In repeat fashion, TBC Eagles Baseball came from behind late in Game 1 then got stellar pitching in Game 2 to take both games of the double-header at NCCAA South Region Paine College Friday afternoon in Augusta, Georgia. The wins were the third and fourth in a row for the Eagles, who look to sweep the series on Saturday.

Game 1: Eagles 9, Paine 8

As they did last weekend, the Eagles erased a late deficit by scoring seven runs to take the lead. This time, though, they went up by three, but the opposition scored twice and got the tying run on base in their final at bat before making the final out.

Trailing 6-2 as they came up in the top of the fifth, the Eagles rallied for three to cut the deficit to 1. Gavin Williams doubled in Ryan Onkst, who opened the inning with a base hit. Larson Lott was hit by a pitch, and one out later, Graham Gorman drove in Williams with a sacrifice fly. Nate Nogueras later doubled in Dominic Gattinella (runner for Lott) to complete the rally.

Neither team scored in the sixth, but TBC rallied again in the seventh, tying the game at 6-6 with a two-out bases-loaded walk to Logan McGann. Onkst then drove in two with a base hit that plated Gattinella (pinch runner, Seth Reeves walk) and Tyson LaChapelle (single) to break the tie. Williams's hit scored McGann, and the Eagles led 9-6.

Paine, though, got two runs on a ground ball out and a base hit to pull to within one. Drew Billings then knuckled down with the tying run on first and got the final out via a ground ball for his third save of the season, preserving Caiden Butler's first collegiate win. Butler pitched a scoreless, hitless bottom of the sixth: two grounders and a popup.

Paine took a 1-0 lead in the first. Each team got a run in the second before Paine notched a hat trick in the third and Trinity added 1 in the fourth to set up the 6-2 score and the Eagles' comeback. LaChapell and Nogueras drove in TBC's first two runs.

Game 2: Eagles 8, Paine 0

Jacob Brigman went the distance in a six-inning affair that ended early because of darkness. Brigman allowed only 1 hit in those six scoreless innings, walking 3 and striking out 8. He got solid defense behind him and early run support to boot.

The Eagles scored 5 times in the second on run-scoring singles from LaChapelle (2 RBI) and Jacob Burke, an RBI double from McGann, and a sacrifice fly from Onskt.

In the third, Darren Goeke, Jr. (walk) scampered home from third on a wild pitch, and Lott (walk) scored on a balk. TBC added 1 more in the fifth on a ground ball double play to put the game out of reach.

The Eagles got 14 hits in Game 1 and 5 in Game 2 but also drew 9 walks in the nightcap. They struck out only 4 times in the two games combined. Five players had multi-hit games with Lott doing so in both.

Next Up

Weather permitting, the two teams will play a single 9-inning game on Saturday to finish the series. The Eagles will then host South Region rival Bob Jones University for three on February 7 (DH) and 8 (single). The NCCAA Division 2 Invitational follows from February 13-15 in Arlington, Texas.