Sunday, March 11, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: David Beall, Sports Information Assistant

SAINTS DROP SERIES FINALE 4-3 TO WEST FLORIDA
Petitti blast two run shot in loss

DAHLONEGA, Ga. – North Georgia College & State University took an early lead in the second inning, but allowed three runs in the fourth and a run in the fifth to drop the series finale 4-3 here Sunday afternoon. Daniel Petitti hit his first home run of the season in the loss. 

The Saints had a chance in the ninth, with runners on the corners and two outs when Justin Rickett broke to steal second and Andre Airich raced to the plate, but Rickett was tagged before the run crossed the plate and West Florida defeated the Saints and won the series. A controversial call at the end of the game signaled the end for the Saints, when the umpire signaled safe at first and then called the runner out to end the game.

In the second, Anders Oster drove in the first run of the game on a liner up the middle that sent Justin Rickett racing to the plate just out of reach of a tag at home for a 1-0 lead. 

Zach Black flirted with trouble in the third inning when he West Florida (21-6) loaded the bases with only one out. Back-to-back singles and a walk left the bases jammed before Black picked off Peter Antoske at first for the second out of the inning and struck out Bo Williams to end the Argonauts threat and preserve the Saints 1-0 lead.

In the fourth, the Argonauts took their first lead of the day on two hits and two key Saints errors. Clay Wallace reached on an error to start the inning, and Daniel Jones hit a line drive to the gap in left-center to score Wallace and tie the game 1-1. Logan Hundley followed with a single to score Jones and take a 2-1 lead and advanced to third on an error by Josh Tate. Huggins popped a sacrifice fly to center to plate Hundley and cap a three run inning to give West Florida a 3-1 lead.

The Argonauts added to their lead in the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly to deep left by Williams to score Jon Reed for a 4-1 lead. In the bottom of the inning, The Saints used three straight hits to load the bases with no outs before Kevin Morrison lined right back to the pitcher, and Andre Airich got doubled off second for a double play. The Saints came up empty after Rickett followed with grounder to short to end a bases-loaded no outs opportunity.  

The Saints brought the crowd to its feet in the sixth inning, with a two out hit off the bat of Oster. Daniel Petitti then took the first pitch he saw and drilled it over the left field fence to pull the home team to within a run at 4-3.

Tate and Morrison started the seventh off with back-to-back singles through the left side, and Neil Krock hit a one out pitch to center to advance Tate to third with two outs. Creston Warner followed with a groundout to third to put a lid on the seventh and end the Saints scoring chance.

Black (0-4) picks up the loss as he allowed four runs and six hits in 4.2 innings. Dustin Wellborn and Mike Peters pitched shutout ball in relief allowing one hit combined in 4.1 innings. Brett McCullough grabs the win in five innings pitched, and Phil Lawhorn picked up his second save of the series in the win.

North Georgia (9-11, 3-3 PBC) will return to action on Tuesday March 13, as they host Pfeiffer University at 6pm.

-NGCSU-

Related Item: Box Score

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