Chargers even conference series with East Georgia State CC

Georgia Highlands evened its conference series with East Georgia State CC Friday night with a 7-2 victory at LakePoint in Emerson.

East Georgia had won the four-game series opener on Tuesday, 11-5, in Swainsboro.

The Chargers’ Devin Bilardello and Brandon Etheridge had three hits each to lead GHC. Bilardello doubled in the fourth inning and singled in the sixth and seventh frames. Etheridge doubled in the first, singled in the fifth, and had an infield hit in the sixth inning. Jonathan White drove in a run and had two hits. Brandon Bell added a hit for the Chargers.

Tristan Roberts (3.1 IP, 0R, 0H, 4BB, 2K) picked up the pitching win for the Chargers in relief of starter, Daniel Gooden (3.1 IP, 2R, 1ER, 4H, 3BB, 3K). Nick Constan retired a batter to end the seventh, and Dalton Isley (2 IP, 0R, 0H, 2K) closed out the eighth and ninth.

East Georgia opened the scoring in the fourth inning with a pair of runs, but Georgia Highlands responded with two in the bottom of the inning, a run in the fifth, and four more to distance themselves in the sixth inning.

In Tuesday’s loss, Highlands jumped ahead 2-0 in the top of the first inning, but East Georgia scored nine runs in the first three innings to take control.

Starting pitcher, Zach McCrum (1 IP, 6R, 5ER, 7H, 0BB, 2K) suffered the loss on the mound. He gave way to Tanner Thomson (4.1 IP, 5ER, 4H, 5BB, 4K) in the second inning. Bradley Hood (1.2 IP, 0R, 0H 0BB, 1K) and Dalton Isley (1 IP, 0R, 0H, 0BB, 1K) also pitched.

Daniel Gooden had a pair of hits and two RBI. Drew Davis and Etheridge had the only other Georgia Highlands’ hits.

With the split, East Georgia is now 15-15 overall and 2-4 in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association. Georgia Highlands is 18-16 overall and 3-3 in conference play.

The series continues Saturday at LakePoint with a doubleheader starting at 1pm.