Georgia College pitcher Christian Bragg outdueled Mount Olive College pitcher Derek Justice and Rob Hogencamp drove in the game-winning run with one out in the bottom of the ninth as the fifth-seeded Bobcats defeated the top-seeded and nationally top-ranked Trojans 2-1 in an elimination game in the Southeast Regional of the 2013 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship Saturday at Mount Olive, N.C. Mount Olive College is the host for the regional.
The win, Georgia College's (36-18) third in a row in elimination games, moves the Bobcats to the championship game Sunday against fourth-seeded and tournament unbeaten Coker. Georgia College needs to beat Coker twice to win the regional title, while Coker needs only one win. Mount Olive is eliminated from the regional.
Due to weather forecasts for Sunday, the championship game has been moved up to 11 a.m. at Scarborough Field.
Justice (4-2) took a five-hitter into the ninth inning, allowing only a run in the second inning on Steve Hazel's rbi-infield single. Justice rebounded after being unable to get out of the first inning in Mount Olive's first game of the day against Coker. He had retired 12 of 13 batters going into the ninth and got a groundout to open the ninth before Georgia College put together its game-winning rally.
Jeremy Donaldson and Mikee Moore laced back-to-back singles and Moore advanced to second on the throw. With first base open, Hazel was walked to set up a force at the plate or a double play ball. Hogencamp hit a high chopper through the right side to bring pinch-runner John Welborn home with the winning run.
Bragg (5-2) held Mount Olive hitless until Daniel Oliver singled with two outs in the top of the fourth. Bragg, who pitched a scoreless ninth inning in Georgia College's 9-2 win over USC Aiken earlier in the day, went the distance, striking out four and finishing with a six-hitter.
The Trojans tied the game and broke up Bragg's shutout bid in the top of the seventh as Bryan Dunlavey led off with a single and stole second, his 34th stolen base of the season. Dunlavey went to third on Zak Orrison's sacrifice and scored on Matt Petrone's single deep in the hole at short. Bragg ended the threat with a 6-4-3 double play.
Mount Olive's 48 wins are tied for the third highest single-season total in school history. Mount Olive went 58-6 in the Trojans' national championship season in 2008 and recorded 49 wins in 2007.
The winner of the Southeast Regional joins the other seven regional champions in the National Finals at USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. Mount Olive College and Town of Cary are co-hosts of the National Finals for the fifth consecutive year. The National Finals begin Saturday and run through June 1.