FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Contact: Robert Preston, Jr.,
912.260.4276
robert.preston@sgc.edu
Middle Georgia stuns GPC, wins state title
Region XVII has a new champion. After winning three out of
the last four state titles, the Young Harris Mountain Lions saw their quest
for another championship end at the hands – and bats – of eventual champion
Middle Georgia College Warriors at Crider Field on the campus of South
Georgia College in Douglas.
MGC defeated Young Harris twice, sending the Mountain Lions home on
Saturday, May 9. MGC, which went into the Sunday, May 10, championship game
with one loss, double-dipped the region’s number one team, the Georgia
Perimeter College Jaguars, 10-6 and 13-5, to return to the top of the
conference.
Though the Jaguars finished number one in the region, the number-two
Mountain Lions were the odds-on favorite heading into the state tournament.
Young Harris lacked the dominant pitching of years past, but possessed the
most potent offense of any team in the region. GPC had the best pitching
staff, while MGC was the most balanced. Number-four seed Truett-McConnell
was the underdog, but was a hungry, dangerous team very capable of pulling
off an upset if any of the favorites took them too lightly.
The weekend began with a battle between MGC and Young Harris. If people were
expecting a tight game, they came away disappointed. The Warriors showed
they came to Douglas to play; MGC stunned Young Harris with a dominating
17-4, six-inning victory. In the second game Friday, the Jaguars took care
of Truett 8-4.
Following Saturday’s games, only GPC and MGC were left standing. Young
Harris sent Truett home with a 10-8 victory. Then the Jaguars earned a spot
in Sunday’s championship game by defeating MGC 8-7. “Georgia Perimeter
didn’t seem very impressed with our win over Young Harris Friday night,”
said MGC head coach Craig Young. That set up a rematch between Young Harris
and Middle Georgia. Once again, the Warriors showed they were not the least
bit impressed by the Mountain Lions, winning in another mercy rule-shortened
affair 14-4.
Sunday afternoon, the Jaguars and Warriors battled for the state
championship. In order to win the title, GPC only had to beat MGC once. But
because GPC was undefeated, the Warriors had to beat the region’s number-one
team twice.
It ended up being a very long day.
The Jaguars pulled ahead 2-1 after three innings. However, their lead was
short-lived; the Warriors scored two in the fifth and one in the sixth to
take a 4-2 advantage. Then, in the top of the eighth, MGC broke open the
game with five runs thanks to three home runs in the inning. Shawn Ward and
Josh Purvis each hit two-run homers, while Brennan May hit a solo shot.
Perimeter answered with two in the bottom of the inning.
MGC continued its power game in the top of the ninth with a solo home run by
eventual tournament MVP T.J. Rich. In the bottom of the inning, the Jaguars
attempted to rally but could only muster two runs. The Warriors won 10-6.
Brandon Barnette, who threw 4 1/3 innings in relief, earned the win while
GPC starter Will Mathis took the loss. For the Warriors, Shawn Ward was 3
for 5 with three RBI and two run scored. He also homered twice. Brennan May
was 2 for 4 with one RBI and two runs scored. Trent Freeman had three hits
for the Jaguars.
The final game was almost over before it started. MGC wasn’t about to waste
the opportunity they had given themselves. The came out in the bottom of the
first inning and plated 11 runs on six hits and two GPC errors. Rich
continued swinging a hot bat; he hit a pair of two-run home runs in the
inning.
The Warriors scored two more in the bottom of the second to take a 13-0
lead. The Jaguars scored one in the fifth and three in the ninth but never
really threatened Middle.
Rich led the way for the Warriors. He was 3 for 5 with four RBI and two run
scored. Jakob Dalfonso had three hits and three RBI as well. Starter Chris
Newell threw 8 1/3 innings en route to the win. The Jaguars’ Alan Busenitz,
who lasted 2/3 of an inning and ended up with the loss. Drew Dentler was 3
for 3 for GPC.
“We wanted to make today last as long as possible. We had hung in there all
year and we had to have some guys step up, especially on the pitching staff.
The extra game really put a strain on our pitchers,” said Coach Young. “We
were ready to play all weekend. I think it was big the way we bounced back
after the loss to Georgia Perimeter Saturday.”
Tournament MVP T.J. Rich went 9 for 20 on the weekend (a .450 batting
average) with three home runs, nine RBI and nine runs scored.
The Warriors next play a best-of-three series against Volunteer State in the
East-Central District beginning Friday, May 15. The winner of the series
advances to the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colo.
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About South Georgia College
South Georgia College (www.sgc.edu)
was founded in 1906 and is a two-year institution in the University System
of Georgia. Located in Douglas, Ga., the college's environment gives
students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close
collaboration with faculty.
