AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Jaguar Baseball team responded after going down twice Monday afternoon against the Anderson Trojans, taking a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth off a Connor Gilbert double to deep left center where they held on for the win.

Missing two of their top three hitters (Sr. Jeff Rice .448/ Fr. Hunter Boose .350), the Jaguars (5-6, 1-2 PBC) went down 1-0 early after Paul Como blasted a solo home run off GRU starter David Bermudez. AU (3-8) starter JT Trujillo put Tyler Roberts on with a hit-by-pitch. Roberts stole second for senior JD Sabo to line an RBI-single to the right side to knot the game at 1-all. Bermudez gave up an RBI-single for the second Trojan run before he left the game with an injury after being hit by the catcher's throw on a steal attempt.   

Tristan Jones relieved Bermudez in the fifth to allow one run when AU's David Jones drew a hit-by-pitch, stole second, and scored on Kyle Bailey's single to right. GRU got back-to-back singles from Roberts and senior Ryan Khan to start the sixth. Sophomore Connor Gibert knocked an RBI-single to score Roberts' second run for the lead.

AU tied it at 3-all in the seventh, but in the eighth GRU's JD Sabo lined a single to right center before Gilbert blasted an RBI-double to deep left center to give the Jags a 4-3 lead to go into the ninth. Senior Clint Echols came in to save the top of the inning, tossing a strikeout and getting two groundballs to seal the win.

Jones (1-0) got the win in 3.2 innings, allowing six hits for one run, after Bermudez gave 4.1 innings for two runs on four hits with four strikeouts. Gilbert led the Jags' offense with a 2-for-4 performance and two RBI. Sabo went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Roberts and Khan each went 1-for-3 with Roberts scoring twice and Khan once.

GRU plays their first Peach Belt Conference home series this weekend against Columbus State at LOS, starting with a 6:00 p.m. single game on Friday, Feb. 21.