AMERICUS, Ga. — Georgia Southwestern came out swinging and never really let up.
Behind a barrage of home runs in both games and a dominant, workhorse performance on the mound in Game 2, the Hurricanes swept the first two games of their Peach Belt Conference series against Columbus State, taking Friday night's opener 5-3 before erupting for a 15-4 run-rule victory on Saturday at Hurricane Stadium.
The two wins clinch the series for GSW and mark a historic stretch against the Cougars—highlighted by the program's largest margin of victory all-time in the matchup and the first run-rule win over Columbus State in school history.
Game 1 | Early Punch, Late Power Lifts GSW (W, 5-3)
Georgia Southwestern wasted no time setting the tone Friday night.
After a leadoff single from
Devon Murphy,
Evan Wainman launched a two-run homer in the first inning to put the Hurricanes on top.
Drew Reaves joined the power surge later, delivering a go-ahead two-run blast in the eighth inning that proved to be the difference.
The Hurricanes built a 3-0 lead early before Columbus State chipped away and eventually tied things at 3-3 in the sixth. That set the stage for Reaves' late heroics, as his eighth-inning shot gave GSW the lead for good.
Reaves finished 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Wainman added his first home run of the series and drove in a pair.
On the mound,
Evan Koehler gave GSW seven steady innings, allowing three runs while striking out five.
Rem Maxwell (2-1) earned the win in relief, and
Cooper Sain closed the door in the ninth for his fourth save.
Game 2 | Hurricanes Unleash Offensive Avalanche in Run-Rule Rout (W, 15-4)
If Game 1 was about timely hits, Game 2 was about overwhelming force.
GSW exploded for 17 hits and three home runs, including back-to-back thunder in the middle innings that blew the game wide open.
Wainman stayed red-hot, going 4-for-4 with a towering 414-foot home run—his 10th of the season—while driving in two. Murphy added a 371-foot blast of his own, his eighth homer of the spring, finishing 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored.
And once again, Reaves delivered fireworks.
After homering in Game 1, Reaves went deep again in Game 2, launching a three-run shot as part of a four-RBI performance. He now has four home runs on the season and has gone deep in both games of the series alongside Wainman.
The decisive blow came in a jaw-dropping eight-run sixth inning, where the Hurricanes turned a comfortable lead into a rout, highlighted by Murphy's three-run homer and Reaves' three-run blast just moments later.
While the offense stole the spotlight,
Wade Johnson delivered one of the most impressive outings of the season on the mound.
The right-hander tossed a complete game — his longest appearance this year — to improve to 4-1. He worked all seven innings, allowing four runs on seven hits while keeping the Cougars off balance throughout.
Next Up
The regular season wraps up Sunday with the series finale at 1 p.m.
