FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 23, 2010
Contact: Robert Preston, Jr.,
912.260.4276
robert.preston@sgc.edu
SGC Clinches Home Playoff Series with Win over MGC
The final weekend of the season just got a little easier for
the South Georgia College Tigers. SGC was sitting in a precarious position
headed into the final weekend of the season. Mired in a tie for third place
in the conference and staring a three-game series against the number-one
Middle Georgia College Warriors to end the season, the Tigers could
guarantee themselves a spot in the top four with at least one win, which
would allow SGC to host a first-round playoff series next weekend. Or they
could drop completely out of the top four and travel for the first round if
they lost all three.
SGC decided to go ahead and take care of business. Thursday night, the
Tigers defeated the Warriors 11-6 to secure at least one home playoff
series. SGC went to work immediately, scoring three in the first and three
in third. The Tigers added one in the fourth and four more in the seventh to
go up 11-2. The Warriors scattered nine hits over eight innings but could
muster just two runs. Starter Greg Fietsam (5-2, 4.24) threw very well,
lasting eight innings and pitching the Tigers out of several jams. However,
he ran into a little trouble in the top of the ninth. The Warriors weren’t
ready to lay down and just let SGC walk over them. Two Warriors, Jacob
Stinson and Reggie Williams, opened the ninth with hits. Head coach Scott
Sims pulled Fietsam in favor of David O’Neal (3-1, 3.61), who had a little
trouble of his own. O’Neal gave up two runs on three hits and recorded just
one out for SGC. Coach Sims then went to ace Frank Ambrosino (5-3, 4.58),
who has a penchant for performing well in big games. Ambrosino gave up one
hit but managed to escape without allowing anymore damage. When the smoke
cleared, the Warriors had scored four runs on six hits. Sloppy defense
plagued SGC throughout the game; the Tiger defense committed three errors in
the final inning and seven total in the game (MGC made four errors of its
own).
Fietsam picked up the win. Logan Gaines doubled twice, while Cole Anderson
and Stuart Drew recorded three hits each. Zach Bennett drove in three runs,
and Josh Palmer scored three times.
On Wednesday, Andrew Anderson hit his eighth home run of the season in a 7-5
non-conference win over Darton in Douglas. Bray Bishop (4-0, 4.68) earned
the win. Anderson, Bennett and Jeremy Donaldson each had two hits.
Last weekend, Frank Ambrosino and Greg Fietsam, the SGC hurlers who threw so
well against Young Harris just over two weeks ago in Douglas, picked up
where they left off and combined for a win and two saves in a series versus
the Georgia Perimeter Jaguars in Covington . SGC took two out of three from
the Jaguars before dropping the final game of the series.
In game one on Friday afternoon, Josh Palmer had three hits while Stuart
Drew, David Reid-Foley, Logan Gaines and Wesley Morris had two hits each as
the Tigers defeated the Jaguars 8-6. Starter Justin Fordham (4-3, 6.37)
threw 6 1/3 innings for the win. Ambrosino finished the last 2 2/3 innings
for the save. The Tigers plated six runs in the third and two in the sixth
to secure the win.
Saturday, SGC and Georgia Perimeter faced off in an important double-header.
The Tigers won the contest 8-5. Drew and Morris continued to swing a hot
bat; Drew went 3-4 while Morris had two hits in four trips to the plate.
Andrew Anderson also hit his second triple of the year in the fifth inning.
Greg Fietsam (4-2, 4.50), whose last appearance was a complete game shut-out
against Young Harris, surrendered five runs in 8 1/3 innings for the win.
Ambrosino recorded the final out for his second save in two days.
In the second game of the afternoon, Jaguars starter Bryan Benzor kept the
Tigers off balance all day and led his team to a 5-2 win. He only allowed
two SGC runs on five hits en route to a complete game of his own. Georgia
Perimeter scored all five of its runs in the second inning off starter Tony
Albritton (4-5, 6.59), who took the loss with just 1 2/3 innings of work.
David O’Neal (3-1, 3.64) threw the final 4 1/3 innings. The Tigers scored
both of their runs in the top of the third inning. Stuart Drew led off the
inning with a single then moved to second on a balk by Benzor. David
Reid-Foley doubled to score to Drew. Andrew Anderson then drove in
Reid-Foley with a single.
SGC is now 35-19 overall and 12-7 in the conference. With the win over
Middle Georgia on Thursday, the Tigers are guaranteed a spot in the top four
and will host a home playoff series when the postseason begins on Saturday,
May 1. SGC still has work to do – the Warriors return to Crider Field today
for a double-header beginning at 2 p.m.
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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.
