GHC splits doubleheader with West Georgia Tech

It required extra innings in the nightcap, but Georgia Highlands baseball earned a doubleheader split Sunday with a 4-3 win over West Georgia Tech at LakePoint in Emerson. West Georgia Tech, playing as the home team this weekend at LakePoint, won the first game Sunday 6-4 with a pair of late runs. The Chargers returned the favor in the second game on Keith Lyle’s RBI double that scored Blake Brady and also earned Georgia Highlands a split in the four-game series this week with the Knights.

In Game 1, the Chargers held leads of 1-0 after one inning and 3-1 through four, but three runs by West Georgia Tech in the fifth and two more in the sixth broke a 4-4 tie and lifted the Knights to their win.

Anthony Reneo (1 IP, 2ER, 3H, 0BB, 2K) suffered the pitching loss for Georgia Highlands in relief of starter Stevie Szucs (5 IP, 4R, 2ER, 7H, 0BB, 6K).

Justin Guyton led the Knights’ offense with three hits including a triple and two RBI.

Brady and Bryson Horne had two hits each for the Chargers. Lavoisier Fisher hit a two-run home run in the loss. In Game 2, Logan Ward (3 IP, 0R, 0H, 3BB, 4K) picked up the pitching win for the Chargers in relief of starter Jacob Meyer (6 IP, 3ER, 5H, 1BB, 8K). Ward got a game-ending double play to retire the side in the ninth after the Knights put the potential tying run on base with only one out.

Keith Lyle led the GHC offense with three doubles and three RBI. Skylar McPhee had a two-hit game that included a double and a triple. Malik Spratling had the other Chargers’ RBI with one hit.

With the Sunday and series split, West Georgia Tech is now 12-14 overall and 3-6 in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association.

Georgia Highlands (18-10, 6-3) starts a four-game conference series with Gordon College Tuesday in Barnesville.