Chargers sweep Chattanooga State to open 2020 season

The Georgia Highlands College baseball team opened the 2020 season Friday and Saturday at LakePoint in Emerson with a three-game series sweep of visiting Chattanooga State. Chargers’ head coach Dash O’Neill also collected his 100th career coaching victory during the series. Georgia Highlands won Friday’s season opener 14-4 and completed the series sweep in a doubleheader Saturday winning 9-7 and 11-0. The Chargers pounded out 15 hits in their Friday win paced by Gavin Harmon who was 3-for-5 including a pair of home runs and four RBI. Brandon Prince also homered and was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Joe Sutton, Palmer Sapp, and Omar Daniels each finished with two hits. Ethan Underwood (7 IP, 4ER, 1BB, 1K) picked up the pitching victory for GHC with a complete-game effort. In the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, Georgia Highlands built a 9-3 lead through four frames and held on for a two-run win. Trace Twardoski (4 RBI), Max Kops (RBI), and Joe Sutton had two hits each for the Chargers. David Smith homered and finished with four RBI. GHC utilized four pitchers in the win. Conner Perry (2.2 IP, 3ER, 4H, 2BB, 3K) started. Dalton Bradford (2 IP, 4ER, 5H, 3BB, 4K), Stevie Szucs (1.1 IP, 0R, 0H, 2K), and Jett Kern (1 IP, 1BB) took the mound for the Chargers. In the series finale’, Georgia Highlands needed only five innings to close out an 11-0 win. Johnny Dow (5 IP, 0R, 3H, 0BB, 2K) tossed a complete-game shutout. Smith finished with three hits and a pair of RBI. Sapp had two hits including a three-run homer. Mickey Maguire (RBI), Trace Twardoski (2 RBI), Bam Thomas (RBI), Prince (RBI), and Harmon added one hit each. Georgia Highlands (3-0) will host a doubleheader Wednesday with Tennessee Wesleyan JV prior to a weekend, three-game series with Volunteer State CC Friday and Saturday. All five games will be at LakePoint.