Georgia Highlands edged in doubleheader sweep Saturday

The pitching staff of Walters State CC came up with a pair of fine performances Saturday in a doubleheader sweep of Georgia Highlands College at LakePoint.

The visiting Senators edged the Chargers 1-0 in Saturday’s first game and won 2-1 in the second game.

The Georgia Highlands pitching staff virtually matched the Walters State arms, but it was the Senators' offense that scratched together just enough offense for three runs in the doubleheader sweep while the GHC bats remained relatively silent.

Sam Gardner and Nile Ball combined for a three-hitter and 12 strikeouts in the first game shutout. That performance trumped the Chargers’ Colby Taylor and Britt Buckelew who game up only a pair of hits and struck out six.

Walters State scored the only run of Game 1 in the top of the sixth on an RBI double by Dylan Harris.

In the second game, GHC struck first with a run in the bottom of the first inning, but two runs by the Senators in the top of the third was the difference in a 2-1 final.

The Chargers again received solid pitching from five different hurlers, but Hunter Stratton and Hayden Lehman of Walters State scattered four hits and struck out four for the win. Drew Wilson suffered the pitching loss for the Chargers (3.1 IP, 5H, 2ER, 1BB, 5K). Matthew Norton, Ryan Bramlett, Tyler Sellers, and Kyle Brady all worked scoreless outings for Highlands.

Devin Bilardello had two hits on the day for the Chargers. John White, Nick Piccapietra, Bronco O’Brien, Grant Bodison, and Nick Fink each added one hit on the day.

Georgia Highlands (2-3) hosts Walters State Sunday at 1pm to wrap up the three-game series. The Chargers host Bryant Stratton Wednesday night at 6pm and Lincoln Trail Friday and Saturday. Each of those games are at LakePoint.