Postseason walk-offs are always exciting. Unless you’re on the wrong side. Monday afternoon, that’s exactly where the South Georgia State College Hawks found themselves. They faced the East Georgia State College Bobcats in a winner-take-all play-in game at ABAC. The winner advanced to the conference tournament while the loser’s season ended.
The two teams were tied at seven each entering the ninth inning. Tripp Helgeson led off the inning with a single. Then Cade Mulligan hit a 1-0 pitch out of the park to left field for the walk-off win.
The Bobcats went up 3-1 in the fifth after Helgeson and Terrell Milliner doubled. A couple of innings later, the Hawks pulled ahead 4-3 after Jayden NeSmith and Jaden Camp had RBI singles. In the bottom of the seventh, East Georgia took the lead 6-4. In the top of the eighth, SGSC’s Luke Flading hit a two-run homer with Luke Boone on. Chaz Encarnacion walked then Alex Bairan doubled to score Encarnacion. When the inning ended, the Hawks were up 7-6. The Bobcats responded with a run in the eighth to tie. SGSC was unable to score in the top of the ninth, setting the stage for Mulligan’s heroics.
Camp had three hits while Bairan had two. Flading drove in two and CJ Chalk walked twice. The fourth pitcher of the day, Hayden Gmerek, took the loss for the Hawks.
SGSC’s injury-plagued season ends with a 25-29 record. East Georgia lives to fight another day – they will face the #1 seed Georgia Highlands Chargers Tuesday at noon.