WADLEY, Ala. – Gordon State Baseball's Kent Rollins picked up his first career win as a college head coach as the Highlanders split a doubleheader with Southern Union State Community College here Friday.
GSC (1-2) dropped the opener 3-0, but came back in the second game with a 4-2 victory.
In the opener, SUSCC plated single runs in the second and fifth innings and added two more in the fourth to secure the four-run win.
"We couldn't get going offensively," Rollins said. "Their guy on the mound did a good job of keeping us at bay."
GSC managed just two hits in the seven-inning game – one each for Cole Phillips (Trion, Ga. / Trion HS) and Brody Parkerson (Villa Rica, Ga. / Bremen HS) – and the Highlanders also struck out 14 times and did not draw a walk in 24 official at-bats.
Davis Swenson (Toccoa, Ga. / Stephens County HS) took the tough-luck loss for GSC despite going 2.2 innings and allowing just one run on one hit while striking out four and walking one.
In the nightcap, GSC never trailed and used a four-run fifth inning to pick up the win.
GSC added solo runs in the first and sixth, which sandwiched the big outburst in the fifth for the Highlanders.
Shortstop Will McCrum (Kennesaw, Ga. / Kennesaw Mountain HS) went 1-for-4 with three RBI while Carson Renz (Dacula, Ga. / Mill Creek HS), Brooks Gorman (Macon, Ga. / Tattnall Square Academy) and Trevor Knowles (Folkston, Ga. / Charlton County HS) each had an RBI for the GSC offensive attack.
Renz and Gorman also each walked twice while Gorman scored twice for GSC.
Trey Felt (Lawrenceville, Ga. / Prince Avenue Christian) got the win for GSC by going 4.2 innings and allowed one run on one hit while striking out six and walking one.
"Trey Felt did an unbelievable job on the mound," Rollins said. "We also barreled balls early and got out to a lead. Renz had a big RBI double in the first to set the tone of the game."
SUSCC rallied in the bottom of the sixth with three runs to cut the GSC lead to 6-4, but Cory Sheider (St. Augustine, Fla. / Nease HS) came on to work a scoreless seventh inning with a strikeout to get the save and preserve the win.
"It feels good to get the first (win) out of the way," Rollins said.
GSC is back in action on Tuesday as the Highlanders take on Chipola College in Marianna, Fla., with the first pitch of the doubleheader scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.
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The Gordon State College Department of Athletics is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA). Gordon State College competes in NJCAA Division I in the sports of Women's Soccer (Fall), Men's Basketball (Fall/Spring), Softball (Spring) and Baseball (Spring). Gordon State College is located in Barnesville, Ga., approximately 60 miles south of Atlanta and 35 miles northwest of Macon. Gordon State College offers both two-year and four-year degree programs and believes that our Athletics program provides student-athletes with the opportunity to be successful academically, athletically and in life after their time as a Highlander. Follow GSC Athletics at www.gscathletics.com, on Facebook (@GordonStateCollege #GSCHighlandersForward), on Twitter (@GordonState) and Instagram (gordon_state).