FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4-13-08

College Baseball: No. 24 AASU 9, North Georgia 5

The win halted a five-game losing streak for the Pirates (23-15, 11-10 PBC), while bringing an end to a nine-game win streak for the Saints (27-17, 13-11 PBC).

North Georgia pushed across a run in the top of the first on Chad Sage’s two-out RBI, but the Pirates loaded the bases against freshman lefthander Michael Patton (5-2) – the Savannah native making his first collegiate start in his hometown.  Joey Davis sent Patton’s 1-2 fastball over the left field wall for a grand slam, staking the Pirates to a 4-1 lead. The home run was Davis’ team-leading 12th of the season and his second in as many at-bats as the senior clubbed a grand slam in the ninth inning of Saturday’s second game of a doubleheader with North Georgia.

Twice, the Saints would cut the lead to one during the game. In the fifth, a Craig Brisson solo home run made the score 4-3, but the Pirates answered in the bottom of the sixth on Derrek Miller’s solo home run. North Georgia made it 5-4 in the seventh on an Andre Airich RBI single, but the Pirates put the game away with a single run in the seventh and a three-spot in the eighth, highlighted by Michael Price’s two-RBI single.

Ross Partee (5-2) picked up the win for the Pirates, going 6 2/3 innings, giving up seven hits and four runs – two earned – while striking out three. Brandon McCreery earned his sixth save of the season by going 2 1/3 innings, giving up four hits and one run while striking out three. Patton took the loss in his return to Savannah, giving up seven hits and six runs – five earned – in 6 1/3 innings.

Price went 4-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI to lead the Pirates, while Brisson finished the day with three hits to lead the Saints.

AASU returns to action on Tuesday, April 15, with a 3:30 p.m. non-conference matchup with No. 18-ranked Valdosta State at Pirate Field.

- Pirates -