DEMOREST, Ga. – Piedmont baseball took the series against Maryville with a 6-2 game one win in doubleheader action in the regular season finale Sunday afternoon in Demorest.
While the Scots were able to salvage game two with a 7-6 back-and-forth win in a scheduled seven inning contest, Piedmont was able to take 2-of-3 from the CCS Regular Season Champion and gain momentum heading into postseason play.
Game One: Piedmont 6, Maryville 2
The Lions fell behind in the second inning to the Scots after a pair of singles and a sac fly. Andrew Misirly earned his first collegiate start working the first two innings.
Piedmont answered to tie the game in the home half after an RBI groundout by Ben Bodoh scored Trace Cate. The Lions tacked on one more in the third to lead 2-1, but the Scots answered in the fourth to tie the game at 2-2.
The Scots left the bases loaded in the fifth while Piedmont stranded two, and it was not until the seventh that the Lions would break the tie.
The Lions loaded the bases without a hit and one away forcing the Scots to go to the bullpen again. Cole Ellis got an RBI off a fielder’s choice and Carter Few drove in two making it 5-2. A Kyle Carlson single added another making it 6-2.
The Scots left one on in each the eighth and ninth innings but the Lions prevailed ending the game on a 6-4-3 double play.
Averett Thompson earned the win on the mound pitching the final 3.0 innings allowing just two hits and no runs.
Game Two: Maryville 7, Piedmont 6 (F/7)
Piedmont took the early lead in game two with a run in the second after a Trace Cate single, he stole second and third and scored on a Justin Shaffer single.
An inning later, the Lions added another pair of runs on two hits as back-to-back singles by Kyle Carlson and Trace Cate brought in runs.
In the fourth inning however, the Scots’ bats got hot as they scored three times on four base hits to tie the score. Maryville then added a run in the fifth inning to take the lead as Matt Hall’s leadoff single turned into the go-ahead run.
However, the Lions were undeterred, scoring two runs to retake the lead on a Makana Peters two RBI double.
Unfortunately, the Lions were unable to hold the lead, as the Scots added three more runs in the top of the sixth and escaped a Piedmont rally with the lead intact in the bottom of the frame.
In Piedmont’s final chance in the seventh inning, Tyler Nelson delivered a one out single but the Lions did not capitalize and fell in game two by a single run.
The final game of the series was a scheduled seven inning contest due to the beginning of the conference tournament on Wednesday.
Up next, the Lions will await seeding for the conference tournament which will take place at Maryville beginning on Wednesday.
TURNING POINT:
– Piedmont used a four-run seventh inning to break open game one.
– Maryville turned a late deficit into a lead with a three-run sixth inning.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
– Averett Thompson closed out game one on the mound earning the win going the final 3.0 without allowing a run and surrendering just two hits.
