Chargers playing for post-season berth Saturday

West Georgia Tech broke open a tight game in the seventh inning Friday night at LakePoint in Emerson to defeat Georgia Highlands, 6-5.

The visiting Golden Knights, needing a four-game sweep of GHC in this week’s series to keep their faint playoff hopes alive, has now won the first two games. West Georgia Tech defeated Georgia Highlands in Carrollton on Tuesday, 8-2.

The Chargers took an early 3-0 lead going to the fourth inning, but WGT battled back with single runs in the fourth and fifth frames prior to their four-run seventh.

Brandon Bell reach base five times for the Chargers on a pair of hits and three walks. He also scored twice.

Devin Bilardello collected two hits and a pair of walks. Mitch Burger had a pair of hits and one RBI. Brandon Etheridge had a first inning double and scored a run. Jonathan White also drove in a run with a hit for Georgia Highlands.

Avery Roth and Josh Edison combined for eight hits and six RBI to lead the Golden Knights offense.

Matt Orange picked up the pitching victory for West Georgia Tech in relief of starter Connor Wilson. Tyler Elkins took the rubber for the eighth and ninth innings and earned a two-inning save.

Bryan Quillens suffered the pitching loss for the Chargers in relief of starter Casey Collins who went 6 and 1/3 innings. Will Griffin and Colby Taylor also pitched in relief for Georgia Highlands.

The two teams meet again Saturday at LakePoint for a regular season ending doubleheader at 1 pm and a post-season, conference tournament bid on the line.

The top six teams in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association advance to the conference tournament. Georgia Highlands currently sits in a tie for fifth with Gordon College, but Andrew College is only one game back with two games to play. Andrew College is playing at Gordon College in a doubleheader Saturday. East Georgia has a doubleheader at conference leading Darton.

GCAA Standings (thru Fri, May 6)

GCAA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Conf. . . . . . Overall

Darton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-7 . . . . . . 34-18 South Georgia . . . . . . . . . 18-8 . . . . . 33-20 ABAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-12 . . . . 26-25

East Georgia . . . . . . . . . . 12-14 . . . . . 25-25 Georgia Highlands . . . . . . 11-15 . . . . . 26-28

Gordon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-15 . . . . . 26-28 Andrew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16 . . . . . 21-30 West Georgia Tech . . . . . . 9-17 . . . . . . 14-33-1