Game 1 |Game 2

MILLEDGEVILLE, GA – The 27th-ranked North Georgia baseball team split a doubleheader with the 23rd-ranked GCSU Bobcats on Saturday afternoon, running away with a 12-2 win the opener, but falling 7-0 in the nightcap at john Kurtz Field in Peach Belt Conference action.

The Saints take the series 2-1, moving to 13-6 on the year and 4-2 in Peach Belt Conference action, while the Bobcats manage a victory in the weekend finale, moving to 8-6 overall and 1-2 in league play this season.

In game one, the Saints scored early and often, pushing three runs across in the second inning, before adding five more in the third to take an 8-0 lead. Brad Hall had the dagger in the third inning with his fourth home run of the year, a three-run blast as part of a five-run frame.

The Saints added a pair of runs in each of the last two innings as Jordan Erisman doubled home two runs in the eighth to make it a 10-0 North Georgia lead. Adam Baker then drove home a run in the ninth with a groundout, and Craig Brisson recorded his fifth hit of the day to bring Kenny Bellavance racing home and cap the Saints’ scoring on the day.

The Bobcats scored their only two runs of the game in the eighth inning as a single off the bat of Jason Veyna brought Chandler Snell home to score, and Sean Harrell lifted a sacrifice fly to centerfield, plating the second run of the game for GCSU.

Blake Hobby (3-1) posted another solid performance for the Saints, going 7.0 innings and allowing just three hits and no runs. The sophomore walked four batters while striking out six. Michael Patton came on in relief, tossing 2.0 innings allowing three hits, two runs, both earned, while walking one and fanning four.

In game two, the Saints managed seven hits, but never drove in a run. North Georgia looked strong defensively in the early going, blanking the Bobcats for the first four innings before GCSU rallied for four runs in the fifth frame, and three more in the seventh to come away with the victory.

GCSU’s Matt Pitts had a pair of hits in the game, while Richard Pirkle added two runs batted in, but the story of the game was Paul Bordon who tallied two home runs, including a three-run blast in the seventh to put the game out of reach.

Matt Adams (0-2) suffered the loss for the Saints in the finale, tossing 4.0 innings and allowing four hits and one run while striking out four. The Saints trotted seven other pitchers out to the mound to finish the game as they combined to allow six runs on four hits, while walking seven and striking out four.

Martin Dewald (3-1) pitched a gem for the Bobcats, recording a complete game and allowing seven hits while fanning 10 North Georgia batters and not allowing a walk.

The Saints return to action next weekend, playing host to the Hurricanes of Georgia Southwestern for a three-game series in Dahlonega. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday with first pitch for 1:00 p.m. and return to Bob Stein Stadium on Sunday afternoon at the same time for the series finale.

Game Notes:

• North Georgia snapped GCSU’s seven-game win-streak in the series opener, while the bobcats snap the Saints five-game win-streak in the series finale.

• The Saints are shutout for the first time this season, with their previous low in runs coming in a 4-1 loss at Stillman.

• North Georgia has yet to sweep a doubleheader this season, splitting four times and dropping both games once.

• Brisson recorded his first five-hit game of the year in the opener, and added a single hit in the nightcap to extend his current hitting streak to seven games. He has raised his batting average 94 points in the last six games.

• Hall’s three RBI in the first game of the doubleheader gave him a team-leading 10 multi-RBI games.