by Tyler Peck, sports information graduate assistant
>>>boxscore game one
>>>boxscore game
two
COLUMBUS, Ga.
– The Georgia College & State University
baseball team (14-8, 7-2 PBC) took both games against No. 5
Columbus State University (22-5, 3-3 PBC) Saturday to complete the
three-game sweep of their Peach Belt Conference (PBC) nemesis.
Georgia College won game one 12-7 and squeaked by 4-3 in game two
against the Bobcats' highest ranked opponents of the season
thus far.
Second baseman Jason
Veyna (Lamar,
Colo.) led his team batting
4-for-4 in the first game as the Bobcats rolled to a 12-7 win.
Senior Matt Pitts
(Brunswick,
Ga.) hit a two-run home run with
two outs in the sixth inning, giving the Bobcats their first lead
of the game at 6-5. The first baseman hit 2-for-6 with two RBI and
two runs scored. Junior outfielder Shawn Ward
(Martinez,
Ga.) also hit a two-run round
tripper in game one, serving as insurance runs for the 'Cats.
Ward finished the game with two RBI and a run scored.
Columbus State scored three runs in the bottom of the first to
take the 3-1 lead. Jason
Nicholas (Wright
City,
Mo.) came in to start the second
inning and allowed just four runs over the next eight frames. The
junior lefty (1-1) got his first win as a Bobcat while he
didn't allow a walk, struck out nine and sat the down the
side twice.
Georgia College scored a run in each of the last three innings
to squeak past CSU and claim the 4-3 victory to complete the
three-game sweep.
The Cougars scored two runs in the bottom of the first to go
ahead 2-0.
The Bobcats recorded their first run in the fifth when
centerfielder Sean
Harrell (Martinez,
Ga.) hit a sacrifice fly to right
field to knock in third baseman Brett
George (Dacula,
Ga.).
Columbus State went up 3-1 when Jason Rogers scored on an error.
However, the Bobcats scored in final three innings to get the
win. In the seventh, Allen hit a solo dinger to get the score to
3-2. Senior Andrew Evans
(Milledgeville,
Ga.) hit a pinch-hit single and
then stole second to get in scoring position. Shortstop ChandlerSnell
(Loganville,
Ga.) drove in Evans for the tying
run. In the top of the ninth with the game still knotted 3-3,
Harrell had a one-out walk, taking second on a Pitts single. Next
up, Ward plated the winning run with single of his own, scoring
Harrell from second.
Senior Martin Dewald
(Mannheim,
Germany) pitched his second
complete game of the season to get the win (5-1). Dewald had eight
strikeouts and retired the side via strikes four times, including
the ninth. A strong ninth comes as no surprise, as Dewald served
primarily as the Bobcat closer last season.
Conyers, Ga. native Kyle
Allen went 6-for-8 in the two games. The leftfielder
hit a solo home run in game two and the finished the day with six
RBI and a run scored.
The Bobcats travel to Pfeiffer University to take on the Falcons
Tuesday, March 23 at 3 p.m. and finish the two-game set Wednesday,
March 24 at 3 p.m.
The GCSU Department of Athletics, winners of the 2008-09 PBC
Commissioner's Cup, sponsors 10 varsity athletic programs at the
NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, Georgia College
prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete,
evidenced by the Bobcats' multiple appearances in post-season
competition as well as documented academic success and
community-service involvement. Sign up at Twitter.com username
GCSUSID for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit www.GCSUBobcats.com
to nominate your favorite former Bobcats and Colonials to the GCSU
Athletics Hall of Fame.
