Chargers Win Rubber Match to Take Series vs Chattanooga State
Timely hitting and late relief earn GHC's first series win of the season.
Georgia Highlands secured its first series win of the season after splitting a doubleheader with a strong Chattanooga State team on Saturday. The Tigers claimed game one when they broke open a 3-3 game with a 6 run sixth inning off a pair of Chargers relievers. Cameron Hearn hit his first home run of the season in the game as he and Zachary Miller led the offense with 2 hits each. Austin Foster scored a pair of runs, and Dalton Bradford was a bright spot in relief, giving up 1 hit in 1.2 innings pitched. Jacob Henley was outstanding in relief of starter Matthew Norton for 1.2 innings, but the Tigers got to him for 2 runs in the sixth to saddle him with the loss.
The third and final game of the series was another nail biter, with the two teams locked in a 1-1 tie heading into the sixth inning. After a leadoff strikeout, Parker Orr got the rally started for the Chargers when he singled to left field. Bryson Horne then walked on four straight pitches and Skylar McPhee gave GHC the big hit they had been waiting for. McPhee hit a deep line drive into the right field corner, and for the second time in two days the Chargers scored from first base to beat a Chattanooga State shift. With two runs in on McPhee's double, Dash O'Neill sent sophomore Nick Piccapietra to the plate to pinch hit for Miguel Urbina. Piccapietra didn't wait around, hammering the second pitch he saw into the right field corner for a second consecutive RBI double. Austin Foster was then hit by a pitch and Jaree Pledger walked to load the bases for Zachary Miller. Miller, who had been scorching balls all weekend hit a deep line drive to center field to sacrifice in the Chargers 4th run of the inning. Cameron Hearn followed with a double to right center that set the score to 6-1 going into the final frame.
Skylar McPhee moved from third base to the pitcher's mound in the seventh innning and retired the Tigers to end the game. Kevin Barham picks up the win after holding the Tigers scoreless in the sixth inning in relief of Tyler Sellers, who was strong in his first start of the season. Sellers struck out 7 and allowed 1 run on 4 hits in 5 innings of work. GHC Coach Dash O'Neill was proud of his team and looks for them to continue to improve. "Anytime you can win a series against a quality team like that you have to be happy, but we still have a long way to go before we are firing on all cylinders. So far we have been able to get some big hits and have shown some resilience, so we just have to build on that and keep trying to get better each time out."
With the win the Chargers improve to 3-1 on the season and will host Bryan College in a doubleheader at 3PM on Tuesday.