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No. 17 Saints Rally in 10th to Top Wolves 5-4
DAHLONEGA, GA
– The North Georgia baseball team rallied from a pair of
deficits on Wednesday evening, including a 10th inning run that
sent the Saints to a 5-4 victory over the University of West
Georgia at Bob Stein Stadium in non-conference action.
The Saints sweep the season series from West Georgia, improving to
30-14 on the year, now winners in four of their last five games,
while the Wolves fall to 13-37 on the season.
West Georgia scored the game’s first run in the second inning
off a Mike Markakis single to center field, sending Brandon Mainor
home to give the Wolves’ a 1-0 lead.
UWG added two more runs in the fourth frame with Markakis’
second RBI hit of the game, and Michael Hornsby lifted a sacrifice
fly to left center, sending Michael Hollis racing to the plate
without a throw and stretching the Wolves’ lead to 3-0.
The North Georgia bats finally came alive in the sixth inning with
a trio a runs to knot the score 3-3. Andre Airich led off the
inning with the 70th double of his career, a mark that is now the
best in Peach Belt Conference history. After a single from Anders
Oster, Kenny Bellavance came to the dish and lined a double down
the left field line, sending Airich to the plate and Oster to third
with still nobody out in the inning. Chad Sage and Brad Hall
followed with sacrifice flies later in the frame to cap the
three-run sixth inning.
Both teams put up zeros until the ninth inning when Hornsby drove
in his second run of the game, a two-out seeing-eye single through
the right side, sending Hollis home and giving the Wolves a 3-2
lead with just three outs to get.
With one out in the ninth, Jordan Erisman stepped to the plate and
took the second pitch he saw and planted it halfway up the hill
past the fence in left field to deadlock the score once again, this
time at 4-4.
The Wolves had a chance in the 10th inning to take the lead again
with a runner on third and two outs, but Oster ranged to his left
on a slow grounder and threw on to first where Troy Snitker made
the scoop to send the game to bottom half of the inning still
tied.
In the last of the 10th, Chad Sage led off the frame with a single
up the middle to start the rally, and after Troy Snitker executed a
perfect sacrifice bunt to send Sage to second, Brad Hall came to
dish and ran the count full before lining a single to right field
to score the winning run in a 5-4 victory.
Jacob Rickett (1-0) picked up the win in 2.0 innings of work,
allowing two hits and no runs, while Alex Simmons tossed 5.0
innings, and Michael Patton got the start and lasted 3.0 innings,
allowing three runs on three hits, while walking one.
North Georgia returns to action over the weekend with their final
home games of the 2010 season. The Saints will welcome
Truett-McConnell to town for single games on Friday, Saturday, and
Sunday.
Saturday evening will serve as Senior Day as North Georgia will
recognize 10 graduating players, while the Bob Stein Stadium
dedication will take play on Sunday afternoon.
