COLUMBUS, Ga. – UNCP erased a two-run deficit with six runs in the eighth and ninth innings as the Braves rallied to upend 15th-ranked Georgia College, 8-4, in the opening game of the 2011 Peach Belt Conference Baseball Tournament on Sunday morning at historic Golden Park in Columbus, Ga.

The triumph marked the sixth-straight victory for UNCP (39-10) who improved to 2-2 all-time in PBC Tournament play including a 2-0 mark against the Bobcats. Georgia College (35-16) had its three-game winning streak snapped with the setback. It was the eighth-straight loss for the Bobcats in PBC Tournament play.

Keith Whitman homered, drove in two runs and scored four times on a 2-for-4 outing for the Braves who also got multi-hit tallies from three other players. Jason Coker drove in the go-ahead run in the ninth to highlight a 2-for-4 outing, Aaron Parnell doubled and scored on a 2-for-5 day and newcomer J.J. Williams booked a 2-for-5 outing as well.

Shawn Ward drove in two runs on a 3-for-5 day to pace Georgia College who also got a 2-for-5 hitting line from Tanner Funk.

Braxton Lewis (5-0) inherited a 4-2 deficit in the middle of the eighth, but still picked up his fifth win of the season anyway after allowing just a pair of hits in two innings of relief work. Middle reliever Brantley Hattrich struck out two and allowed two hits in three innings of work, but did not get a decision. Reliever Tanner Moore (2-4) saddled the loss for the Bobcats after surrendering four runs on four hits despite recording just two outs in the ninth.

UNCP used a one-out single from Coker, a balk from Guinane and an ill-timed fielding error by second baseman Luke McKay to plate an unearned run in the top of the first, but then extended the lead out to two runs on a leadoff homer from Whitman in the fourth. The Bobcats would slice their deficit in the half in the bottom of the frame, however, utilizing a leadoff triple by Richard Pirkle, as well as a costly throwing error by UNCP starter Brian Willis, to plate their first run of the contest.

The Bobcats kept the momentum going in the bottom of the fifth, however, doubling three times with their first four at-bats to take a 3-2 lead and chase Willis from the mound. Hattrich issued a one-out bases-loaded walk to Travis Echols minutes later to up the advantage out to 4-2. The UNCP reliever would escape any more harm by inducing a double play ball from Benton Yaun in the next at-bat.

After three extremely quiet innings, the Braves would tie the score in the eighth, scoring an unearned run off a RBI double from Parnell, and then knotting the score up on a costly two-out wild pitch by Walker McKinven.

The momentum swing would be continued by the Braves this time as the visiting team on the scoreboard sent 10 batters to the plate in a 4-run ninth inning. Coker's one-out RBI single brought the eventual winning run across, but the Braves added to their lead moments later on a RBI single by Whitman, before capping the scoring off a pair of mistake pitches by Moore later in the frame. UNCP would scratch the scoreboard for the seventh time on a bases-loaded pitch that tagged Kenny Mickens, and then scored their eighth run when Moore issued a full-count walk to Bridgeman.

UNCP will continue action in the 2011 PBC Tournament on Monday afternoon when it battles Augusta State (22-28) who posted an 11-9 upset of PBC regular season champion Francis Marion in Sunday's first round action. First pitch for Monday's winner's bracket game has been set for 12:30 p.m.