The baseball program at Shawnee State rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the seventh and final inning of action to take a 5-4 advantage over the Georgetown Tigers' baseball program -- scoring all three of its runs with two outs in the seventh frame to take a one-run advantage over Georgetown.

However, Georgetown, who loaded the bags in the bottom half of the same frame, was able to provide the answer as a walkoff two-RBI single by Justin Starkey forced the Bears to settle for a 6-5 setback to the Tigers in the last of the three contests between the two units to open up the 2024 season at Thomas More Stadium in Florence, Ky.

Shawnee State, who struck first in the contest, plated the contest's first pair of runs as a leadoff walk by Caeleb McGraw to begin the third frame was followed by a single from Tyler Lund that allowed the Bears to put runners at first and third in the top half of the third frame. Two errors then resulted in pinch runner Eli Jones and Lund scoring, giving Shawnee State the early 2-0 lead.

Georgetown, who answered in the bottom half of the third frame, tied the contest at two runs apiece on a two-RBI single by Jacob VonThaden with two gone in the inning and took the lead in the fifth frame on a one-out, two-RBI single by Starkey that gave the Tigers a 4-2 lead.

The margin went unchanged until the seventh frame -- when Shawnee State showcased its poise. The Bears, across its first trio of batters, had a line out and a pop out -- and with two gone, had a runner on first with a hit by pitch in between the line out and pop out. However, Shawnee State was able to draw two additional hit by pitches with the game on the line -- as Nolan Tressler and Eric Oakes helped load the bases by wearing two pitches.

With the bags full and two outs in the top half of the seventh inning, Noah Sniadach delivered in a big way -- as the senior's two-RBI single brought in Par Rockhold and Tressler to tie the game. Zach Gaspar then stepped up -- and launched an RBI single to right field to bring in Oakes and give Shawnee State a 5-4 advantage.

Georgetown, however, was able to answer. In the bottom half of the seventh frame, a single to right field by Sam Turilli, a walk by Hank Schineller and a hit by pitch allowed Starkey to come up and deliver his game-winning two-RBI single that proved to finalize the result.

Additional

Shawnee State (0-3) lost its three games by a total of seven runs -- including by scant 1-0 and 6-5 margins in the final pair of contests -- en route to playing competitive baseball the entire weekend. The effort already showcases significant progress from last season's four-game opening series against Middle Georgia State, as the Bears, in last season's opening series against the Knights, dropped each of its four contests by 32 runs, or an average of eight runs per bout.

SSU will return to action next Saturday with a pair of contests against Madonna (Mich.) at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe. The twin bill is set to commence Saturday, Feb. 10 at 1 p.m.

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