ROME -- The Hawks split the series opening doubleheader with West Georgia Saturday afternoon; falling in the opener 12-7, before taking the finale 7-4.

Shorter improves to 17-15 on the season and 7-13 in the Gulf South Conference; while the Wolves move to 12-19 overall and 5-15 in the GSC.

After falling behind 3-0, the Hawks rallied in the fifth for four runs to take a 4-3 lead. Shorter's first run of the game came as Bailey Gerstner scored on a single from Blaze Vazguez. Then, Jack Leech delivered a three-run homerun to put his team ahead by one.

The Wolves answered with nine runs over the next three innings to take a 12-4 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning; where the Hawks tallied two on triple from Luis Acevedo. Shorter added a final run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly from Ty Cherry for the 12-7 score.

Banks Woodley took the loss, allowing four runs on three hits with a walk and a strikeout through one inning of work. Jacob Ramos made the start, lasting six innings; allowing three runs – two earned on four hits with four walks and seven strikeouts.

William Winslow and Isaiah Maddela each finished the game with two hits.  

In game two the Hawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning as Leech tallied a 2-run single to plate Cherry and Vazquez. Before adding five runs in the second to make it a 7-0 game. The first run of the inning came on a bases loaded walk to a Winslow. Vazquez, Cherry and Leech then delivered consecutive RBI hits, and Maddela brought in Cherry on a sacrifice fly.

The Wolves countered with three in the third to make it a 7-3 game and added a final run in the seventh for the 7-4 score.

Jerry Liang earned the win, allowing four runs – three earned on ten hits with a walk and two strikeouts through 6.2 innings of work. While, Jonathan Pintaro recorded the final out for Shorter with a strikeout.

Vazquez, Cherry, Leech and Sanderson all finished with two hits for the game.

Shorter will look to earn the series win Sunday afternoon with a 1:00pm start.