ZEBULON — The Screven County Lady Gamecocks had Pike County on the brink pof elimination from the GHSA Class AA state playoffs Wednesday, winning the first game and taking a two-run lead in the bottom of the third in the second game, but Pike fought back to force a split and a game three today at 5 p.m.
    In the second game, Morgan Boswell led the team with a pair of hits.
    Dawn Stewart put SCHS ahead with a two-run homer that drove in Lauren Thomas in the third, but Pike answered with four in the top of the fourth, including a three-run home run to go ahead 4-2.
    They didn't look back.
    Game one was a pitchers battle, with Screven ace Marla Thompson striking out eight, walking none and allowing four hits — one of which a solo home run.
    The Gamecocks had trouble capitalizing on getting the leadoff runner on base in five of the seven innings, but did enough in the top of the fourth to secure the game-one win.
    Rochelle Schuman singled to get things started, and Courtney Burns reached safely after attempting a sacrifice that was bobbled by the PCHS third baseman.
    Thompson sacrificed both runners into scoring position, and Dawn Stewart's grounder to second was good for the second Pike error of the inning. The error allowed Schuman and Burns to score.
    Game three will take place today at 5 p.m. The winner will advance to the Elite Eight of the state playoffs.
    The winner will face the winner of the Union County/Rockmart series in the next round.

Former Devil Hill in the CCGA books
    FLOWERY BRANCH — Former Statesboro golfer Walker Hill went to Coastal Georgia with the hopes of helping build the golf program from the ground up, and Tuesday in north Georgia was a pretty good start.
    According to the Brunswick News, Hill finished third in the Royal Lakes/Oglethorpe Fall Invitational Tuesday.
    The CCGA men combined for a two-round 586 to finish fifth in the 18-team tournament, and Hill's 68 on Tuesday was a record round for Coastal Georgia. The team's 290 on the day was also a team record.

Lady Eagles set sights on Davidson
    As the regular season schedule begins to wind down, the Georgia Southern volleyball team hits the road for the longest stretch of Southern Conference matches.
    The Eagles begin at Davidson today before making visits to Western Carolina Friday and Appalachian State Sunday. Match times are slated for 6 p.m. against the Wildcats and Catamounts and 2 p.m. against the Mountaineers.
    Georgia Southern (15-7, 6-1) is fresh off a pair of sweeps over the top two teams in the SoCon North Division, bypassing UNC Greensboro and Elon in three sets each.         Entering the weekend, the Eagles lead the league in hitting percentage (.268), assists (12.30 aps) and kills (13.25 kps).

GSU men tie Clemson, 1-1
    CLEMSON, S.C. — Georgia Southern and Clemson battled through two overtimes, but neither team could score a goal in the extra periods, ending Tuesday night’s match at Riggs Field in a 1-1 tie. The Eagles’ senior forward Jon Cox scored his fourth goal of the season to give the Eagles a lead in the 27th minute.
    David Leonard dribbled up the middle and played Cox to the right side. Cox scored with a shot across the box to the left corner of the net as the Eagles took the 1-0 score late into the second half.
    The Tigers scored their goal on a rebound in the 86th minute after attacking on the Eagles’ side of the field. Georgia Southern fended off two late scoring threats from Clemson’s Austin Savage in regulation. The first was a header at close-range that went wide right. A flurry of activity around the Georgia Southern box ended with Savage taking a second shot not quite a minute later that hit the left post before going wide.
     In the first overtime, both teams had a corner kick, but neither could capitalize. Clemson had two shots, with Savage’s going wide and Eagle junior goalkeeper Ryan Platt, saving McGill’s attempt. Freshman forward Ethan LePan took the first corner, and the only corner for Georgia Southern in the second overtime. Clemson had three corners and three shots in the final period. Cox had one shot in the second overtime, which was saved by the Tigers’ goalkeeper Cody Mizell.
    Platt had six saves on the night for Georgia Southern while Mizell had two for Clemson.

    If you have a score to report, please call the Statesboro Herald sports desk at (912) 489-9408.