AIKEN, S.C. – North Georgia Saints led 9-0 but had to hold
on for dear life as Armstrong Atlantic State rallied but fell short
in a 12-11 thriller in the first round of the PBC Tournament in
Aiken, S.C. With that win, the Saints advance to the semifinals on
Sunday at 2:30 against the winner of the USC Aiken/Augusta State
match.
North Georgia (33-23) jumped out early with five runs in the
bottom of the first off AASU starter Cody Walden, taking advantage
of a stiff wind blowing out to right. Craig Brisson started the
game with a triple to right followed two batters later by Andre
Airich who took a 3-0 pitch out over the right-field fence for a
2-0 lead.
Brad Hall then walked and Chad Sage followed with a single,
setting the table for Logan Sharrett who hit the second pitch he
saw from Walden to right center where it bounced on top of the wall
and then over for a three-run homer.
The Saints added another in the third as Sharrett reached on a
two-base error and then scored on Adam Baker’s seeing-eye
single up the middle.
Airich’s second home run of the day in the fourth pushed the
lead to 7-0 and was the end of the day for Walden. After Hall
walked, Sage pounded out NGCSU’s fourth homer of the day, a
long blast over the centerfield wall that left the score 9-0.
The Pirates broke through in the sixth. After Juan Dorado drew the
first walk of the day issued by Musselwhite, Alex Wyche sent an RBI
triple to the wall in right center. But Musselwhite responded by
striking out Kenny Cail and getting Drew Walker to fly out to
center to end the threat.
The Pirates began their rally in the seventh. Drew Carnes hit a
one-out home run to left center followed by an RBI single from Juan
Dorado, driving in Josh Heath who had reached with a single. That
was the end of the day for Musselwhite, who set down 13 Pirates in
a row to begin the game and carried a no-hitter into the fifth. He
left the game after the seventh, having surrendered three runs on
seven hits with one walk and six strikeouts.
Armstrong Atlantic added sixth in the eighth to cut the lead to
10-9. The first four Pirates reached base, three with singles,
against NGCSU reliever Garrett Lussi, who gave up five runs in his
2/3 of an inning. AASU sent three more to the plate with two outs,
the big blow a two-run double from Wyche.
North Georgia added two in the bottom of the eighth on and RBI
single from Brisson and a home run from Jordan Erisman, the sixth
of the day for North Georgia.
Armstrong Atlantic State made their final comeback attempt in the
ninth with two runs. Drew Carnes doubled home Walker, who led off
the inning with a walk. With two outs, Michael Price doubled to
left to score Carnes, but could not come around to tie the game as
Wilson flied out to center to end it.
Musselwhite (6-1) got the win while Walden (11-2) took only his
second loss of the season.
The six North Georgia home runs set a new PBC Tournament record,
surpassing the old mark of five set by Columbus State against USC
Upstate in 1996.
Airich finished 4-for-6 with the two home runs and three RBIs.
Brisson wasn 3-for-6 with a run and an RBI while Chad Sage also had
three hits with the homer, two RBIs and two runs scored. Five
Saints finished the game with multiple hits.
Carnes was 4-for-5 for the Pirates with his home run, two RBIs and
two runs scored. Dorado, Wyche, Roberts and Price all had two hits
for Armstrong Atlantic State (38-18).
Boxscore
North Georgia Head
Coach Tom Cantrell – “The big inning should be
the big story.”
“I thought we cam out very well prepared at the beginning,
Tyler (Musselwhite) set a good start for us pitching wise. Got
ahead in the count real well there in the beginning. It just
basically came down to when he got too far down in the
count”
“We felt we matched up well with anyone in the tournament,
just like anything in the Peachbelt, it was who could pitch the
best. We gave up the 9 run lead there going into the 6th. I thought
our pitching put them in a situation early and then we left a lot
of opportunities out there.
“When you’re playing in a tournament, in a ball park
like this where it’s offensively friendly, you gotta take
advantage of what you are given.”
“Look at the games that have played today, if you can’t
pitch and play defense, you can’t compete.”
“We’re still alive, we’re in the semi finals with
a chance to defend our title and win this thing and get to the
regional. We understand what we have to do, and this was just one
step to doing that.”
“I just can’t say enough about what Tyler did with that
good start, and Andre had been struggling, he had a heck of a year,
made all conference at third baseman, and got 4 big hits for us
today.”
North Georgia Player Tyler Musslewhite –
“We’re just ready to keep on moving and win
tomorrow.”
Baseball
About the PBC
