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Hawks Open Season 2-0 with Double-header Sweep of Cleveland State

Hawks Open Season 2-0 with Double-header Sweep of Cleveland State
Submitted by Robert Preston, Douglas Now

Baseball season has arrived and so far, it’s been a winning 2026. The South Georgia State College Hawks opened the season last Friday with a double-header at home against the Cleveland State Community College Cougars. The Hawks won game one 6-3 then rallied from an 8-1 deficit to take game two 10-8.

SGSC jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Brice Marchman hit a two-strike offering out to left for a three-run home run.

The Hawks added two in the second and one in the third to go up 6-1.

The Cougars plated two in the sixth to cut the advantage in half.

Starter Luke Smith earned the win with a four-inning, one-unearned run outing. SGSC’s third pitcher of the day, Carson Ward, picked up the save in two innings of work. He gave up a hit and struck out two.

Marchman was 2-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Tanner Langley, Daniel Vigillegrant, and Brandon Musick also had hits for the Hawks.

Payton Bryant, Trae Jones, Musick, and Langley drove in runs as well.

In game two, the Hawks found themselves trailing 8-1 in the fourth and the prospect of a run-rule loss a very real possibility. Then the bats woke up.

Braxton Brady, Diego Gonzalez, and Bryant led off the fifth with singles to load the bases. Langley doubled, scoring Brady and Gonzalez. Jones added another single, driving in Bryant and Langley to cut the lead to 8-5. Jesse Brown singled to left to put two runners on. Cole Rambler loaded the bases when he was hit by a pitch. Marchman drove in Jones when he singled. However, Brown was thrown out at home for the second out of the inning. Later in the inning, Rambler got the Hawks to within one when he scored on a passed ball.

After retiring the Cougars in order in the top of the sixth, the Hawks picked up where they left off an inning before. Bryant led off with a single then, with one out, Langley walked. Jones battled the Cougars’

Cade Batchlor for six pitches before tripling to center on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, scoring Bryant and Langley to give SGSC a 9-8 lead.

Brown followed with a double to score Jones for the Hawks’ final run of the game.

SGSC used five pitchers on the day; Dylan Huntley, the fourth hurler to take the mound, got the win. He lasted two innings, striking out one and walking one. Hayden Gmerek recorded the save with an inning of work.

Bryant was 2-2 with two runs scored. Brown was 3-4 with an RBI. Jones was 2-4 with two runs scored and four RBI. Langley also drove in three.

Gonzalez scored twice as well.

On Tuesday, January 27, 2026, the Hawks traveled to Gainesville, Fla., for a noon double-header against Santa Fe College.