AMERICUS, Ga. – The UNC Pembroke baseball team used a pinch-hit home run from Nolan Pierce to build a three-run lead in the top of the eighth, but Georgia Southwestern used an ill-timed error in the home half of the frame to plate four unearned runs and nip the Braves, 9-8, in the series opener on Saturday afternoon at Hurricane Stadium.
 
Drew Beaver drove in a run and scored once on a 3-for-4 day at the plate to lead the Braves (21-11, 5-8 PBC) who also got multi-hit performances from Jarratt Mobley (2-for-5, HR) and Roberto Rivera (2-for-3, 2 R). Alex Kranick (3-for-5, 2B) and Jonathan Martin (3-for-5, 2B, 5 RBI) both turned in three hits apiece to pace the Hurricanes (13-18, 6-7).
 
Kyle Ramsey (2-2) came on in relief with one out in the eighth and saddled the loss after yielding a one earned run on a pair of hits. Matt Hubbard (1-1) picked up the win in relief for the hosts despite allowing four earned runs on three hits in just two innings of work. Mitch Holloway notched his fourth save of the campaign by pitching a scoreless ninth.
 
The Braves led 5-1 after Stibel Aleman Saba's fielder's choice RBI with two outs in the fourth, but Georgia Southwestern loaded the bases with its first four at-bats in the bottom of the inning, and then stormed ahead on Martin's two-out grand slam.
 
UNCP went back in front on Mobley's 2-run homer with two outs in the seventh, and then tacked on a pair of insurance runs thanks to a 2-run pinch hit dinger by Pierce in the eighth. Martin's RBI single with one out in the home half of the eighth chased reliever Aaron Biggerstaff from the hill, but Ramsey came on to induce a pop up for the second out of the inning and appeared to be in line to get the Braves out of the jam.
 
However, Zach Barron hit a RBI double with the next at-bat to pull Georgia Southwestern to within a single run, and Dakota Long's two-run single moments later provided the winning margin.