The Piedmont College baseball team was crowned 2008 Great South Athletic Conference champions with two victories over LaGrange College by the scores of 9-7 and 12-9 this afternoon in LaGrange, GA. The Lions become the first team in the GSAC since 2003 to win the regular season title outright and the conference championship in the same season.

In the first game the Lions never trailed and jumped out with two runs in the first inning. With the score 3-2 entering the top of the fifth the Lions exploded for six runs on five hits highlighted by a JUSTIN OATES bases clearing triple. The Panthers refused to go away and rallied for four runs in the home half making the score 9-6.

LaGrange cut the lead to 9-7 in the seventh but senior TOM DIMITROFF came on for his 14th save of the season with two scoreless innings. Senior JOHN VOHLKEN went four innings to pick up the no-decision while fellow senior B.J. HAMPTON went two and two-thirds innings of relief for the victory.

In the second and final game of the tournament the Lions found themselves down 5-0 after the top of the third before EVAN NISSLEY connected on a two-run homer in the home half. After a scoreless fourth PC took its first lead of the game with six runs on six hits in the fifth highlighted by a JARED MOON two-run homer to leftfield, his first of the season.

LaGrange was able to reclaim the lead with a single run in the seventh and three runs in the eighth to take a 9-8 advantage. The lead was short lived as Piedmont exploded for four runs on three hits with the game winning runs coming on a two-RBI double from NIssley. COLE SPEDALE tacked on an insurance run with a sacrifice plating Nissley from third. In the ninth inning the Panthers put a runner on but when ANDREW MIGETZ's throw found ANDY HOUSE's glove at first base the championship belonged to the Lions.

Freshman DUSTY BLACK picked up the no-decision going five innings allowing five earned runs. JOSH MCEACHIN threw a scoreless sixth inning while Dimitroff picked up the win going the final nine outs. Dimitroff's four runs allowed marked the first runs allowed this season in conference competition.

For his efforts senior EVAN NISSLEY was named the 2008 Great South Athletic Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player. The Lions improve their season record to 33-10 overall.