5-11-16

FLORENCE, S.C. | The University of North Georgia baseball team used a late run to knock off the top-seeded Columbus State Cougars, 7-6, in the first game of the Peach Belt Conference tournament Wednesday afternoon. With the win, the Nighthawks are now 1-0 in Pool A play and improve to 31-19 overall.

North Georgia jumped on the scoreboard early, putting up two runs in the top of the first. After a leadoff double by Devin Gearhart and a walk to Joshua Profit, Sam Tidaback drove in the game’s first run on a sacrifice fly. One batter later,Trevor Sams brought home Profit to put UNG ahead, 2-0.

Columbus State responded in the bottom half of the inning with three runs, highlighted by a two-run homer by Christian Miller that put the Cougars up, 3-2.

The Nighthawks would answer the Cougar rally with more runs in the second inning. After a Conner Corbitt leadoff triple,Erick Delgado tied the game with a RBI single and then scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch moments later. Tidaback added a third UNG run on a RBI double to the wall in left center to put UNG back on top, 5-3. North Georgia scored one more run after chasing Cougar starter Brandon Koehler with one out in the inning on a Steven Tomlinsonsingle that gave the Nighthawks a 6-3 lead.

The Cougars would claw back into the contest starting in the fourth with a leadoff homer from Hunter Bowling. Three batters later, CSU brought home another run to cut the lead to one, 6-5, before leaving two runners on base in the inning.

After 3.5 quiet innings, the Cougars tied the game in the eighth on a Mike McClellan RBI single to center. The Cougars tried to take the lead on the play, but Ryan Ihle got caught in a rundown between third and home and was retired to end the inning with a 6-6 tie.

The Nighthawks scored the game-winning run in the top of the ninth. UNG loaded the bases with one out and Gearhart came across home plate on a wild pitch that gave North Georgia the 7-6 lead. Jacob Jones and Zach Verner combined to finish the game in the ninth, retiring three of the final four batters.

NOTES
– This was the second time the Cougars and Nighthawks have met in the PBC tournament. The first was in 2008 when UNG defeated the regular season champion Cougars, 5-3, on the way to the tournament title.

– Jones (3-1) got the win in an inning of relief. Brandon Agar threw the first 7.1 innings, giving up six runs off 13 hits but stranding eight Cougars on base. Verner earned his fourth save of the year as he retired his two batters faced.

– Gearhart led the Nighthawks at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Tidaback was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored.

NEXT UP
North Georgia will take on fourth-seeded Georgia College tomorrow at 3 p.m. in Pool A action.
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