendez opened the frame with a double, and the Hurricanes strung together four straight run-scoring plays.
Jacob Reeves added an RBI single,
Kelsen Johnson drew a bases-loaded walk, Murphy drove in another, and McDonald followed with an RBI knock of his own.
By the time the inning ended, the lead had ballooned to 12-2.
Murphy later added a two-run home run in the seventh — his third RBI of the night — to extend the advantage to 14-2 and cap the scoring for GSW.
Aggressive and Relentless
The Hurricanes finished with 14 runs on 14 hits and stole seven bases, applying pressure from start to finish. Gipson swiped two bags, while Johnson, Murphy, Harman, Reaves and Reeves each added one.
Reaves and Murphy both homered, combining for six RBIs, and seven different Hurricanes recorded at least one hit.
Next Up
GSW returns home to host Georgia College & State University in a Peach Belt Conference weekend series starting Friday at 6 p.m.
