AU baseball wins opener, drops last two at West Georgia

Staff report

A five-run sixth inning and home runs by Harrison Aulds and Jordan Wilkie helped Augusta University defeat West Georgia 11-2 in the Jaguars’ season-opening baseball game on Saturday, Feb. 4, at Cole Field in Carrollton.

But the Wolves won the nightcap Saturday by a 12-5 score and the finale Sunday, Feb. 5, 13-0.

AU (1-2) opened the scoring in the first game on a two-run single by Wilkie in the top of the first inning. Then Aulds slugged a two-run homer with Wilkie aboard to make it 4-0 in the sixth. The Jaguars scored three more in the inning on RBI each by Kyle Lodise and Koby Ayala, as well as a single run on a Wolves’ throwing error.

Augusta scored two more runs in both the eighth and ninth innings to close out its run production for the night.

West Georgia (2-1) got a run in the seventh on two singles, a walk and a wild pitch, and a run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly.

Bernard Mason took the win for AU. He went five innings, striking out five and allowing just four hits.

In Saturday’s nightcap, both teams scored a single run in the first, but the Wolves broke the game open with a four-run third. Wilkie was AU’s leader on offense with two hits and a run scored.

In Sunday’s series finale, both the starting pitchers were stingy, and West Georgia had only a 1-0 lead going to the bottom of the seventh. The Wolves then scored five in the seventh and seven in the eighth to pull away.

JR Fordham allowed just one run on five hits in six innings for the Jaguars. West Georgia used three pitchers, who gave up only five hits.

Augusta will host Erskine (2-1) at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at Jaguar Field. The Fleet took two of three from Lander over the weekend.

Koby Ayala (1) had a hit and two RBI in the Jaguars’ season-opener at West Georgia. At the top of the page, Kyle LaRoche went 3 for 4 with a double in an 11-1 win over the Wolves. (photos by Shelbie Summerlin)