MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. | Georgia College & State University pitcher
John Luke Glanton tossed his third consecutive complete game as the the Bobcats shut out Augusta University in the first round of the Peach Belt Conference Baseball Tournament Friday (May 3) afternoon at John Kurtz Field.
The No. 2 seeded Bobcats improved to 30-21, while the No. 7 Jaguars slipped to 23-26. GCSU will face the winner of Friday's other game between No. 3 seed Columbus State University and No. 6 University of North Georgia in an 11 a.m. winner's bracket contest Saturday (May 4), while Augusta will face the loser in a 3 p.m. elimination game.
Glanton, a sophomore right-handed pitcher from Metter, Georgia, was one of five All-PBC first-team performers for the Bobcats. Glanton (9-4) threw 101 pitches as he retired 24 of the last 27 he faced. He surrendered four hits and struck out two as he didn't allow a runner to reach second base until two outs in the ninth inning.
GCSU got the run it needed in the second as they took advantage of two Augusta throwing errors for an unearned run. The Bobcats pushed two runs across in the fifth to take a 3-0 lead.
Cam McNearney started the scoring with a sacrifice fly to right before
Mason Poole drove in the other run on a infield single to deep short.
An
Evan Cowan RBI single in the sixth extended the lead to 4-0 before the Bobcats closed it out with a four-run eighth.
Evan Cowan stroked a double just inside the right-field line - the lone extra-base hit for GCSU - to drive in two runs, while his brother
Mitch Cowan laced a two-run single up the middle.
GCSU clubbed 13 hits with All-Peach Belt performer
Brandon Bellflower and
Evan Cowan each collecting three hits, while All-PBC standout
Matthew Mebane and
Mitch Cowan tallying two hits apiece.
About GCSU AthleticsÂ
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 theÂ
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