AUGUSTA, GA - The Augusta University baseball team closed the 2024 season in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament on Saturday night. After blowing past North Georgia 8-1 in the first game of the day, the Jags took a narrow 6-5 loss to Columbus State. Augusta wraps the season 24-27 overall. 

Augusta 8 North Georgia 1

In the first game of the day, the Jags came out red-hot. In the second at-bat of the game, Brady Loughren homered to left field. In the very next at-bat, Parker Ingram hit another bomb over the left field fence. Kyle LaRoche followed suit, hitting yet another home run to left field. 

The Jags carried a 3-0 lead until the fifth inning when a single from LaRoche scored Lougren for a 4-0 score. A single through the left side from Loughren in the sixth inning scored Koby Ayala and Jake Vachon. A home run from Zach Kwiatkowski in the next inning gave Augusta a 7-0 lead. North Georgia would score a single run in the final inning. 

Loughren had a huge game, going 3-for-4 with 3 RBI and three runs to lead AU. LaRoche was 2-for-4 with 2 RBI and one run. Mike Morrison also tallied two hits. 

Gavin Wright (1-2) picked up his first win of the season, tossing 5.2 innings while striking out six batters. Blythe Keisler carded a save, pitching the final 3.1 innings. 

Augusta 5 Columbus State 6

The second game of the day was a nail-biter. After Columbus State scored single runs in the second and fifth innings for a 2-0 lead, Lougren hit a three-run homer that gave AU a 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. 

The Cougars knotted the score at 3-3 after a single and throwing error gave them a run in the bottom of the sixth. 

Loughren and Aulds singled in the seventh inning, plating two runs and pushing the score to 5-3. A home run by CSU in the bottom of the inning brought the Cougars within one run. 

After a CSU single in the bottom of the eighth, the Cougars capitalized on an error to take a narrow 6-5 victory. 

Loughren was again the offensive force for the Jags, going 2-for-4 with 4 RBI and 1 run. Aulds was 2-for05 with 1 RBI and 1 run. Mike Morrison added two hits in the game. 

Samuel Davis got the start on the bump, allowing five hits in his four innings of work. Grant Lester pitched the next 1.2 innings before senior Britt Kelly (3-3) struck out four batters in his final 2.1 innings. 

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