Sunday, March 2, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: David Beall, Sports Information Director

SAINTS DOWN LANDER 7-5 EARN FIRST PBC SERIES WIN
North Georgia back in action next weekend at CSU

Box Score

GREENWOOD, SC – North Georgia College & State University picked up a 7-5 win Sunday afternoon, defeating Lander University at Legion Field to claim their first conference series of the season.

The Saints won the three games series two games to one, improving to 8-8 overall and 3-3 in the Peach Belt, while Lander fell to 5-10, 2-4 in PBC play

Craig Brisson led off the game with a double down the third-base line, Andre Airich walked and Rob Flanigan reached on an infield hit to load the bases ahead of Daniel Petitti’s two-run double. Anders Oster grounded back to the mound but Downam threw the ball into left field, resulting in another run. Kevin Morrison followed with a two-run single, making it a 5-0 North Georgia lead in the first inning.

Lander got back into the game in the third on a Gabe McCann three-run homer. McCann's long ball that cleared the fence down the right-field line over the 335-foot sign made it 5-3. North Georgia increased its lead to 6-3 in the fourth when Neil Krock doubled and scored on Airich’s double. The Bearcats would add a run in the fifth, and both teams added single runs in the sixth as the Saints got out of town with a 7-5 win and series victory.

Alex Simmons (1-0) picked up the win in his first start of the season, lasting 5.1 innings and allowing four earned runs while striking out four. Michael Patton came out of the pen for the second time this season and recorded his first save of the year in 3.2 innings of work. Patton shut down the Bearcats in the final three innings, not allowing a hit while striking out five.

North Georgia (8-8, 3-3 PBC) will return to action on the road next weekend as they travel to Columbus, Georgia for a three game set against the 16th-ranked Cougars of Columbus State. A single game is slated for Friday at 5:00 p.m., followed by a double-header Saturday afternoon starting at 1:00 p.m.

-NGCSU-

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