Saints Hang on, Defeat Pirates in PBC Tournament
Box Score | Tournament Central
AIKEN, SC - 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 six 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 an 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 went 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).
