Tuesday, March 13, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: David Beall, Sports Information Assistant

SAINTS GET PAST PFEIFFER 5-3 IN SERIES OPENER
Lussi picks up his second win in relief   

DAHLONEGA, Ga. – North Georgia College & State University took an early lead, and Garrett Lussi came on and shut the door in the middle innings to help defeat Pfeiffer University 5-3 here Tuesday night. Andre Airich went 2-3 and hit his second home run of his career in the seventh. 

Lussi (2-0) entered in the fifth inning in relief of Copeland and tossed 3.2 innings, allowing one run on one hit to pick up the win and Mike Peters came on in the ninth and set the Falcons down in order to pick up his team leading third save of the season. Airich put a spark in the Saints offense in the seventh inning when he took a 1-2 pitch and sailed it over the left field fence for his second long ball of the season. 

The North Georgia (10-11) came out and put runners on in the first inning on walks by Airich and Kevin Morrison. Justin Rickett came to the plate with two out and looped a single to right field, but the right-fielder gunned Airich down at the plate to end the opening inning.

The Pfeiffer (13-10) had a scoring chance in the third with two on and only one out and the bases loaded with two out, but Caleb Copeland struck out Hayes Hinson to end the inning and leave the bases jammed.

In the Saints half of the third, a lead off walk and back-to-back singles loaded the bases with no outs for Josh Tate who connected on a fastball and sent it right back up the middle to plate Daniel Petitti and give the home team an early 1-0 lead. Morrison followed and ran the count full before taking a pitch in the dirt to plate Craig Brisson for a 2-0 advantage. Rickett then singled through the left side and Anders Oster hit a sacrifice fly to deep right to score Tate and put a four spot in the saints third inning.

Pfeiffer came right back out in the fourth and loaded the bases with no outs and Ryan brown grounded into a routine double-play to score the Falcons first run of the game and make it 4-1. Ryan Harju took a two out payoff pitch through the right side to score Emmanuel Turner and pull his team to within a pair at 4-2. The Falcons added another run in the eighth but fell short in game one of the series.

North Georgia (10-11, 3-3 PBC) will return to action on Wednesday March 14, as they play host to Pfeiffer University in the final game of the series at 1pm.

-NGCSU-

Related Item: Box Score

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