Box Score Demorest, GA - The Piedmont College baseball team got exactly what it needed to this weekend to get back in the USA South regular season race as the Lions won 4-2 earlier today to complete a three-game sweep of former conference leader Huntingdon College.  PC took care of business on Friday and Saturday before getting a quality performance from starter Chris Goershel on the mound in game three of the three-game set to take the two-run win on Sunday.

The early going belonged to the pitchers as the two starters, Goershel along with Huntingdon's Gavin Free combined to allow just two hits through three innings.  After Goershel retired the side in order for the second time on the day in the top of the 4th, Piedmont would get a big run in the bottom of the inning as Evan Gresham grounded out to short allowing Griffin Olson to cross the plate after the youngster led off the inning with a single three batters before. 

Another scoreless frame by Goershel in the 5th allowed Piedmont to add to the lead in the home half as Daniel Lindsey led it off with an infield single and advanced all the way to third on an error by Free who tried to pick off the Lion at first.  Friday hero Will Skidmore doubled Lindsey in to make it 2-0 PC before a Griffin Olson single later in the inning made the lead three as he drove in Skidmore with a two-out base hit.

Goershel would go seven strong innings allowing just four hits and no runs though he faced big trouble in the 7th as he allowed a leadoff single to Tyler Blackwell before another base hit two batters later put two runners on with just one out.  With Blackwell now in scoring position at second and just the lone out in the top of the 7th, a blooper single to right looked to have sent a Hawk home as Blackwell rounded third and headed for home plate testing the arm of Piedmont right fielder Evan Gresham.

Gresham charged in to scoop up the ball and crow hop his throw home nailing catcher Austin Brick with a laser as the Lions' man behind the plate applied the tag on Blackwell in time to prevent the run from scoring and keep the Piedmont lead at 3-0.  Gresham would account for the final out in the inning as well settling underneath a fly ball two batters later to glove the third out in the 7th and keep Goershel safe with a three-run lead.

Huntingdon then gave up an RBI single to Keith Grabowski in the home half of the 7th as he drove in the catcher Brick with Piedmont taking a 4-0 lead after seven complete.

After Allen Tokarz tossed a hitless 8th to keep his perfect 0.00 ERA intact after 20 and two thirds thrown in 2014, closer Jacob Brewster would get the ball in the 9th as the intensity picked up with the Hawks getting a one-out single just before putting a second runner on after a Piedmont error.  Brewster picked up a second out forcing Gunnar Peters to fly out to Gresham in right, but a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for Austin Clanton as the Hawk represented the tying run at the plate.

Clanton put a Brewster offering back towards short but the freshman Olson committed the second error of the inning to allow Huntingdon to stay alive in the 9th and a pair of runs to score cutting the lead in half for PC.  A walk to Patrick Kucera loaded the bases for the Hawks, but Brewster then induced a lazy fly ball to left for Bailey to grab and put the Lions in the dugout with a 4-2 win in the final game of the weekend series.

Goershel's decision makes him now 4-1 on the season while offensive leaders on the day included Will Skidmore who was two for three with a run scored and an RBI.  Going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored was the freshman shortstop Griffin Olson while Josh Bailey was also two for four as he belted a leadoff triple in the 8th, his second of the 2014 season.

The win moves Piedmont to now 15-6 on the season and 8-4 in conference play as the weekend sweep gets the Lions back in the thick of the USA South regular season race.  The three wins knock HC out of the top spot and down to third in the league standings as PC and the Hawks are tied in the loss column with four each.  The leader is now 13-2 Ferrum College while Covenant is in second with its 9-3 record.

Piedmont will have a mid-week game against DePauw University this coming Tuesday evening with a first pitch set for 7:00 pm at Loudermilk Field before the boys travel to Rocky Mount for a three-game series with NC Wesleyan on the weekend.  Live stats will be available for the Tuesday game vs. DePauw though no live video broadcast will be available as the Lions lacrosse team takes on Centre College at Walker Athletic Complex which will air live on the Mane Event Broadcasting Network instead.