FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Contact:  Robert Preston, Jr.,
              912.260.4276
              robert.preston@sgc.edu

Ambrosino, Fietsam Lead SGC to Pair of Wins Over Young Harris

Baseball can be a cruel game. Just ask South Georgia College starting pitcher Frank Ambrosino. In the second game of a three-game weekend series against the perennial powerhouse Young Harris Mountain Lions (and the first in a Saturday double-header), Ambrosino (5-3, 4.86) turned in one of the best performances of any SGC pitcher all year. The Tigers needed a win badly; they had lost four out of the last six conference games yet remained tied with Young Harris in third place. Taking two out of three from the Mountain Lions would be a big boost for SGC heading into the final fortnight of the season.

The Tigers had lost the first game Friday night 13-7 after starter Tony Albritton (4-4, 5.96) ran into trouble early and exited the game without recording an out. Ambrosino knew what was at stake. The Young Harris series was the most important to date for SGC and Ambrosino wanted to show he was up to the task. He didn’t disappoint. After a scoreless first inning, the Mountain Lions plated one run in the top of the second. Catcher Brett Armour hit a one-out single then scored on a double by Matt Lobacz. Ambrosino pitched his way out of the jam and then hit cruise control for next six innings.

While their pitcher was dealing, the rest of the Tigers showed they were ready for the Young Harris challenge as well. SGC played lights-out defense and didn’t commit a miscue for the entire game. The offense went to work in the bottom of the second when Logan Gaines scored on a Chris Thompson ground-out to tie the game at one. In the sixth, catcher DJ Hines broke the tie with an RBI double that scored Josh Palmer, who had also hit his fourth homer of the season in the Friday night loss. Thompson followed with a single that once again drove in Gaines. The Tigers rolled from there, scoring three in the seventh and one in the eighth to take a 7-1 lead into the ninth inning.

In the ninth, the Mountain Lions showed they weren’t ready to give up just yet. Centerfielder Matt Lowery led off with a single. Third baseman Michael Squires followed with another single. Then Ambrosino settled down and coerced Will Callaway and Brett Armour to fly out. With two outs, Lobacz singled to score Callaway. With runners on first and second and two outs, head coach Scott Sims decided that Ambrosino had gone as far as he could. After 8 2/3 innings and 112 pitches, Ambrosino’s day was done. Ambrosino wanted the complete game and wasn’t very happy with the decision. However, he turned the ball over to reliever Justin Fordham and exited the game to a loud round of applause. Then the wheels started to come off. Fordham walked Brandon Curson to load the bases. Then he hit Daniel Marsh, which scored Squires. Singles by Chris Holloway and Ethan Herron scored two more runs to get the Mountain Lions to within two. After Herron’s hit, Coach Sims pulled Fordham and sent in Zack Hula. Hula gave up a pair of singles that plated three runs before a pop-out by Callaway ended the inning. The damage, however, had been done. Young Harris plated seven runs on seven hits to take an 8-7 lead over the Tigers.

SGC came into the dugout for the bottom of the ninth obviously very frustrated but not ready to quit. David Reid-Foley led off with a walk. After Reid-Foley reached first, Jake Gower entered the game to pinch run. Chris Thompson bunted and reached base, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Cole Anderson followed with a bunt and also made it to first safely. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Zach Bennett hit a grounder to Callaway, who threw home to force Gower at the plate. However, the bases remained loaded with just one out. Second baseman Stuart Drew was up next. The biggest thing he was concerned with was putting the ball in play. He found a pitch he liked and guided a single through the infield to left, scoring Thompson and Cole Anderson to win the game 9-8. Ambrosino, who threw well enough to earn his sixth win of the season, had to settle for a no-decision. Hula (3-1, 5.12) picked up the win with one-third of an inning of work.

The Tigers didn’t have long to dwell on their good fortune. They still had one more game to play that afternoon. This time, Coach Sims sent righty Greg Fietsam to the mound. He had apparently been paying attention to Ambrosino’s performance in the previous game and picked up where he left off. Fietsam threw a complete-game, four-hit shutout as the Tigers won 8-0. Young Harris didn’t get a hit after the second inning. SGC scored one each in the third and fourth before opening things up with four runs on four hits in the bottom of the fifth. The Tigers added two more insurance runs in the sixth to cement the victory. Fietsam earned his third win of the season and lowered his ERA to 4.53. Gaines and Zach Bennett each doubled in the game.

The Tigers are 31-17 overall and 9-6 in conference play, and are tied in third place with Darton and Georgia Perimeter. Tuesday, SGC traveled to Barnesville for a game against Gordon. After a three-game series against Georgia Perimeter in Covington, SGC returns home on April 21 for one game against Darton at 5 p.m. On April 22, the Tigers begin a three-game series at home against first-place Middle Georgia. Game one begins at 6 p.m. On April 24, SGC and Middle Georgia play a double-header beginning at 2 p.m. to wrap up the regular season.

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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.