North Georgia finishes remarkable postseason run
MOUNT OLIVE, NC - North Georgia College & State University saw their season come to an end Friday evening at the NCAA South Atlantic Regional with a 6-2 defeat at the hands of the #1 team in the nation in Mount Olive College.
Mount Olive (51-5), which was the designated
visiting team, took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as each of
the Trojans' first three batters reached base. David Cooper drew a
leadoff walk, went to second when Jesse Lancaster was hit by a
pitch and scored on Alex Vertcnik's opposite-field single through
the left side. North Georgia shortstop Anders Oster made a leaping
grab and Jason Sherrer's high hopper to turn a potential rbi-single
into a 6-4-3 double play. Saints starter Michael Patton (7-3) got
out of the jam with a strikeout.
Cooper scored the Trojans' second run of the game in the top of
the third after reaching on a bunt pop-up that landed beyond the
pitcher's mound between first and second. Cooper advanced to third
on a single by Lancaster and scored when Lancaster induced a
rundown.
Schlecht (13-0) retired the first two batters in the bottom of the
third before North Georgia loaded the bases on consecutive singles
by Logan Sharrett and Rob Flanigan and a walk to Andre Airich. But
Schlecht escaped on a force at second. In the bottom of the fourth
and a runner on first with nobody out, Trojan centerfielder Josh
Harrison robbed Petitti of an extra-base hit with a long running
catch in the gap in left-center.
The Trojans made it 3-0 when Lovett led off the fourth with a
towering opposite-field home run over the left field fence. The
home run was Lovett's 15th of the season and 37th of his
career.
North Georgia (41-21) got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the
fifth when Craig Brisson was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning
and stole second with two outs. Brisson came home on Airich's line
single to center to pull the Saints within 3-1.
Schlecht finished the fifth inning with a strikeout and performed
a statistical oddity by striking out all four batters he faced in
the sixth inning. Daniel Petitti reached on a third-strike passed
ball. Schlecht pitched a three up-three down inning in the seventh
and retired the side in order on five pitches in the eighth.
Mount Olive added a run in the top of the seventh as Anthony
Williams led off with a single and went to second on Cooper's
sacrifice. After left-handed batter Vertcnik was intentionally
walked with two outs, Jason Sherrer drove the first pitch down the
left field line for a single to plate Williams and extend the
Trojans' lead to 4-1.
Racobaldo singled to lead off the eighth and Holton drove a pitch
to the wall in right-center for his fifth triple of the season to
make the score 5-1. Holton scored on Williams' single to left.
North Georgia put runners on first and with nobody out in the top
of the ninth as Petitti reached on an error and Oster singled to
right-center. After Schlecht recorded his ninth strikeout of the
game, Petitti scored an unearned run on a force out. The game ended
on a line out to Vertcnik in right on Schlecht's 126th pitch.
The win moves Schlecht back into a first-place tie in victories
with Columbus State pitcher Korey Noles, who also improved to 13-0
in the Cougars' first-round win Thursday.
Post-Game Comments
"I'm very proud of our team's accomplishments this year. We were
18-16 and won 23 of 26 to get here. I think we made a statement in
our first eligible year in the NCAA Tournament."
North Georgia head coach Tom Cantrell.