April 22, 2009

Game 1 | Game 2

DAHLONEGA, GA – North Georgia College & State University shutout North Greenville 6-0 in game one, before rallying late in game two for an 8-5 victory in the nightcap to sweep a doubleheader from the Crusaders Wednesday evening in non-conference action.

The Saints improve to 29-22 on the season and run their winning streak to a season-high five games. North Greenville falls to 8-34 on the season with the pair of losses.

In game one, Michael Patton (5-3) shut down the Crusaders, allowing just two hits and striking out three in all 7.0 innings of work.

The Saints got all the runs they would need in the third inning as Andre Airich provided a sacrifice fly and Brad Hall followed and launched his second home run in as many days, this time a three-run blast down the left field line to give North Georgia a 4-0 lead.

Chad Sage delivered the final two runs in the fourth and fifth innings, leading off the fourth with a solo home run to left field before the sophomore sent a liner to right field in the fifth to bring Airich home for the final run of the game.

Drew Provence (0-3) went the distance for the Crusaders, but suffered the loss, allowing eight hits and all six runs while striking out three and walking one.

In game two, North Greenville found plenty of base runners early, loading the bases in each of the first two innings but only managing a fielder’s choice by Chris Harbit to plate a run in the first inning.

North Georgia came out in the nightcap and erased a first-inning deficit as Hall and Craig Brisson scored on an error by the first baseman to give the Saints a 2-1 lead. Daniel Petitti followed and drove in another run, doubling off the centerfield fence to bring Zach Bennett home and make it 3-1.

The Crusaders got to within a run in the third inning as Tyler Callicutt led off and sent a liner that just cleared the fence in left field to make it a 3-2 North Georgia lead. In the bottom of the inning, the Saints added two more runs to their lead as Airich doubled and scored on a wild pitch, and Logan Sharrett provided a sacrifice hit to give North Georgia a 5-2 third-inning lead.

North Greenville knotted the game 5-5 in the fourth inning, using Callicutt’s second homer of the game, this time a three-run blast to tie the game heading to fifth inning.

It was all Saints from their, scoring runs on back-to-back bases loaded walks to take a 7-5 lead in the fifth, before Jordan Erisman squared up the second pitch he saw in the sixth inning and sent a liner that just cleared the fence in left to give North Georgia an 8-5 advantage.

Tyler Musslewhite (4-1) picked up the victory in relief, lasting 5.0 innings and allowing three runs on five hits while striking out seven. Garrett Lussi came on to pick up his first save of the season with a perfect ninth inning and broke the North Georgia career record for appearances as the senior took the mound for the 96th time for the Saints.

The Saints return to action on Tuesday, April 28, playing host to the Eagles of Emory University with first pitch set for 7:00 p.m. North Georgia is 9-5 all-time against the Eagles, including taking a 5-2 decision last year in Dahlonega.