East Georgia evens series with Chargers

Georgia Highlands College baseball scored three runs in the top of the eighth Friday afternoon to narrow East Georgia State’s lead to one run, but the Chargers would get no closer in a 6-4 conference loss in Swainsboro.

East Georgia built a 5-0 lead by the end of the fifth inning, but Georgia Highlands stayed close with a run in the sixth and three more in the eighth to trail 5-4.

The Bobcats added a single run in the bottom of the eighth and reliever Jacob Tate closed out the Chargers in the ninth with a pair of groundouts and a strikeout.

Scott LeSieur (8 IP, 4ER, 8H, 1BB, 2K) went eight innings on the mound to pick up the pitching win for East Georgia.

Dalton Rhadans (5.2 IP, 5R, 4ER, 11H, 2BB, 4K) suffered the pitching loss for Georgia Highlands. Brant Brown (2.1 IP, 1ER, 2H, 1BB, 2K) entered in the sixth and finished the pitching duties for the Chargers.

East Georgia out hit GHC thirteen to eight in the contest.

Indiana Stanley paced the Bobcats’ offense with three hits and one RBI. Andrew Giles (RBI), Nathan Fancher, and Ryan DelNegro contributed a pair of hits each.

Jonathan Brand had two hits including a double for East Georgia. Connor Strickland hit a two-run, fourth inning home run that gave Bobcats a 3-0 lead at the time.

Skylar McPhee had two hits including a sixth inning solo home run for Georgia Highlands. Bryson Horne also had a pair of hits.

Hunter Moody doubled home three runs for the Chargers in the eighth. Malik Spratling, Willis Kemp, and Austin Foster added one hit apiece.

The week-long, four-game series is now even at one game each. The loss drops the Chargers’ season mark to 28-21 overall and 14-12 in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association.

The two teams will conclude their series Saturday at East Georgia (31-13, 18-7) with a doubleheader.