GREENWOOD, S.C. | Carson Phillip's single back up the middle in the bottom of the ninth gave Georgia College & State University a wild 8-7 win over Flagler College in the first round of the Peach Belt Conference Baseball Tournament Friday (May 2) at Dolny Stadium.
The No. 3-seeded Bobcats improved to 29-22, while No. 6-seeded Saints slipped to 30-19. GCSU will face No. 2 seed Lander University, which defeated No. 7 seed University of South Carolina-Aiken 5-4 in the other first round game, in a noon winner's bracket game Saturday (May 3). The Saints and Pacers will face each other in an elimination game at 2:30 p.m.
With the game tied at 7 entering the bottom of the ninth,
Ben Hamacher led off the frame with a single back to the pitcher Ethan Bobo (3-3) and
Evan Cowan added an one-out single to shortstop to put runners on the corner as Hamacher moved to third on a throwing error. After Cowan moved to second on defensive indifference, Phillips smacked a single back up the middle through a drawn-in infield to score Hamacher.
Flagler took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly from Eli Maddox before the Bobcats tied the game at 1 on a
Matthew Mebane ground out in the second.
The Saints reclaimed the lead at 3-1 on a two-run single to left field in the third inning by Mason Gray. GCSU broke the game open in the bottom half of the inning with six runs to take a 7-3 lead. Cowan started the scoring on a ground out before Phillips stroked a two-run double to left. Mebane followed with a three-run homer to left-center field to close out the scoring. It was his eighth homer of the season.
Flagler chipped away at the Bobcat lead scoring twice in the fourth on a homer to left field from Carson Page and single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to knot the game at 7.
It would stay that way until Phillips' heroics in the bottom of the ninth.Â
GCSU reliever
Christian Donaldson (4-5) recorded six strikeouts over the final two scoreless innings to earn the win.
Cowan and Phillips each recorded three hits for the Bobcats, while Hamacher and Mebane added two hits apiece. Mebane drove in four runs while Phillips had three RBI.
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 the GSCU Athletics e-newsletter to receive the latest news, schedule updates and to interact with GCSU Athletics.
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