DAHLONEGA – The University of North Georgia (UNG) baseball team rallied from a five-run deficit in the seventh inning to comeback and defeat Georgia College (GCSU) 8-7 in thrilling fashion at Bob Stein Stadium at Lynn Cottrell Park on Saturday.
The Nighthawk (8-5) comeback resulted in a series win over the Bobcats (5-8) after a pair of wins in the first two games Friday and Saturday.
After dominating GCSU 10-2 on Friday, Saturday's chilly showdown favored the Bobcats in the early goings.
GCSU first broke through against UNG sophomore starter
Luke Earnhardt in the third inning with an RBI double from Gabe Wuerth and a productive ground out from Ben Hamacher to make it 2-0.
Redshirt junior
Phillip Ard answered with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning to make it 2-1.
However the Bobcats padded the lead in the fourth inning with an RBI single from Hank Noonan. A wild pitch and another RBI single gave GCSU a 5-1 lead.
The Nighthawks stayed within striking distance in the home half of the frame thanks to the first career home run of freshman second baseman
Jake Prince.
Senior left-handed pitcher
Daniel Courtney relieved Earnhardt in the top of the fourth and stopped the bleeding as he completed 1.2 scoreless innings.
Freshman righty
Chandler Thiel then took over for Courtney in the sixth. Thiel retired the first four batters he faced. However things unraveled in the seventh as a two-out single from Hamacher gave way to a full-count home run from Braeden Smith.
The Bobcat's 7-2 lead on the long ball felt too large to overcome at the time as the potent Nighthawk offense had been largely held in check thus far.
Things changed in the bottom of the seventh however as GCSU freshman reliever Gavin Seitz opened the inning with back-to-back walks.
Brian Lowry was chosen to take the place of Seitz but he too conceded consecutive walks to bring in a run.
At 7-3, the Bobcats made another pitching change to bring in senior reliever Will Sims.
Junior shortstop
Jace Bowen ambushed Sims with an RBI single to left to make it 7-4. GCSU still had yet to record an out in the inning. Against the sixth Nighthawk batter, Ard, the Bobcats finally recorded an out but it came at a price as Ard brought in a run on a sac fly to right.
Sophomore left fielder
Kyle Robitzsch then recorded a productive out as well as his ground ball to short brought in junior center fielder
Andrews Opata. UNG had put up four runs in the inning to make it 7-6 and wasn't done yet.
Redshirt freshman
Nicholas Stinson then stepped to the plate and launched a high-bouncing ball to second base. The shortstop Hamacher charged the ball and fielded it cleanly but lost control on the exchange allowing Stinson to reach and Bowen to score to tie the game.
Prince rode the momentum from his home run in his last at bat as he lined a single to left to keep the at bat going. Stinson advanced into scoring position at second base.
With two outs, senior third baseman
Riley Frost came to bat for the second time in the inning. Frost followed Prince with a line drive single of his own as Stinson charged for home and beat the throw to break the tie. For the first time all day, UNG led 8-7.
Junior pitcher
Ryan Taylor was given the nod from head coach
Tom Cantrell in the eighth inning.
Taylor recorded two quick outs with a strikeout to Matthew Mebane and a fly out from Evan Cowan. He then walked his next two batters to put the tying and go-ahead runs on the basepaths.
Cantrell exited the dugout for a rendezvous on the mound with the infield. It appeared he may eject Taylor and go to the bullpen to get out the inning. Instead, Cantrell patted his pitcher and turned back towards the dugout. He entrusted the junior transfer to get the job done.
Taylor did just that as he struck out pinch hitter Mitch Cowan on three pitches to negate the threat.
Taylor came back out again in the ninth still holding a one-run lead. After getting the first two batters out, he walked Smith to once again put the tying run on base. Taylor kept his cool and forced a soft pop up in foul territory from Carson Phillips that senior catcher
Bryson Stripling snared to end the game and secure the comeback victory.
Taylor was credited with his second save of the season after battling through the eighth and ninth innings to keep GCSU scoreless.
UNG can complete a sweep of the Bobcats tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 23 when it takes the field at Bob Stein Stadium once more to end the series. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
