DAHLONEGA, Ga. – No. 3 (
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II Top 40) University of North Georgia led 9-0 early but had to withstand a furious comeback by Flagler College for a 10-8 win in a Peach Belt Conference baseball game Friday night at the Bob Stein Stadium.
North Georgia extended its winning streak to four games and improved to 34-8 overall as well as 17-5 in the Peach Belt. With the win, the Nighthawks clinch at least a tie for first place. Flagler fell to 26-20 overall and 12-10 in conference play.
The Nighthawks scored two runs in the first, one run in the second and then erupted for a six-run third inning. Bill Leroy led off the third with a double down the left field line and Connor Corbitt followed with a home run to left. That chased Flagler starter
Cooper Wallace (6-3) from the game. In came
MacLain Larson who surrendered back-to-back singles, and then three batters later, Connor Hoover drove home both runs with a single to give North Georgia a 7-0 lead. The next batter, Trevor Sams belted a two-run home run to left-center. In all, the Nighthawks sent 11 men to the plate and scored six runs on seven hits.
The Saints scored two run in the fourth and fifth innings, and through six innings complete, the Nighthawks held a 10-5 lead.
That was the score heading into the top of the ninth.
Ja'Kobi Dasher and
Lorenzo Butler hit back-to-back singles and each runner moved up a base on a wild pitch by North Georgia reliever Chris Cobb. With two outs,
Ethan Crout coaxed a walk to load the bases and then
Dylan Jones drew a four-pitch walk to bring the game-tying run to the plate. Jack Fleming came in to pitch for the Nighthawks and he gave up a two-run single to
Cole Ondrejka to cut the North Georgia lead to 10-8.
Igor Baez represented the go-ahead run at the plate, but Fleming got him to fly out to center to end the game.
Josh Bryan (4-0) got the win in relief as he tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings, allowed one hit and walked a batter. Blake Gaubert started and lasted 4 1/3 innings. He surrendered 10 hits and four runs. Fleming earned his second save of the season after tossing one-third of an inning. He gave up one hit.
Hoover led the 11-hit attack going 2-for-4 with a home run, five runs batted in and two runs scored. He hit a two-run homer in the first inning. Michael Bell and Steven Tomlinson each collected two singles.
Wallace tossed two-plus innings, allowed five runs on five hits and walked four batters.
Jordan Doyle and
Louis Pugliese did a solid job late in the game combining for 5 1/3 innings. They allowed only one hit and one unearned run.
Ondrejka went 4-for-6 with a double, two RBI and he scored a run. Baez went 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBI.
Jake Hathaway singled twice, scored a run and drove in another. Dasher collected two singles and scored run. Butler hit two singles, scored a run and knocked in a run.
The Saints pounded out 17 hits, but stranded 14 runners on base.
The same two teams will meet in a doubleheader tomorrow (April 22) afternoon at 1 p.m.
