AMERICUS, Ga. – Augusta State avoided a sweep Monday afternoon with a 12-6 victory over Georgia Southwestern in the finale of a three-game Peach Belt Conference series at Hurricane Field.

With the win, the Jaguars improved to 18-17 overall and 6-6 in the conference, while Georgia Southwestern dropped to 14-22 on the season and 6-9 in the league.

Senior Ben Dukes received the win and earned his fifth win of the season. Dukes gave up four runs on four hits and booked four strikeouts in 7.2 innings of work. Senior Adam Mathis relieved Dukes in eighth and gave up two runs on one hit with one strikeout.

For the Jags, Senior Jorge Virguez paced the team offensively with a 2-for-3 afternoon, with two RBI. Sophomore Alex Sickman was 2-for-4 on the day, while junior Shannon Wilkerson and sophomore Alex Walker each had a hit and two RBI on the day. Senior Tim Rawlings knocked out his second homerun of the season.

Augusta State jumped out early with a run in the top of the first with a single from Kevin Owens scoring Walker. The Jags added three more runs in the second, including two runs from a double from Virguez, scoring Sickman and Dwight Ashe.

Augusta State then had a big seventh inning adding seven runs, including two runs from a double by Walker. Two more runs scored with a single down the left field line from Wilkerson, scoring Walker and Virguez. ASU would go on to defeat The Hurricanes 12-6.

The Jags are back in action tomorrow, March 31, at 3:00 p.m. when they travel to Hartsville, S.C., to take on Coker in a non-conference matchup.