PENSACOLA, Fla.  – Jarrod Petree threw seven dominant innings to lead the University of West Florida baseball team to a series-opening 4-0 win before a 10-run first-inning explosion in the nightcap propelled UWF to a 12-2 win in the tail-end of Sunday's twin bill against Christian Brothers.
 
The Argos, now winners of nine in a row, now have sole possession of second place in the Gulf South Conference with an 11-6 league record and will aim for a win tomorrow to be just one game back of Delta State (13-5) for first place in the conference standings.
 
West Florida 4, Christian Brothers 0
 
On the back of Jarrod Petree, the Argonauts posted their second shutout of the season with a 4-0 win over CBU in the first half of Saturday's doubleheader. Petree improved to 4-1 after throwing seven innings of shutout baseball.
 
Petree struck out four and allowed just four hits and one walk in his performance on Sunday. From the start of the third inning into the seventh inning, Petree retired 13 of 14 batters and allowed just one softly batted infield hit during that stretch.
 
The Argos were able to generate some run support for Petree in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Justin Ambrosino drove in Matt Sullivan on an infield single, and in the next at bat, Colby Brown as able to cross the plate on a Peyton Sandelrin wild pitch.
 
The Argos followed that with a Robert Lopez RBI single in the sixth. UWF capped its scoring in the game with Nick Kerkmann driving in Brandon Harmon with a single in the left-centerfield gap.
 
Brian Browning came on in relief of Petree, and to no surprise of Argonaut fans, Browning continued the dominance he has become familiar with since moving to the bullpen. The southpaw tossed two innings of hitless relief and struck out three Bucs while walking none. He also extended his scoreless inning streak to 12.1 and has now kept teams hitless in eight of his 10 relief appearances this season.
 
Eight of nine UWF starters in the lineup recorded at least one hit, and the team was led by Harmon who posted a 3-for-4 effort.
 
West Florida 12, Christian Brothers 2
 
West Florida posted a mammoth first-inning offensive performance, scoring 10 runs for the program's first 10-run first inning performance since March 6, 2013, when the team did so against Miles in an 18-3 win against the Golden Bears.
 
That 10-run inning was fueled by a three-run home run by Ladeavon Matthews – his fourth of the year -- and a 2-RBI double by Justin Ambrosino.
 
Brandon Harmon tacked on UWF's first run of the game on CBU starter Patrick Gurley's third pitch of the day with a RBI single scoring Chase Kiefer.
 
Harmon recorded his second RBI of the game with a double in the right-centerfield gap. Tanner Halstead also contributed a RBI in the frame and the scoring was capped with a Nick Kerkmann RBI triple.
 
Gurley, who was chased before he was able to record an out, was tagged four six runs and four hits. Matthew Mills came on in relief for CBU and surrendered six runs on six hits in an inning and a third.
 
Harmon followed his 2-RBI first inning with a 2-RBI second inning, scoring both Tanner Halstead and Robert Lopez on a single to center field.
 
Trace Penton earned his second win of the season with a four-inning performance and allowed just two runs in his outing on a second-inning CBU home run. Penton finished his outing with just four hits and two runs allowed while striking out five and walking two.
 
Walker O'Connor looked sharp and earned a three-inning save after closing the game with three scoreless frames. O'Connor allowed just three hits while fanning four and walking one and was able to finish the game by striking out the side in order in the top of the seventh.
 
West Florida had five players with multi-hit performances, including Harmon who went 3-for-4 for the second consecutive game. Ladeavon Matthews, Tanner Halstead, Michael Savas and Casey Crawford all posted two hits apiece in the win.  
 
UWF looks for its 10^th consecutive win and second consecutive GSC sweep tomorrow in the series finale with Christian Brothers at 1:00 p.m.
 
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