Box score
AIKEN, S.C. − Zack Stanton’s RBI single in the seventh inning proved to be the game-winning hit as Georgia Southwestern State University advanced to the Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship with a 5-2 win over Flagler College Sunday afternoon at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.
Georgia Southwestern improved to 29-18 on the season and will face the winner of the USC Aiken-Columbus State game at 6 p.m. for the league’s automatic berth to the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional. Flagler concluded its season at 29-23.
Beau Parker led off the inning with a single to left field and then took second base on a base hit by Bud Long. A bunt moved the runners up a base and Stanton singled home Parker to break the 2-all tie.
The Hurricanes plated two more runs in the ninth for insurance.
Georgia Southwestern got on the board first when Trent Dooley hit an RBI triple in the top of the fourth. He later scored on Byron Haynes’ sacrifice fly which gave the Hurricanes a 2-0 lead.
Flagler scored twice in the home half of the fourth.
Nate Fudala (Cincinnati, Ohio/Turpin HS) singled home the first run and
Will Percy (Colorado Springs, Colo./St. Mary’s HS) drove home the other run on a sacrifice fly.
Flagler stranded 12 runners on base and hit .200 (4-for-20) with runners on base.
Kevin Carroll and Stanton each singled twice and drove in a run for Georgia Southwestern. Parker scored twice.
Jody Sellars (7-4) tossed seven and two-thirds innings, scattered nine hits and allowed two runs. He induced 14 fly outs. Brandon Reeder finished the final one and one-third innings and fanned three to earn his third save of the season.
Cale Owen (Clearwater, Fla./home school) singled three time to lead the Saints. He also tallied three assists in the field to break Chris Barnwell’s season record of 170 assists in 2001 by one.
John Sgromolo (Fleming Island, Fla./Clay HS) doubled. Owen represented Flagler on the All-Peach Belt Conference Tournament Team.
Adam Jaudon (St. Augustine, Fla./Pedro Menendez HS) (5-3) went seven innings and allowed nine hits and three runs. He retired 10 batters on ground outs and another eight on fly outs.
Flagler will lose six players to either graduation or they have exhausted their eligibility.
Georgia Southwestern 5, Flagler 2 (05/09/10 at Aiken, SC)
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Georgia Southwestern 000 200 102 - 5 10 1 (29-18)
Flagler............. 000 200 000 - 2 9 1 (29-23)
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Battery: Georgia Southwestern - Jody Sellars; Brandon Reeder(8) and Paschel Poston. Flagler - Adam Jaudon; Tyler McKendree(8); Heath Storey(9) and Payne Maddox.
Win-Jody Sellars(7-4) Save-Brandon Reeder(3) Loss-Adam Jaudon(5-3) T-2:55 A-298
2B FCB – John Sgromolo.
3B GSW – Trent Dooley.
Game notes:
Peach Belt Conference Tournament semifinal
McKendree faced 2 batters in the 9th.