DAHLONEGA | After a frustrating day offensively, a wild pitch would provide the most excitement as freshman
Joshua Profit came in to score the game winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning on a wild pitch to give the No. 7 University of North Georgia baseball team a 4-3 win over No. 28 Columbus State in the series opener on Friday at Bob Stein Stadium. The Nighthawks climb to 10-2 on the year with a 4-0 mark in league play, taking possession of first place in the Peach Belt.
Profit drove in the first run of the game for North Georgia with an RBI single to left in the bottom of the second inning to score Ryan Tomita and put UNG up, 1-0.
The Cougars would answer in the fourth with a leadoff home run by Jackson Oliver. The game would remain knotted at 1-1 until the bottom of the seventh when a Sam Tidaback double drove in Connor Hoover to give the Nighthawks the lead again at 2-1.
Columbus State would answer in the next frame however, taking a 3-2 lead on a throwing error by Taylor Keinat on a failed pickoff attempt that allowed a runner to score, followed by a RBI ground out.
Kevin Krupp would get down to North Georgia’s last strike in the bottom of the ninth before battling back to draw an RBI walk with the bases loaded to tie the game at 3-3.
Profit would lead off the bottom of the 10th with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Hoover. The freshman would then advance to third on a throwing error by CSU’s Justin Evans on a failed pickoff attempt of their own. Profit then came in to score on a wild pitch on ball four to Devin Gearhart giving the Nighthawks the 4-3 victory.
NOTES
– The Nighthawks stranded 15 runners on base in the contest, including 11 in the first five innings of play.
– UNG starter Brandon Agar went 7.1 innings allowing three runs – two earned – on five hits, one walk and three strikeouts.
– Logan Burt (1-0) earned his first win of the season coming in to strikeout the only batter he would face in the top of the 10th inning.
– Columbus State slips to 10-3 on the year with the loss and a 3-1 mark in PBC play.
NEXT UP
The two ranked teams will square off tomorrow at 1 p.m.
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