MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. | Georgia College & State University opened up a five-run lead midway through the contest, but had to hold off a furious Flagler College rally to record a 6-4 win in game one of the Peach Belt Conference Baseball Championship Series Thursday (May 9) at John Kurtz Field.
The Bobcats won their fifth consecutive game as they take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-3 series and improved to 33-20, while the Saints saw their seven-game winning streak come to an end as they fell to 29-23. Game two of the series will be played at 2 p.m. Friday (May 10) with an if necessary game to follow 45 minutes after the completion of game two. The winner of the championship series will earn the PBC's automatic berth into next week's NCAA Division II Tournament.
GCSU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first off Flagler starter Daniel Fischer (4-5).
Braeden Smith started the one-out rally with a single up the middle and
Brandon Bellflower singled up the middle before
Matthew Mebane loaded the bases with a walk.
Evan Cowan laced a single through the right side to score both Smith and Bellflower.
The Bobcats doubled their lead an inning later as they scored two unearned runs on a Flagler error.
Mason Poole reached on a fielding error and scored on
Rand Bestermann's double to left field. Bestermann later scored on Smith's sacrifice fly to center.
The Saints got a run back in their half of the fourth, but Georgia College responded with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to open up a 6-1 lead. The Bobcats got the run in the fifth when
Evan Cowan scored on a balk and Mebane's double to right in the sixth scored
Gabriel Wuerth, who extended his hitting streak to 23 games with a single back up the middle.
Flagler got a run in the seventh and two more in the eighth before GCSU starter
John Luke Glanton (10-4) wiggled out of further harm as he struck out Taylor Clapp swinging to end the threat.
The Saints, who outhit GCSU 12-8, got a leadoff double to deep center from Payton Palladino to start the ninth inning, but reliever
Lex Kenny earned his sixth save of 2024 as he retired the next three batters in order. The Saints had their chances, but left 13 on base, including the bases loaded in the third and eighth innings.
Evan Cowan and Bellflower lead the GCSU offense with two hits apiece, while
Evan Cowan drove in two.
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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