DEMOREST, Ga. – The Brevard College baseball team (4-12) battled to the game's final out but fell in a heartbreaker to (RV) Piedmont University (10-5) by a final of 6-5 on Tuesday afternoon at Lowdermilk Field in Demorest, Georgia.
 
BC used a four-run fifth inning to take the lead, 4-2, but Piedmont answered with three in the sixth and an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth to retake control, 6-4. The Tornados were able to scratch across a run in the top of the ninth, but dropped the contest after the Lions turned a game-ending double play.
 
The Lions, who are receiving votes in the D3baseball.com National Top 25 poll, secured their 10^th win of the season, while BC falls to 4-12 with USA South Conference action ramping up this weekend.
 
Brevard got baserunners aboard in both the first and second innings, but the Lions pitched out of the jams and kept the Tornados off the scoreboard. BC then put together a two-out rally in the top of the third with consecutive singles by Hayden Jennings and CP Pyle. The threat was extinguished by a strikeout to end the frame.
 
BC's Jacob Thompson opened the game for the Tornados, hurling a pair of scoreless innings. Kaden Tuten followed suit with a 1-2-3 third, but the Lions were able to touch Andrew Bernard for two runs off a homer. Gage Granata came into the game and forced a double play that ended the fourth, with Piedmont up by two.
 
Brevard punched back in the top of the fifth, bringing around four runs with a major two-out rally. A dropped foul ball error came back to haunt the Lions, as Cale Oehler connected for a two-out, two-RBI double that allowed Pyle and Hunter Busque to score. Frankie Vasquez then followed suit with a clutch two-RBI double that plated Jennings and Oehler, and gave the Tornados their first lead of the ballgame, 4-2.
 
The Tornados staff put up a scoreless fifth, but Piedmont found a response with a rally of its own in the bottom of the sixth. An RBI single, a run that scored on a double play, and a wild pitch gave the Lions a  5-4 edge with three innings left to go.
 
Brevard got the leadoff runner aboard in the top of the seventh as Pyle drew a walk, but he was erased via a double play. Craig Vacher came on in relief and worked a scoreless bottom-half of the seventh, as the Tornados kept within a run of the Lions. Brevard's bats were sat down in order however, as Layne Ayers continued his scoreless relief work for Piedmont.
 
BC was able to get two quick outs before a single and two walks loaded the bases up for the Lions. Piedmont then drew yet another walk to add an important insurance run to its ledger, extending the lead to two runs, 6-4. Hatcher Bailey was called upon and got the vital third out of the inning, as the Tornados limited the damage.
 
Brevard kicked things off in the game's final frame, as Nico Bartolotti and Busque each hit singles, putting two on with nobody out. Kelson followed suit with an infield bunt single, and after a lineout by Pyle, Jennings sent a fly ball into the air that the Lions tracked down. Bartolotti was able to score, but Piedmont turned a double play that ended the contest as Brevard came up one run short of tying the game.
 
Oehler and Vasquez led the offense with two RBI each. Pyle went 3-for-4 at the dish, while Jennings also collected a pair of hits. Bailey, Aaron Burchett, Granata, Thompson, Tuten, and Vacher all pitched without allowing a run for BC.
 
The Tornados open USA South\  play in Buena Vista, Virginia, as Brevard takes on Southern Virginia in a three-game series starting this Friday at 2 p.m.
 
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