MILLEDGEVILLE, GA. | Georgia College & State University fell to No. 14 University of North Georgia 15-6 in a Peach Belt Conference baseball contest Friday (April 25) evening at John Kurtz Field.
The Bobcats fell to 28-20 and 18-7 in the PBC, while the Nighthawks improved to 35-12 and 22-3. GCSU looks to bounce back as the series continues Saturday (April 26) with a 3 p.m. afternoon matinee.
Andrews Opata opened the scoring for North Georgia, homering to lead off the ball game. However, the Bobcats answered back to tie things in the bottom of the first as Evan Cowan grounded out to third, scoring Braeden Smith, and in the second inning, two runs scored on a Gabe Wuerth single through the left side.
The Nighthawks answered back in the third, however, scoring five runs all with two outs. Jace Bowen tripled in the first run, a wild pitch scored the second, and four singles drove in three runs, as North Georgia played station to station.
Opata later drove in another in the fifth, making things 7-3, but GCSU cut into the deficit as Cowan drove in another, this time with a ground out to second.
Jorge Arispuro led off the seventh with a home run to extend the Nighthawk lead, and three more scored right afterwards, all on bases-loaded walks as GCSU issued 11 walks in the contest. A Nicholas Stinson single to right field drove in two more as well.
The Bobcats plated a pair in the eighth, as Carson Phillips doubled in Matthew Mebane, and an error allowed Caleb Miele to scurry home. Edwin Bowman, after fouling a home run off his foot, homered for two runs in the top of the ninth on the next pitch. Mebane hit a home run in the bottom of the inning. It was Mebane's seventh of the season.
Matthew Heard (5-2) settled down after the two-run single by Wuerth, going seven strong innings, giving up four runs and striking out eight.
Despite the loss, the Bobcats still had nine hits, with multi-hit performances from Phillips, who had three, and Mebane and Wuerth, who each had two.
About GCSU Athletics
Owning the top Academic Success Rate among all public colleges and universities in Division II for four consecutive academic years, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won five 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.
