Knights baseball beats Point 6-4

COCHRAN, Georgia (MGSC ATHLETICS) – It was opening day 2015 at Stuckey Field for the Knights baseball team and it was a chilly 46 degrees at first pitch when the Knights hosted the Point University Skyhawks Tuesday afternoon. The Knights entered the game at 1-2 after losing a pair of heartbreakers in the bottom of the 9th to Thomas University over the weekend but this time the Knights held on to their 2 run lead in the final inning to get the 6-4 win.

After giving up just one hit to the Skyhawks in the first, the Knights put a 4 spot on the board in the bottom of the inning. Donovan Campbell (JR/Cottageville, SC) led off the inning with a walk and eventually scored on a single by Clint Wynn (JR/Warner Robins, GA). After the Knights loaded the bases when Peyton Kell (SO/Lizella, GA) Walked, Haydn Nechanicky (FR/Suwanee, GA) hit a shot at to third that was too hard to handle and scored Ayers. Wynn scored on a Logan Smith (SO/Mcdonough,GA) single and Kell scored on a groundout to first by the Tyler Epps (FR/Statesboro, GA). The Skyhawks got a single in the second off starter John Hartzog (FR/Perry, GA) but nothing else. Ayers came up to bat with 2 outs and planted the ball over the left-center field fence for his second homer of the season to give the Knights a 5-0 lead. Hartzog would keep the game that way going 4 innings allowing only 2 hits, striking out 3, walking 1, and hitting one batter. He was lifted at the start of the 5th for Josh Barron (FR/Dexter, GA) who allowed a RBI single after having walked 2 batters.

The game remained at a score of 5-1 until the top of the 7th inning. Zach Massengale (JR/Williston, SC) was in his second inning of work and had allowed a lead off single and a walk while striking out one and getting a pop out to the catcher. Massengale hit the next batter to load the bases with 2 outs. Massengale got Omar Smith to ground to shortstop and in a rush to beat the runner at second, Nechanicky misfired and the ball went to right field allowing all 3 runners to score and Smith to end up on 3rd. Massengale got the next batter to hit a ground ball that was snared on a diving play by Ayers who fired to first to get the runner by a half step and end the inning. In the bottom of the inning, the Knights got one out quick before Nechanicky walk, Smith single, and Epps walk loaded the bases. Dusty Jones (JR/Cochran, GA) drew a walk with the bases loaded to get the Knights an insurance run, but that was all the Knights would get and all they needed. Trey Mallett (SO/Giffin, GA) came into pitch the 8th and the submarine style pitcher allowed a single before getting the final out and earning the hold. Tay Jerger (JR/Tallahassee, FL) came in to take care of things in the 9th for the Knights getting two pinch hitters to ground out before walking a batter and finally ending the game when he Smith struck out on a called 3rd strike.

Josh Barron (1-0) picked up the win for the Knights while Tay Jerger got his first save of the season. The Knights are now 2-2 on the season and face USC-Lancaster this coming weekend with a doubleheader starting at 1PM Saturday the 7th and a single game Sunday the 8th starting at 1 p.m.