CARROLLTON, Ga.--The West Georgia Wolves slipped past the Bellarmine University baseball team 3-2 in the first game of a 4-game series this afternoon at Cole Field.

Starting pitchers Aaron Deatherage (Bellarmine) and Kegan Bailey (West Georgia) locked horns in a pitchers' duel that saw no extra base hits. Two unearned runs by West Georgia in the first inning proved to be the difference. 

West Georgia did manage one earned run off Deatherage when the Wolves plated a run in the fourth. Two singles sandwiched around a sacrifice bunt provided the offensive punch for the home team. Deatherage finished the day giving up just that one earned run in six innings of work.

Bailey, meanwhile, held the Knights scoreless until the top of the ninth. After one-out singles by Braxton Graven and Patrick Brady, the call went to the bullpen and Nick Riganti greeted the new pitcher with a run-scoring single.  A wild pitch allowed Brady to scamper home with Bellarmine's second run and Riganti moved into scoring position. However, the Knights failed to score the tying run and the Wolves held on for the one-run victory.

Bellarmine, which fell to 5-8 on the season,  was held to just six hits on the afternoon.  West Georgia (7-13) registered eight hits on the day.  

The same two teams will faceoff again tomorrow with a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m.

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