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North Georgia makes big splash in first PBC baseball tournament
5/11/2008 11:30 PM   0 comment(s) on this story E-mail this story to a friend

By KENTON MAKIN

Staff writer

Fourth-seeded North Georgia entered the Peach Belt Conference Tournament having won 19 of its last 22 games but was still considered an upstart making its first tournament appearance.

It was fitting, then, that the Saints received their most significant contributions from a redshirt freshman who played like a sage.

Chad Sage's five-RBI day, which included a game-changing three-run homer, helped North Georgia make the most of its first-ever appearance in the PBC Tournament as it scored a 10-8 win over Francis Marion Sunday to earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

"These guys have been on a mission since April started," North Georgia coach Tom Cantrell said. "All of the credit goes to the players."

Sage's homer gave the Saints a 9-3 advantage in the bottom of the second, but FMU's Patriots trimmed the deficit to a single run before North Georgia's Zack Black closed

out the Patriots - a feat that continued the Saints' recent hot streak.

Francis Marion opened the contest quickly as it scored two runs in the top of the first.

FMU's Justin Greene was hit by a pitch from Saints starter Jesse Coxwell with one out, then scored after a Jared Barkdoll single turned into a three-bagger due to a Saints error.

Preston Shuey hit a sacrifice RBI to score Barkdoll, but the Saints answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning.

North Georgia's Rob Flanigan earned a two-out walk, then teammate Andre Airich did the same.

An RBI single by Josh Tate placed the Saints on the board, then Sage's subsequent two-RBI double gave North Georgia the 3-2 advantage.

Sage and the Saints' offense struck again after Greg Phelps' RBI in the top of the second tied the game at 3-3.

RBIs by Logan Sharrett and Airich chased eventual losing pitcher Cory Deering (3-5), who alongside starter David Walters only pitched 1 1/3 innings.

Tate welcomed Patriots pitcher Ed Paul to the mound with a fielder's choice RBI, then Sage seemingly put the game out of reach with the three-run shot that the wind carried over the right-field wall.

Sage did not get a hit in the first two games, and started out his PBC tournament 0-for-9. As he and his coach explained, the start of the tournament offered similarities to the start of the season, where he struggled early before he turned it on at the right time.

Sage went 3-for-4 with two RBIs in Saturday's 5-3 win over top-seeded Columbus State that allowed the Saints to advance to the final.

"I was trying to do too much with (hitting) the ball," Sage said. "The (home run) was a big relief ... it felt really good to get a lot of momentum going, and I feel like it carried us a long way."

"These guys have had some struggles through the year, Chad especially didn't get off to a great start," Cantrell added. "The last part of the season when we made this run, he's been very instrumental."

Coxwell made way for eventual winner Alex Simmons (4-0), who gave up an RBI to Keon Graves in the top of the third. The Pats were poised to cut into the lead further with runners on first and third with two outs, but Simmons struck out Ryan Hypke to end the inning.

The game remained scoreless until FMU rallied in the top of the sixth.

Chris Honeycutt and Graves advanced on a single and walk, respectively, which brought in Black. He gave up a single to Hypke, which loaded the bases. After Black induced a pop out, Phelps hit a bases-clearing double that trimmed the Saints' once-comfortable lead to 9-7.

The situation became more dire for the Saints after Greene's RBI single scored Phelps, but Black found his way and would only give up a single hit the rest of the contest.

"We still had the lead after I gave up that hit," Black said. "I knew if I could control the damage, then our hitters were going to hit and get runs for me."

Tate's sacrifice RBI gave Black a two-run cushion at 10-8, which would be the score after a final pop-up fell into Anders Oster's glove. The Saints' 4-0 PBC march was complete, and Black found himself under a celebratory dogpile.

"We got beat by a better baseball team today ... I think they beat us in every phase," FMU coach Art Inabinet said. "Our kids have done a good job of fighting all year, but we're not a real good come-from-behind team. They're well-coached, they pitch the ball well, they don't really have a weakness. I expect them to go far in the regional ... and it wouldn't surprise me if they win it."

In light of his team's recent success, Cantrell explained that he expected the Saints to make noise in the regional, despite certain 'myths' to the contrary.

"Our expectations are to keep this thing rolling ... our dream is to win the national championship," Cantrell said. "A lot of people in the coaching profession say it's impossible to win two tournaments ... they think it's a jinx ... 'if you win the conference, you don't do well in the regional,' and I just think that's a myth."

The Saints' 23 wins in 26 games is comparable to Major League Baseball's franchise in Colorado - the Rockies won 20 of 21 games during a late-season run that earned the team the National League pennant.

Any Rockies fans among North Georgia's bunch?

"I like the Rockies," Cantrell said with a laugh.

North Georgia's Chris Curtis, Sage and Sharrett, the Tournament MVP, made the all-tournament team. Greene and Phelps made the team, as well as Columbus State's Jonnie Geiger and Brandon Masters. USC Aiken's Peden Rucker rounded out the nine-man roster.

Francis Marion 211 004 000 -- 8 10 3

North Georgia 360 001 00X -- 10 9 1

WP -- Simmons (4-0).

LP -- Deering (3-5).

S -- Black (3).





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