The South Georgia State College Hawks clinched the second seed in the upcoming Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association tournament on Saturday with a sweep of the East Georgia Bobcats Saturday afternoon in Swainsboro. The Hawks won game one 14-7 and game two 5-0. SGSC has won five in a row.
Jesse Brown continued his hot streak in game one. In Thursday’s 14-4 win over Gordon State, Brown homered twice. He repeated that feat in game one, hitting a grand slam in the third inning to put the Hawks up 4-2. He hit a two-run shot in the sixth to increase the Hawks’ lead to 12-4. Payton Bryant followed suit an inning later, sending the first pitch he saw over the right field fence for a two-run home run of his own.
Brown and Danny Vigille-grant both had four hits. Brown scored three runs and drove in seven. Vigille-grant drove in two and scored three. Brice Marchman and Bryant also had two RBI.
Matt Misiti scattered four hits across five innings, giving up four runs (all earned) and walking four. He earned the win for SGSC. Caleb Allen (1IP, 4H, 3R, 1BB, 1K) and Braxton Brady (1IP, no hits, runs, walks, or strikeouts) also pitched in relief.
Game two saw the Hawks jump out to a 4-0 lead in the first then add a run in the fourth. Vigille-grant walked to lead off the game then advanced to third on a Trae Jones single. Brown came up next; during his at-bat, Vigille-grant scored on a wild pitch and Jones moved to third. Brown doubled, driving in Jones for a 2-0 SGSC lead. Steven Tavares-Batista followed with a home run to center for to put the Hawks up 4-0.
SGSC added a run in the fourth when Vigille-grant singled in Gavin Hamrick with two outs.
Tavares-Batista drove in two. Vigille-grant and Hamrick each stole a base.
Starter Hayden Gmerek continued a string of solid pitching performances that have been a fixture during the Hawks’ five-game winning streak. He threw a complete game shutout, giving up five hits while striking out five and walking four.
SGSC is now 31-22 overall and 13-12 in conference play. The Hawks will enter the conference tournament as a #2 seed. SGSC has two games remaining – a doubleheader at home tomorrow against Georgia Highlands at 2 p.m. and the season final Thursday in Cuthbert against Andrew College.
