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March 17, 2016
 
PENSACOLA, Fla. – The University of West Florida baseball team split Saturday's home doubleheader against the West Georgia Wolves on Saturday. The game two win snapped a three-game skid for the Argonauts, who now sit at 15-10 overall and 9-5 in the Gulf South Conference. West Florida now sits in a three-way tie for second place in the GSC, as Delta State and Alabama Huntsville have identical 9-5 records in conference action.
 
Game One: West Georgia 8, West Florida 3
 
West Georgia was able to get the bats going early, as three first inning runs helped the Wolves grab an early 3-0 lead. UWF was able to chip away with that lead immediately, as Jean Figueroa hit an RBI double and Kyle Hamner hit an RBI single to make the score 3-2 in favor of UWG.
 
Being down 4-2, Hamner continued his hot streak as the senior backstop hit his first career home run over the left-centerfield wall to cut UWG's lead to 4-3.
 
However, that would be the last run the Argonauts would be able to post in the first half of Saturday's doubleheader. UWG would go on to score a run in the fifth, two runs in the sixth and a run in the seventh to seal a 8-3 victory for the Wolves.
 
Walker O'Connor got the start for UWF and went 4.1 innings pitched and allowed five runs on nine hits. Troy Brown, Sean Kennedy and Gray Dorsey each saw work out of the bullpen in the contest.
 
Jean Figueroa and Kyle Hamner led the Argonauts, each posting a 2-for-4 performance. Hamner's two RBI led UWF in game one.
 
Game Two: West Florida 6, West Georgia 5
 
Brandon Nagem was called upon to start game one and after a first inning where he got into a bases loaded jam, the senior southpaw was able to settle in nicely and allow just one earned run over 5.2 innings pitched.
 
West Georgia opened the scoring with a run in the top half of the third. Kyle Hamner was able to knot the score at 1-1 with his third RBI of the day, by singling through the left side of the infield to score Alex Greene.
 
Greene recorded an RBI of his own in the fourth on a single down the right field line to score Ben Emery. Emery, in his first start of the season, laced an double to right-centerfield in his second at bat, before a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning off the bat of Emery was able to score Hamner and give UWF a 3-1 lead.
 
Michael Savas was able to convert on a safety squeeze attempt in the fifth, as Ladeavon Matthews scored on the bunt back to the UWG pitcher.
 
UWG was able to cut into UWF's lead with a pair of unearned runs in the sixth. In the home half of the sixth, Matthews provided the game-deciding blow as the junior hit a 2-RBI double to right center to score Jean Figueroa and Justin Ambrosino.
 
Heading into the top of the seventh with a three-run lead, West Georgia was able to make things a little tighter as Wolves cleanup hitter Dalton Rogers hit a one-out, 2-RBI single to cut UWF's lead to 6-5. Closer Steve McClellan was able to record a strikeout for the second out. McClellan got the very next batter to bounce out in a Greene-to-Strasser fielder's choice and seal the Argonauts 6-5 win.
 
Brandon Nagem earned the win in his third-consecutive appearance. Steve McClellan earned his GSC-high fifth save of the year.
 
Figueroa and Hamner each posted another 2-for-4 showing in game two, while seven of nine starters for UWF recorded at least one hit. Greene was able to reach base a team-best three times in game two.
 
After a very impressive day, Hamner was able to improve his batting average to a team-best .375 and extend his hitting streak to 13 games after going 4-for-8. Over the course of his 13-game hitting streak, Hamner is hitting an imposing .467 (21-for-45).
 
Greene was able to extend his consecutive games reaching base streak to 22 games, after recording a walk in game one and posting a 1-for-2 showing in game two.
 
Tomorrow's rubber game is slated for a 1:00 p.m. start. JT Granat is expected to get the start for UWF.
 
To stay updated on the UWF baseball team, follow the team on Twitter @UWF_Baseball. For information on all UWF Athletics, visit GoArgos.com.