Box Score
Maryville, TN -- The Piedmont College baseball team posted an improbable ninth inning rally to overcome a late deficit against the hosting Scots of Maryville College winning 7-6 in today's Great South Athletic Conference championship baseball tournament. The Lions saw Maryville jump out ahead at their home ballpark, but kept fighting against the fighting Scots before a three spot in the bottom of the seventh handed the tournament's top seed a one run victory.
The Scots raced out to a quick advantage with five runs over the first three innings as Piedmont's bats continued to stay quiet early on. The Lions managed to climb back into the afternoon affair with a three-run fourth complete with two sac flies and a
Garrett Lovelace RBI double to the left center gap.
After the Lions made it 5-3 through four, the ball clubs traded single runs in the seventh as the hometown Scots continued to push the visiting squad to a deficit 6-4. Solid relief pitching from the trio of
Chris Haggard,
Matt Keadle, and
Davis Partrick over the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings also kept the Lions in it as the Piedmont pitchers combined for three hitless innings down the stretch.
With Piedmont trailing by two scores heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Lions would need a miracle rally to avoid their first tournament loss and take a place in Sunday's championship game. However, the visiting squad would get just that as they scored three runs to pull off a dramatic come-from-behind 7-6 victory over the hosting Scots.
The rally started off with an
Ethan Miers leadoff walk before pinch hitter
Chris Lew legged out an infielder single to move Miers to second reaching safely himself putting two on for the trailing Lions. After speedy
Dale Bartek pinch ran for Lew at first, a throwing error from the Maryville pitcher allowed Piedmont to score Miers from second putting the score at 6-5 MC with runners getting to second and third on the Scot mistake.
PC had its winning run now at second with the error but saw its next batter retired on a called strike three to put the home team now just two outs away from escaping with a one-run win. However,
Josh Bailey then stepped up to the plate to crush a Scot pitch to the gap in left center scoring the Bartek brothers, Dave and Dale, to give the Lions a walk-off 7-6 victory over Maryville, the tournament's second seed.
Bailey finished the afternoon with a two for four day collecting half of the team's runs batted in while also scoring a run himself. Patrick got the win after tossing a flawless ninth that held the leading Scots hitless with the sophomore arm catching Maryville's final batter of the day looking at strike three.
The win moves the Lions to 29-13 overall while also improving to a perfect 2-0 in the weekend tournament. By virtue of the one-run victory, Piemdont earns a spot in tomorrow's tournament championship game set for a 1:00 afternoon start as the Lions now sit one win away from a GSAC tournament title.
