Tigers claw out win over Bears

It is survive and advance. Georgetown College baseball did just that. Starter Tom Taplin went as far as he could, handing off to Jordan Magers and Dorian Granados before Michael Koltak slammed the door. The Tigers (29-21) needed a rally for an 11-7 win over University of Pikeville to advance to the next round of elimination games Saturday in the Mid-South Conference Tournament in Bowling Green, Ky.

GC is back in action 3 pm EDT (weather permitting) against the winner of the Friday night cap game between Lindsey Wilson College and Cumberland University. The game was tied 2-2 in the fifth when this story was published.

UPike (27-23) struck first with two in the top of the second and added a third in the top of the third for a 3-1 edge.

In the bottom half of the inning, Chris Gilbody led off with a walk, eight hitters later, Georgetown had scored five on four hits. GC never trailed again. The team added three more important runs in the fourth, as Pikeville slowly chipped away to get back within two late.

The Bears scored three in the fifth and one in the sixth to have momentum, but Granados put a halt on that, throwing three innings with three hits and striking out five. Koltak finished the ninth with a pair of strikeouts to secure his second save of the tournament.

Taplin improved to 6-1 on the season as he went five and a third, scattering eight hits and allowing seven runs with six strikeouts.

Georgetown added insurance runs in the eighth, scoring four to knock Max Hall from the game.

Tyler Wagner came up big with three hits and three RBI. He also scored a run. Antonio Monroy went 3-for-6 with two runs scored and Ryan Garner continued his solid tournament hitting with a hit with three RBI and a run scored.