The Georgia Highlands Chargers and the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) Stallions played a taut affair on Saturday, but the Chargers eventually prevailed 8-3 after taking the lead for good in the sixth inning. The game was tied at three with Georgia Highlands College batting in the top of the sixth when there was an error, scoring one run.
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College captured the lead in the first inning. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College scored one run when Bryce Shupe homered with zero outs in the first inning. Justin Russell followed up Shupe’s solo home run with one of his own two batters later to give the Stallions an early 2-0 lead. Georgia Highlands righty starter Colby Taylor settled down after that and wouldn’t allow the Stallions much more opportunities for the remainder of the game.
The Chargers struck for two runs in the top of the second and added another in the top of the third to grab a 3-2 lead, but ABAC evened things up at three in the bottom of the third inning. An error by Brandon Bell helped score one run for the Stallions.
Georgia Highlands College took the lead for good with three runs in the sixth inning. In the sixth Bronco O’Brien singled off of Dalton Rentz, who relieved starter Drew Martens, driving in one run and Matthew Vacarro doubled, driving in another run.
Taylor earned the win for the Chargers. He threw nine innings, allowing three runs, two earned, five hits, striking out 10, and walking one. Martens, who’s efforts were certainly commendable, took the loss for Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. He tossed five innings, allowing four runs, and six hits, but was primarily used a starter for the regular season and had not tossed more than 2 2/3 innings since mid-March.
The Chargers collected 11 hits. Vaccaro, Caleb McElwaney, and Grant Bodison each collected multiple hits, while O’Brien, McElwaney, Vaccaro, Bell, Nick Fink and Nick Piccapietra each drove in one run to lead the Chargers.
Russell went 2-for-4 at the plate as he led the Stallions with two runs batted in.