MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. –  It's one of those situations that every baseball player dreams of as a kid.

Bottom of the ninth, your team is down, but a home run by you wins the game. The "walk-off home run" is right up there with a buzzer-beating shot or a hail-mary touchdown. Sunday at John Kurtz Field, Cassius Young (Atlanta) got to make that dream a reality, sending No. 8 Georgia College Baseball (5-1, 5-1 PBC) to a 16-15 victory over the University of North Georgia (9-3, 9-3 PBC).

Young's heroics spoiled what would have been an epic comeback for the Nighthawks, as down 9-2 heading into the seventh, UNG flipped the game on its head late, taking a 15-10 lead to the bottom of the ninth. 

GC pounded out 16 runs on 14 hits, taking advantage of eight walks from the UNG pitchers as well. In a game full of offensive stars, Young was the brightest, finishing 2-for-5 with a pair of home runs, four RBIs and three runs.

Sophomore Noah Mendlinger (Alpharetta) added a 3-for-4 effort, scoring three times and driving in another. Second baseman Cal Gentry (Perry) had a double and home run in his five trips, driving in three and scoring twice, while leftfielder Jay Saunders (Moultrie) had two run-scoring singles for his 2-for-2 day.  

With GC up 9-2 in the seventh, UNG brought two in on a groundout and a wild pitch. GC answered with another run for a 10-4 lead after seven. The Nighthawks then came alive, scoring five in the eighth and six more in the ninth to take the game over. Crews Taylor swatted two home runs for UNG, driving in six.

Down 15-10 in the bottom of the ninth, GC got the first run on a sacrifice fly from Brandon Bellflower (Milledgeville), then another came in on a bases-loaded walk. After a wild pitch brought in the third run of the inning for a 16-13 score, Young sent the Bobcat fans home happy.

Sophomore lefty Luc Scudellari (Roswell) nabbed the win (1-0) by fanning the only hitter he faced in the top of the ninth.

The Bobcats are back in action Wednesday, March 3 at 5 p.m., traveling to Anderson University.

The Georgia College Department of Athletics is proud to receive the 2020 NCAA Division II Presidents' Award for Academic Excellence. The two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner Cup and the former PBC Sportsmanship Institution of the Year, GC Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on Graduating Champions For Life. Sign up at @GCBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit GCBobcats.PhotoReflect.com to purchase photo prints from home athletic contests.