CARROLLTON, Ga. –  It was only fitting that the University of West Florida baseball team earned a hard-fought 7-6 decision in its 2017 series opener with West Georgia.
 
The Wolves, who ended UWF's 2016 season with a 7-6 win in the NCAA South Regional, fell victim on Saturday after an 11^th-inning solo home run off the bat of Ladeavon Matthews.
 
Matthews, a Douglasville native – located about a half hour from Carrollton – fueled the Argos lineup with two home runs and three RBI. It was Matthews' first career multi-home run game.
 
"I thought we came out with a lot of intensity, especially with that three-run first inning," said head coach Mike Jeffcoat. "Ladeavon had a huge day for us. Obviously that homer there in the 11^th to take the lead was the big moment."
 
Matthews' first home run of the day – a two-run shot – capped the three-run first inning for UWF. The Argonauts added a run in the third with Chase Kiefer scoring on a wild pitch after hitting a double earlier in the frame.
 
UWG (10-13, 4-9 GSC) recorded a two-run RBI in bottom of the fourth to cut UWF's lead in half at 4-2. The Argonauts were quick to make that up however, with Nic Strasser's RBI single and Michael Savas' hustle infield single later plating Strasser to give UWF a 6-2 lead.
 
UWG posted two runs in the fifth before hitting a game-changing two-run home run in the eighth.
 
UWF (14-10, 7-6 GSC) starter Jarrod Petree went 7.1 innings and allowed six runs on 10 hits while striking out a season-high seven. Petree had retired 10 of his previous 12 batters before allowing the game-tying two-run home run.
 
"I thought Petree had a good day for us. He just had a couple of those two-run innings where they got the leadoff man on. He made just that one mistake on that two-run homer," said Jeffcoat.
 
Brian Browning stretched his scoreless inning streak to 10.2 consecutive innings with 3.2 of lights-out action on the mound in relief of Petree.
 
Browning struck out the side in order in the ninth to sway the momentum in UWF's favor heading into extra innings. He finished his outing with six strikeouts, no walks and just two hits allowed. Browning owns a 0.57 ERA and .040 opponent batting average since joining the bullpen on Feb. 15.
 
Matthews' go-ahead home run in the 11^th possibly would not have come to fruition without a Brandon Harmon, full-extension, highlight-reel catch in the left-center field gap in the 10^th inning. The Argos flashed more leather in the inning, with Chase Kiefer stopping a hard-hit grounder at third base to end the bottom of the 10^th.
 
"I pointed out to the team how important that diving catch Harmon made was and then Kiefer making the back-handed stab there to end the inning. Everyone contributed, we had great energy, the pitchers picked everybody up and we got to come back out and do that tomorrow," said Jeffcoat.

Other notable offensive performances include Kiefer, who posted a pair of extra-base hits in a 2-for-5 showing, and Nic Strasser who went 3-for-5 with a double and run scored.
 
The Argos and Wolves conclude tomorrow's series with a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. UWF is scheduled to send Trace Penton to the mound for his first collegiate start before Jared Gonzalez is on the mound for the series finale.