NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Piedmont 6, Huntingdon 4
Records: Piedmont, 23-16 (8-9 CCS); Huntingdon 23-13

LaGRANGE, Ga. - In the opening round of play at the CCS conference tournament, the Piedmont baseball team secured a victory to advance in the winner's bracket with a 6-4 win over Huntingdon. 

The Lions were in control early with a 3-0 lead after the first two innings and ZEKE SWARTZ was dealing from the mound. It was not until the seventh inning, his final inning of work, that the Hawks were able to get a hit off him. 

Swartz surrendered a pair of hits in the frame and had two walks and a hit by pitch before Head Coach Justin Scali went to the bullpen. The Lions were leading 6-0 entering the bottom of the seventh, but the Hawks put the pressure on scoring four runs on two hits. 

NATHAN BOYCE was the choice out of the pen coming in and living up to the moment. Boyce pitched the final 2.2 innings of the game without allowing a hit and worked a clean 1-2-3 inning in both the eighth and ninth. 

The Lions' offense was at work early with those three runs and added two in the fifth and another in the seventh. Piedmont totaled 11 hits to the Hawks' pair. 

Offensively for Piedmont, COLE ELLIS, KYLE CARLSON and NATHAN MIX all had multi-hit games. 

Up next, Piedmont will take on Belhaven on Friday in the nightcap again, slated for 7 p.m.

TURNING POINT:
--Piedmont was clinging to a lead when NATHAN BOYCE entered and shut down the Hawks' attack. 

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
--NATHAN BOYCE earned his fourth save of the season entering to pitch the final 2.2 innings without allowing a hit.

HOW TO FOLLOW:
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