dMILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. | Matthew Mebane sent a 3-2 pitch over the left field wall in the bottom of the ninth inning for a two-run homer and gave Georgia College & State University a 5-4 victory over Flagler College in game two of the Peach Belt Conference Basebll Championship Series Friday (May 10) afternoon at John Kurtz Field.
The Bobcats won their fifth PBC Tournament title and first since 2018 as they won the best-of-three series with the Saints 2-0. GCSU, which won sixth game in a row to improve to 34-20, earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament, which begins on campus sites Thursday (May 16). The Bobcats, who will be making their 15th appearance in the NCAA tournament, will find out their opponent and where they will play when the NCAA holds its selection show at 10 p.m. Sunday (May 12) on
NCAA.com. The Saints ended their season at 29-24 and it was also the final game for Flagler head coach Dave Barnett, who is retiring after 37 years in the dugout.
Flagler jumped out to a 3-0 lead with three runs in the fourth inning as All-PBC tournament performer Matthew Burke singled to center before Bryce Fitzgerald drove in two more with a double to left-center field.
The Saints expanded their lead to 4-0 as All-PBC Tournament performer Jesse Sullivan added a solo home run - his fourth of the season - to left-center field.
The Bobcats cut the deficit in half as they scored twice in the bottom of the eighth inning off All-PBC Tournament performer Cooper Smith (8-5).
Cam McNearney started the one-out rally with a double to center before scoring on
Mason Poole's double to left-center field. Poole later scored on a
Gabriel Wuerth's single to center. That extended Wuerth's hitting streak to 24 games.
After GCSU reliever
Owen Thomas (2-2) worked a scoreless top of the ninth, the Bobcats rallied in their half of the inning.
Braeden Smith singled to right and moved to third on All-PBC Tournament performer
Brandon Bellflower's single to right field.
Braeden Smith later scored on a Cooper Smith's throwing error trying to pick him off at third base. Mebane, who was named to the Most Vaulable Player of the PBC Tournament, connected on a two-run homer - his 17th of the season - to left field to secure the win for the Bobcats.
Braeden Smith and McNearney had two hits apiece as the Bobcats, who won their second game this season out of 18 after eight innings, collected 10 hits, including seven in the eighth and ninth innings.
John Luke Glanton and
Mitch Cowan were also named to the All-Peach Belt Tournament team for the Bobcats.
About GCSU Athletics
Owning the top Academic Success Rate among all public colleges and universities in Division II for three consecutive academic years, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won four consecutive Presidents' Awards for Academic Excellence, and are two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup and four-time winners of the PBC Institution of the Year Sportsmanship Award. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' continued appearances in postseason competition as well as high-level academic success and community-service involvement. Bobcat Athletics embodies the mantra of "Graduating Champions for Life." Sign up at @GCSUBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports or subscribe to the
GSCU Athletics e-newsletter to receive the latest news, schedule updates and to interact with GCSU Athletics.
