Chargers advance on Wilson's 3-hit shutout

Drew Wilson tossed a complete game, 7-inning shutout Thursday afternoon at LakePoint Sports in Emerson as the host Georgia Highlands baseball team won its first game of the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association conference championship tournament, 10-0, over Andrew College.

Wilson was in command throughout. He scattered three hits and a pair of walks while striking out two.

Nick Piccapietra was 2-for-4 at the plate with a pair of doubles and drove in six runs while Brandon Bell homered and doubled in a three-hit performance to lead the Chargers’ offense. Bell had two RBIs.

Nick Fink had two hits including a triple with one RBI. Matt Vaccaro added two hits and one RBI. Caleb McElwaney had two hits and Grand Bodison added a hit as the Chargers out hit the Tigers 12 to 3.

Andrew bounced back Thursday evening to edge top-seed East Georgia in the losers’ bracket, 2-1. The Tigers will play ABAC Friday at 1pm in an elimination game.

2nd-seed Georgia Highlands (38-19) advances to play upstart South Georgia Friday at 10am in a game of tournament unbeatens. South Georgia (38-20) is the No. 5 seed. South Georgia has tournament wins over Gordon State and GCAA regular season champion East Georgia.

The Georgia Highlands - South Georgia winner advances to the GCAA championship on Saturday. The loser must play an elimination game Friday at 4pm against the ABAC-Andrew survivor.

The winner of the GCAA tournament advances to the NJCAA East Central Regional May 17-19 at Dyersburg State in western Tennessee. The regional winner in Tennessee will qualify for the NJCAA World Series that begins May 27 in Grand Junction, Colorado.