BLUFFTON, S.C. – The University of North Georgia (UNG) baseball team came away with an 11-5 victory at USC Beaufort (USCB) in a 12-inning thriller against the Sand Sharks on Friday night.
Despite giving up a four-run lead late in the game, UNG (16-8, 6-1 Peach Belt) scored three runs in the top of the 12th inning to escape the grasp of USCB (3-22, 1-9 Peach Belt) and avoid an upset loss.
The scoring started in the third inning on Friday after an RBI double from senior third baseman
Riley Frost and a two-run single from senior outfielder
Edwin Bowman IV.
The Sand Sharks finally got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning as they put together a four-run frame to take their first lead of the weekend at 4-3.
The score would remain 4-3 until a double down the right-field line from senior second baseman
Brady Skipper tied the game in the top of the seventh.
A few batters later, junior center fielder
Andrews Opata scorched a ball into left field as two more runs scored to make it 6-4.
Junior shortstop
Jace Bowen then appeared to complete UNG's scoring with a two-RBI single of his own.
It looked as if UNG was going to hang on for the late victory until the Sand Sharks miraculously scratched across four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to tie the game at 8-8.
Both pitching staffs completely shut down the offenses they faced in extra innings as neither team recorded a hit until the bottom of the 11th. It wouldn't be until the top of the 12th that either side would score a run. That finally happened when a walk, single and bunt single loaded the bases with nobody out for redshirt junior first baseman
Phillip Ard.
Before Ard could even do any damage, USCB shot itself in the foot with a wild pitch that brought in the go-ahead run. The Nighthawks got another run in that same at bat on a sacrifice fly to left from Ard. Finally, senior outfielder Jorge Arisupuro slashed a double into left field for an RBI as Bowen scored to complete the inning.
UNG senior relief pitcher
Daniel Courtney then struck out three of the final four batters in the bottom of the 12th to hang on for the Nighthawk win.
Now UNG gets ready to complete the series against the Sand Sharks on Saturday, March 15 with a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. The series was originally scheduled to conclude on Sunday but impending inclement weather in Bluffton, S.C. forced a schedule change on Friday.
