Things started off so well for the South Georgia State College Hawks. After winning two in a row against Tennessee’s Cleveland State Community College to start the season 2-0, the Hawks spent the next five games in Florida playing Santa Fe College and St. Johns River State College. The outcome: 0-5 in the Sunshine State and a 2-5 overall record on the young season.
Sunday afternoon, the Hawks traveled to Palatka to face the Vikings. The game started off well for SGSC. The Hawks jumped out to an 11-6 lead after four innings. Two innings later, SGSC still held a 13-9 advantage.
Then the Vikings flipped the script, scoring seven in the bottom of the seventh and two in the bottom of the eighth. The Hawks, meanwhile, managed just one more run in the top of the eighth. St Johns River came away with an 18-14 win, handing SGSC its fifth consecutive loss in the process.
Talon Daignault went 4-5 with four RBI and four runs scored. He doubled and homered as well. Danny Vigille-Grant also homered enroute to a 2-4, three-run day. Jesse Brown had two hits while Payton Bryant had a hit, two walks, and scored three times.
The Hawks ran through eight pitchers in Palatka, with no one going more than two innings. Blake Hughes, the sixth pitcher of the day, took the loss.
Last Tuesday, the Hawks lost a double-header 8-6 and 6-3 to Santa Fe. Friday, the Vikings came to Douglas for a double-header at SGSC. St. Johns River won those games 8-3 and 14-2.
The Hawks are at home for their next four games – a Tuesday double-header against Florida State College at Jacksonville then a Saturday double-header against the College of Central Florida. Tuesday’s games begin at 2 p.m. while the Saturday tilt starts at noon.
