Rome, GA – Southern Wesleyan dropped the final two games of the series against the Shorter Hawks on Saturday afternoon.  The Warriors fell 9-8 in game one and then dropped game two 19-5.

The Warriors totaled nine hits in the first game with Jack Dennison leading the team with three.  Both Josh Long and Caide Linker had two hits.  Both Dennison and Linker recorded their first home runs of the season.  Linker picked up four RBIs and Dennison had three.  Southern Wesleyan walked twice and Gage Shaver was hit by a pitch.  Jaylen Morgan started game one of the day on the mound and pitched 3.2 innings while striking out three.  Bryce Metts closed the game out and pitched three innings while striking out four.

Southern Wesleyan picked up 13 hits in game two of the afternoon.  Marty Grisso hit a home run and a double, and Gage Shaver hit his second triple of 2025.  Grisso led the team with two RBIs.  The Warriors walked three times and Griffin Pickhardt had a stolen base.  Lukas Arvantides started game two on the mound and pitched three innings while striking out two batters.  Five Warriors came in to pitch in relief.  Adrian Abad and Logan Brazell each struck out three batters.

Game Vitals

Game One Final: Shorter 9, Southern Wesleyan 8

Game Two Final: Shorter 19, Southern Wesleyan 5

Records: Southern Wesleyan (3-16) Shorter (12-5)

How It Happened

Game One

Shorter came out quickly in game one as Brodie hit a three run home run down the right field line in the bottom of the first.

Southern Wesleyan answered in the top of the second inning.  With one out, Jack Dennison hit a single down the right field line and then advanced to second when Jarrett Whitley walked.  Caide Linker came up to the plate and sent the ball over the right center field wall for his first home run of the season to bring both runners in and tie the game up 3-3.

The Hawks countered in the bottom of the second inning as a single by Schroeder IV allowed two more runs to come in to score.

In the top of the third, the Warriors went on the offensive again.  With two outs, Gage Shaver hit a single through the right side.  Shaver advanced to third as Josh Long sent the ball down the right field line for a single.  With runners on the corners, Jack Dennison singled to left field to bring Shaver in to score.

However, Shorter extended their lead further in the bottom of the fourth inning as a sacrifice fly out by Jefferies and then a home run by Fincher brought two more runs in to score.

Jack Dennison led off the top of the sixth inning for the Warriors by sending the ball over the right field fence for his first home run of the 2025 campaign.  The Warriors were not done in the inning as with one out, Caide Linker singled and then advanced to second on a single by Harrison Garrett.  An error off a failed pick-off attempt allowed Linker to come in to score to put Southern Wesleyan right back within two runs of Shorter.

Southern Wesleyan tied the game up in the top of the seventh inning.  Marty Grisso led off the inning by reaching first on a walk.  Grisso advanced to second when Gage Shaver was hit by a pitch.  Josh Long laid down a bunt single to load up the bases and bring Jack Dennison up to the plate.  Dennison hit into a fielder's choice that took Long off the bases, but allowed Grisso to come in to score.  With two outs, Caide Linker reached first on an error, but Shaver was able to come in to score on the play to tie the game up 8-8.

However, in the bottom of the seventh inning, a wild pitch allowed Brodie to score to give the Hawks a 9-8 run victory.

Game Two

The Warriors struck first in game two of the day.  With two outs, Gage Shaver came up to the plate and tripled down the right field line.  Shaver pushed on as an error by the right fielder on the play allowed him to come in to score.

However, in the bottom of the first inning home runs by Fincher, Zawacki and Clark allowed the Hawks to take a 4-1 run lead.

Southern Wesleyan battled back in the top of the third inning.  With one out, Jack Dennison hit a single to the short stop.  Marty Grisso came up to the plate and sent the ball over the left field wall for a two run home run to put the Warriors right back within one run of Shorter.

Shorter attacked the plate once again in the bottom of the third inning as a home run by Brodie and then a hit by Saccullo allowed them to extend their lead to 6-3.

In the top of the fourth inning the Warriors plated another run.  With two outs, Cam Mitchem hit a single through the left side of the field and then advanced to second on a wild pitch.  Niko Laing singled to right field to allow Mitchem to advance to third base.  With runners on the corners, Ryan Postnieks sent the ball to first for a single that brought Mitchem in to score.

The Hawks brought more runs in to score in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth innings to extend on their lead.

The Warriors were able to bring one more run in to score in the top of the ninth inning.  Jonathan Overton led off the inning by being walked, but was then taken off the bases as Ethan Jarvis hit into a fielder's choice.  With two outs, Vincent Angle walked to put two runners on.  Luke Taylor hit a single to center field to bring in the Warriors fifth run of the game.  However, the Warriors fell to the Hawks 19-5.

What's Next

Southern Wesleyan will return to Central, SC on March 4 as they host the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears at 5pm.  They will then host the Chowan Hawks on March 7-8.  The Warriors will travel to Hickory, NC to take on the Bears of Lenoir-Rhyne for the second time this season on March 11.