Chargers take four of five, improve to 13-5

Georgia Highlands baseball improved to 13-5 on the season by winning four of their last five February 24-28. The Chargers beat Wallace State-Hanceville CC 8-1 on Friday (Feb. 24) and then won three of four in a home-and-home series with Chattahoochee Valley CC last Saturday (Feb. 25) and Tuesday (Feb. 28). Georgia Highlands won the first three matchups with the Pirates 5-3, 8-5, and 9-1 before dropping the second game at CVCC, 7-3.

In the matchup with Wallace State at the Rome Braves’ Advent Health Stadium, the Chargers pounded out 11 hits including four doubles. Starting pitcher Oliver Wood struck out seven and scattered just two hits and one walk across seven innings to earn his first pitching win.

In the three wins during the series with Chattahoochee Valley, Trey Baker tossed five innings with five strikeouts to earn his third win of the year. Chandler Anderson fanned three to collect his first pitching win, and Jeremy Gay allowed just one earned run in five innings with two strikeouts for his first win. Cason Rich retired the final five outs — striking out three — in the third game of the series for his second save of the year.

The Chargers’ bats were alive in the four-game series led by Ryan Wideman’s seven hits that included a homer, three doubles, and three RBIs. Hudson Sapp completed the series with four hits including a pair of triples, a double, and two RBIs. Bryant Herring hit three home runs among his four hits and six RBIs and Austin Slate also had a four-hit series with a pair of RBIs.

Zayd Brannigan (RBI), Jay Murdock (RBI, double), Connor Faulkner (2 RBIs, double), and Bryson Stripling (2 RBIs, double) each contributed three hits in the CVCC series.

Georgia Highlands is scheduled for a three-game series with USC-Salkehatchie this weekend.and begins Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association play Tuesday with South Georgia State.