Box Score Game 1 | Box Score Game 2

Demorest, GA -- The Piedmont College baseball team split a pair of games at Loudermilk Field earlier today with visiting Emory University as part of a rescheduled finish to the two's weekend series.  The Eagles picked up a tight 1-0 shutout in game one before the Lion bats came alive in game two for a 6-3 victory in the series finale. 

In the day's opening contest, offense was hard to come by for both squads as the two combined for just eight hits and a single run in the nine inning affair.  To the dismay of Lions fans packing the seats, that run was in the visitor's scorebox as Emory picked up a run in the fourth on a bases loaded fielder's choice. 

The Eagles' lone run proved to be enough as Piedmont pitcher Caleb Cochran picked up the tough-luck decision getting a loss to fall to 1-4 on the season.  The junior arm tossed five complete innings allowing three hits striking out four but did walk five on the day including a pair of base on balls to the Eagles in that fateful fourth inning. 

Game two was a different story for the Lions who played well throughout the encore match-up to earn an eventual 6-3 victory over Emory.  Piedmont grabbed a lead in the second inning on a wild pitch mistake from the Eagles as Curtis Cornett took home to capitalize for Head Coach Jim Peeples giving PC a 1-0 lead after two. 

Though Emory came back to tie the game on a single in the fifth, the Lions responded with a four spot in their next chance at the bat as Curtis Cornett plugged a RBI double to spark PC.  Cornett would later score on a sacrifice bunt from Garrett Lovelace to give the Lions a two-run lead before Kevin McConnell and Ethan Miers also crossed home putting PC further ahead 5-1 after six.

The Lions added a run in the seventh on another Cornett double that put teammate John Duke in safely at home as Piedmont went up 6-1.  Emory later added a pair of runs over the next two innings but ran into the machine that is closer Matt Collins over the final two innings who promptly slammed the door shut on an Eagle rally to hand the Lions a 6-3 victory.

Collins struck out three in his two innings of relief while allowig just a pair of hits as starter Dusty Black picked up the win with a solid six inning performance that garnered seven strikeouts and a single run on six hits.  For the reigning GSAC Pitcher of the Week, the victory on the mound was his third in the last eight days having claimed wins over DePauw on Wednesday and John Carroll one week ago today. 

Offensively, Curtis Cornett was once again the team's leader in most categories going four for eight (.500) with two RBIs, two runs scored, and a pair of doubles.  In Piedmont's last seven games, Cornett has been been putting up video game numbers slugging a rediculous .897 while posting an overall batting average of .552 (16 for 29) that includes 11 RBIs, two home runs, four doubles, and nine runs scored.

Catcher Garrett Lovelace was two for four on the day with a pair of sacrifice bunts while teammate Kevin McConnell went two for six at the plate with a run scored.  Outfielder Tate Koons and shortstop Dale Bartek added stolen bases to the cause while Ethan Miers added a RBI and also scored a run. 

The split puts Piedmont at 16-11 on the year but moves the Lions to 11-4 at home on the year.  That record at Loudermilk Field is the best home start by the Lions since the 2008 season when PC went 19-5 in their home ballpark.  Piedmont now has the week off from competition before rolling down to Montgomery, AL for a weekend series with Huntingdon College that begins conference play in 2011.  Game one of the Great South Athletic Conference battle is set for a 8:00 first pitch on Friday, April 1.