THOMASVILLE, N.C. | After 17 frames of scoreless baseball, the top-seeded Catawba Indians scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning to advance to the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship and end the University of North Georgia's 2015 season. The Nighthawks end the year with a 38-17 record, the second-most wins in a season since the school joined the NCAA.
 
The pitcher's duel came to a heartbreaking end in the ninth inning. Dylan Peppers allowed just his second walk of the game to lead off the inning, which was followed by a base hit to right by Southeast Region Player of the Year, Will Albertson off reliever Taylor Keinat.

With runners on the corners, the Nighthawks issued an intentional passto set up a force play at the plate. North Georgia would never get a chance to make a play though as a wild pitch brought home pinch runner Emmitt Carden to score the only run of the game and punch Catawba's ticket to Cary, N.C.
 
North Georgia's best scoring opportunity came in the top of the third inning when back-to-back singles by Sam Tidaback and Devin Gearhart put two on with just one out, but the rally quickly came to an end as Joey Cecere grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to retire the side.

Each team had only eight base runners in the game with Catawba getting three in the ninth.

One of the biggest plays came in the eighth when Sam Tidaback sliced a liner down the right field line, but was erased at second on a perfect throw by the Indian righfielder. The last base runner for the Nighthawks came in the ninth on an infield single by Tremayne Toorie.  He was doubled off on a line drive to third then Catawba won it in the ninth

Ryan McClintock (5-0) picked up the win in relief for the Indians tossing the final 1.1 innings facing the minimum of four batters with the help of a double play after allowing one hit in the eighth.
 
Peppers (7-3) got the tough-luck loss after pitching one of his best games of the season. The Good Hope, Ga., native scattered four hits in his 8.0 innings pitched with five strikeouts and just two walks.

Tidaback picked up two of the four Nighthawks hits.

2015 Southeast Region All-Tournament Team
1B - Chance Bowden, Catawba
2B - Joey Cecere, North Georgia
3B - Devin Gearhart, North Georgia
SS - Connor Hoover, North Georgia
C - Will Albertson, Catawba
OF - Bill Krebs, Wingate
OF - Jason Morozowski, Mount Olive
OF - Austin Stilley, Catawba
DH - Travis Naraine, North Georgia
P - Jimmy Doolittle, Wingate
P - Gunner Kines, Mount Olive
MOP - Will Albertson, Catawba