East Georgia State uses long ball to top Chargers

Georgia Highlands and East Georgia State combined for 28 hits that included nine home runs and 22 total runs Friday night at LakePoint in Emerson, but it was the visiting Bobcats that came away with a 15-7 victory.

East Georgia took control with a six-run fifth inning that gave them a 10-3 lead. They added four more insurance runs in the eighth and one more in the ninth.

Georgia Highlands narrowed East Georgia’s early lead to 4-3 in the third inning, but never got closer adding a single run in the fifth and three more in the eighth inning.

Tyler Owens (6 IP, 4ER, 10H, 1BB, 1K) picked up the pitching win for the Bobcats. Mathew Facciponti (2 IP, 3ER, 2H, 2BB, 2K) and Connor Willis (1 IP, 0R, 0H, 2K) closed out the late innings.

Matt Norton (4.1 IP, 8ER, 10H, 0BB, 1K) started for the Chargers and took the loss. Jake Meyer (3 IP, 5ER, 2H, 3BB, 1K), Zach Fordham (0.2 IP, 1ER, 2H, 1BB), and Connor Dove (1 IP, 1ER, 2H, 2K) also pitched for Georgia Highlands.

Nathan Fancher and Christian Castro both had two home runs each and combined for seven RBI for East Georgia. Keven Jimenez, Ashton Pratt, and Ryan Woiwode also homered for the Bobcats who out hit the Chargers 16 to 12.

Joey Demasi and Nick Piccapietra hit homers for Georgia Highlands.

Piccapietra, Austin Foster, Blake Bradley, and Willis Kemp all had two hits. Zach Miller drove in two runs with one hit. Parker Orr doubled home one run. Cameron Hearn added one hit.

East Georgia State (27-14, 20-5) continues to lead the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association with their win.

Georgia Highlands (28-20, 11-15) host the Bobcats in a conference doubleheader Saturday at LakePoint at 1 p.m.