Albany State wins 20th game, beats Middle Georgia

ALBANY — Albany State had this one circled.

After dropping a 9-6 decision to Middle Georgia earlier this month in Cochran, the Golden Rams got their answer Tuesday afternoon — and they got it with pitching, patience and just enough timely hitting to finish the job.

Behind a dominant bullpen and a steady offensive approach, Albany State pulled away for a 6-3 non-conference victory at ASU West, pushing the Golden Rams to 20-12 on the season and an impressive 15-1 mark at home.

“We needed that one!” Albany State head coach Scot Hemmings said. “We held our free passes to five and pitched the ball really well. Nunez got off to a good start and Will Pridgen and Riley Barker were great out of the pen. I wish we would have had some more timely hitting as we left 20 runners on base, but I am proud of our Tuesday win. I think we are trending in the right direction.”

The Golden Rams wasted little time setting the tone.

Albany State struck for two runs in the first inning when Mason Turner delivered an RBI single and Ty Grover followed with a productive at-bat to make it 2-0. But Middle Georgia answered in the third, stringing together three runs on three hits to briefly take a 3-2 lead.

That momentum didn’t last long.

The Golden Rams responded immediately in the bottom half of the inning, reclaiming control with a two-run rally. Emory Stephens tied the game with an RBI single before Ryan Brown followed with a run-scoring hit to give Albany State a 4-3 advantage — a lead it would not relinquish.

From there, the game belonged to Albany State’s pitching staff.

After starter Armando Nunez worked through the early innings, the bullpen took over and slammed the door. Pridgen earned the win with 2.2 scoreless innings, striking out five and allowing no hits. Riley Barker, Luke Hayes and Dereck Foster followed with shutdown efforts, combining to hold Middle Georgia scoreless over the final six innings. Foster closed things out with a clean ninth to record his third save of the season.

In all, Albany State pitchers limited Middle Georgia to just six hits while striking out seven and stranding multiple scoring threats.

Offensively, the Golden Rams created chances all afternoon — sometimes more than they could cash in.

Albany State drew 11 walks and had traffic on the bases throughout the game, finishing with nine hits and leaving 20 runners on base. Still, the lineup produced in key moments.

Turner led the way with two hits and two RBIs, while Stephens and Brown each delivered run-scoring hits during the pivotal third inning. Isaiah Haygood and Aiden Payne reached base multiple times at the top of the order, and Luke Addison set the table with three walks.

The Golden Rams added insurance runs in the seventh and eighth innings — one scoring on a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded and another on a bases-loaded walk — taking advantage of their disciplined approach at the plate to extend the lead to 6-3.

For a team that has made a habit of protecting its home field, Tuesday’s win followed a familiar script: early production, bullpen dominance and enough execution late to finish.

Now, with momentum building and a milestone 20th win secured, the Golden Rams will turn their attention back to conference play.

Albany State travels to Atlanta this weekend for a key SIAC series against Morehouse, beginning Friday and continuing with a Saturday doubleheader — another opportunity to prove Hemmings’ message is taking hold.