OXFORD, Ala. – Cade Easterbrook hit a grand slam and drove in seven to help UWF defeat Auburn Montgomery 13-7 in a winner's bracket game at the 2024 Gulf South Conference Baseball Championship at Choccolocco Park on Saturday.
A day after the second half of the lineup reached base a total of 10 times, Easterbrook's 3-hit day led a power surge in the upper half with the top six Argonauts combining for 12 of the team's 15 hits and all 13 RBI. The top five in the lineup all reached base three times apiece.
UWF (29-20) will face fourth-seeded Valdosta State in another winner's bracket contest on Sunday at 4 p.m. The team's did not meet in 2024 and their last meeting came in the 2023 GSC Championship title game - a 10-8 UWF win in 10 innings.
Kade Mandersheid (8-3) picked up the win after working five innings while allowing seven runs on 12 hits. The bullpen came on and locked the Warhawks down over the final four innings.
Dilan Lawson,
Gabriel Moorer and
Chase Wilkerson combined for three strikeouts while scattering four hits with no runs.
After the Warhawks struck first with a run in the top of the first, the Argos played the smallest of small ball, loading the bases with a walk, hit batter and a bunt. That led to Easterbrook lacing a double down the right field line to clear the bases and put UWF ahead 3-1.
AUM regained the lead an inning later, scoring four runs on five hits.
But again, UWF responded in the home half of the second.
Mike Scordo walked to lead off the inning, moved to second on another successful bunt and then scored on
Trent Jeffcoat's single to right. The Warhawks opted to intentionally walk
Darrien McDowell before
Jadon Fryman walked to load the bases. Easterbook took a 1-0 pitch to the opposite field, sending it over the wall in left center for his fourth home of the season and an 8-5 lead.
The Argos put some distance between the teams in the third with three more runs. Fryman had an RBI single and then
Jackson Grabsky greeted AUM reliever Michael Myers with a single to left that scored Fryman and McDowell.
UWF tacked on two more in the fourth when a 2-run double by Jeffcoat extended the lead to 13-5.
AUM scored a pair on an Ashton Thomas home run in the fifth but that was as close as the No. 2 seed would get as the bullpen shut the offense down.
Grabsky joined Easterbook with three hits, while Jeffcoat and Fryman had two each.
UWF improved to 13-5 all-time in games at Choccolocco Park.
AUM (31-21) had 16 hits with three each from Kacey Clark, Cooper Doughman and Ashton Thomas. Payte Williams (4-5) took the loss after allowing 11 runs on 11 hits in 2.2 innings.
