Box Score FLORENCE, S.C. – The fifth-seeded Augusta Jaguars met fourth-seeded Georgia College in their opening game of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament Wednesday night and dropped a 9-4 game at Sparrow Stadium on the campus of Francis Marion University.
The Jaguars (29-20) had 11 hits to Georgia College's 12, but committed six errors in the game. Augusta senior Hunter Boose was 3-5 and senior Nick Rau was 2-3 with a stolen base, home run, two RBI, and two runs. Junior Jamal Cummings was 2-4 and Tyler Roberts 1-4 with an RBI.
For the first time, the PBC is utilizing a pool-play format that will give each of the eight participating teams three games over a four-day span. Teams seeded No.1, No. 4, No. 5 and No. 8 are in one pool while teams seeded No. 2, No. 3, No. 6 and No. 7 are in the other pool. Each team will play three games and the teams in each pool with the best record will advance to Sunday's championship game at 1:00 p.m.
After four days, one team will stand atop each pool and meet in the final on Sunday with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament at stake.
Georgia College (32-16) is the defending tournament champion and they jumped to a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Augusta didn't stay down long as Rau ripped a two-run homer in the fourth inning to score senior Cole Thompson after he drew a walk.
In the top of the fifth, junior Clint Hardy and Boose started the inning with back-to-back singles, before senior Drew Taylor laid down a sacrifice bunt to move them both into scoring position.
In the next at bat, senior Connor Gilbert tied the game at 3-3 on an opposite groundball off GC starter Bradley Spinner.
Spinner (3-0) tossed 5.1 innings for the Bobcats and gave up eight hits for four runs before Cameron Busby and Grant Khan pitched in relief.
The Bobcats built back a safe lead with five runs in the fifth inning on four hits and two Jaguar errors to hang on for a 9-4 win.
Jags junior Will Thompson pitched 2.0 innings in his 15th start of the year and allowed three hits for three runs. Junior Joey Stillwell relieved for three innings to give up five runs and sophomore Casey Lenoch and junior Will Robertson entered late.
Stillwell (6-1) got his first loss of the season in his 3.0 innings of relief where he surrendered five runs on five hits.
Matthew Miller was 3-4 for GC and Logan Mattix, Brandon Purcell, and Clayton Ayres each had two hits.
The Jags play No. 1 Columbus State on Thursday, May 12 at 7:00 p.m., and No. 8 North Georgia on Friday, May 13 at 3:00 p.m.
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