ALBANY, Ga. – UWF baseball (17-9, 8-3 GSC) made it 12 wins in the last 13 games with a 15-10 slugfest victory at Albany State (9-10, 1-1 SIAC) Tuesday. The Argos got a combined nine RBIs from Nic Strasser and Nick Kerkmann and hung on after building a large early lead in support of starter Hunter Lucas.
"I just think we've finally found some continuity in the lineup, getting guys in the right places and them understanding each other and what they need to do to follow each other up and build off each other's strengths and weaknesses, " said UWF head coach Mike Jeffcoat. The game was the third in the last four in which the Argos have compiled at least 16 hits. The team has compiled at least 10 hits in 12 of the last 14 games.
West Florida got out to an early lead in the first, scoring three times vs. ASU starter Brandon Pearson (0-1). Kerkmann got the scoring going with a solo home run, his third of the season. Matthew Jones and Matthew Estrada also picked up RBIs in the first, and UWF scored all three runs with two outs.
Kerkmann and Joey Bend would each pick up an RBI in the second to make it five straight runs for UWF to start the game. The team would build a lead as large as 9-2 in the fourth, when Strasser went deep for his seventh homer of the year and Matt Sullivan picked up two RBIs on a double.
Lucas allowed two runs in the third, two runs in the fourth and two two-out runs in the fifth before exiting the game. The freshman southpaw scattered eight hits and struck out four in moving to 2-1 on the season.
"He showed poise," Jeffcoat said of Lucas. "The wind was blowing straight out, so it was blowing straight in the pitcher's face. It was hard to balance up out there, but I thought he did a fine job to keep us in it. Sometimes it's tough pitching with a big lead like that. They have some guys in the middle of their order who can swing the bats. That's why they took two of three from Tampa a week or so ago."
The Golden Rams tagged reliever Trace Penton for three runs in the sixth to tighten the game at 11-9. But once again it was Strasser and Kerkmann delivering down the stretch. Strasser, who finished with a season-best five total RBIs, doubled to bring home Mason Dinesen in the seventh before combining with Kerkmann for three driven in in the ninth to put the game out of reach.
Dinesen finished the contest with three hits and three runs scored. Brandon Harmon, Matthew Estrada, and Matthew Jones, like Kerkmann, finished with two hits. Dinesen and Jacob Silverstein each scored three runs.
"You talk about all the run production at the top of the order, but a lot of it has to do with the bottom of the order," said Jeffcoat. "Mason Dinesen had a great night tonight. Silverstein had a productive night, Estrada had a productive night. 7-8-9 were guys getting on base for those top of the order guys.
Whitt Davis allowed just two hits and one run (one earned) over the final 2.1 innings to earn his first save. He struck out three.
"Tonight I thought he had some of his best stuff," Jeffcoat said about Davis. "He had good velocity, sharp break on his breaking ball, and he gave us exactly what we needed to hold them right there and open the lead back up."
The Argos and Golden Rams meet again tomorrow to close the series. The Argos are expected to give Jared Gonzalez his first start of the season.
"We need the senior to come out and hopefully give us five quality innings to get us out of the gate," Jeffcoat said of his expectations for Gonzalez, who started seven games in 2017. "It was a good road victory tonight. Hopefully we can finish it up tomorrow."
First pitch is slated for 2:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. CT.
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