AUGUSTA, Ga. — The bats didn't just wake up Friday night.
They roared.
Georgia Southwestern pounded out 14 runs on 14 hits, breaking open a close game late and riding another dominant start from
Evan Koehler to a 14-5 Peach Belt Conference series-opening win over Augusta University.
The Hurricanes improve to 11-6 overall, 6-1 in the PBC, while Koehler moved to 4-0 on the season — tying for the Peach Belt Conference lead in victories and continuing to sit atop the league with a 2.08 ERA and 48 strikeouts.
Second-Inning Spark
The breakthrough came early.
After
Josh McDonald reached on an error in the second,
Evan Wainman doubled into the gap to plate the first run. Two batters later,
Caleb Gipson launched a three-run homer to left — his blast turning a quiet start into a 4-0 advantage in a matter of swings.
It was only the beginning for Gipson.
Koehler in Control
While the offense built cushion, Koehler built command.
The right-hander scattered three hits over seven innings, striking out nine and allowing three runs — all of which crossed in the seventh. Augusta never truly settled in against him, managing just five hits all night and striking out 10 times as a staff.
When Augusta finally broke through with a three-run homer in the seventh to cut the deficit to 7-3, the Hurricanes answered immediately.
Answering Every Punch
That response defined the night.
In the seventh,
Jacob Reeves tripled and
Drake Harman doubled him home before
Kelsen Johnson added an RBI single to push the lead back to seven.
Then came the knockout in the eighth.
With two aboard, Gipson delivered again — an RBI double to center. Harman followed with a run-scoring single, and Johnson was plunked to load the bases.
Devon Murphy then lined a double down the left-field line, clearing them with a three-RBI swing that put the game out of reach at 12-3.
It marked Murphy's seventh multi-RBI game of the season — tied for the team lead — and the fifth time he has driven in three or more runs this spring.
Gipson finished with a season-high four RBIs, his third multi-RBI performance of the year.
Johnson added three RBIs of his own, going 3-for-4 with a double, while Harman scored three times and drove in two.
Finishing Touches
GSW tacked on two more runs in the ninth on Johnson's two-run double, stretching the lead to 14-3 before Augusta scratched across a pair in the bottom half.
By then, the tone had long been set.
Koehler controlled the game early. The lineup delivered throughout. And every time Augusta showed life, the Hurricanes responded with something louder.
Next Up
Game 2 of the series in Augusta is Saturday at 4 p.m.
