ALBANY — The Darton College baseball team won just its third game of the season Tuesday when it hosted the No. 3 team in the country, the Chipola Indians, and ended up with a huge upset win, 14 -13.
“Any win is a big win right now, but if you look at three wins we do have, they’ve been against really good teams,” said Darton coach Glenn Eames, whose team improved to 3-9 overall, but now has beaten nation JUCO powers TCC and Northwest Florida State Community College in that string. “But this one was definitely a big win and the bottom line is if we can learn to pitch a little bit better, we’re going to be OK and we’ll have a chance to win some of these big ball games. That’s been our Achilles heel so far. But (Tuesday), we definitely out-banged (Chipola).”
The game was highlighted by 31 total hits and 27 total runs between the two teams. All nine starters for the Cavs collected at least one hit, while five of the nine had multiple hits, including Erik Gaylord, who recorded four hits and smacked a huge, two-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh that gave the Cavs the lead for good. Shortstop John Duran hit his first home run of the season, while catcher Freddy Garay, right fielder Jeremy Boyd and centerfielder Darnel Duckett all had two hits and first baseman Tag Lanier smacked three hits — all doubles. Garay and Lanier also both drove in two runs. Lanier is now leading the team in batting average at .412 and doubles with six.
Left- handed pitcher, Michael Castro stepped up and had a big game out of the bullpen, pitching 3 1/3 innings, while scattering five hits, allowing just two runs, walking one and striking out two. Jake Smith pitched a dominating 8th inning and Kevin Bibler was just as impressive in the 9th. Castro picked up the win and Bibler got the save, his third on the year.
The Cavs next play at Brewton Parker on Thursday.

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AMERICUS — Georgia Southwestern scored five runs in the seventh and shut out Albany State, 7-0, Tuesday to improve to 4-3 on the season. Albany State is 5-4 for the year.
Travis Barrett (1-0) pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out five to get the win. Trent Dooley went 2-for-4 with a double and drove in four runs. Dooley is now hitting .522 through seven games. David Lewis took the loss for Albany State.

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GSW SPLITS SOFTBALL DH:

GSW’s softball team split a doubleheader against Georgia College on Tuesday, dropping the first game, 6-3, and coming back with a five-run seventh inning to win the second game, 7-6.
GSW ( 7-9, 1-5 in PBC) was led by Anna Oswald (three-run triple in the first game), Tiffany Milstid (pitched five innings of scoreless relief in the win, allowing two hits while striking out two), Lyndi Duff (2-for-4 in the second game with a double and two RBI), and Gabby Buck, and Cherrelle Pullen, both of whom had two hits apiece in the second game.
GSW had not defeated GCSU since joining NCAA Division II, and was 0-7 and had been outscored 42-15 before Tuesday.