CLEVELAND , Tenn. - The Southern States Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament concluded on a stormy Saturday with North Georgia College & State University being crowned Tournament Champions. 

The Saints again crushed No. 6 Lee University, this time by a 14-0 count.  In earlier games, North Georgia defeated Auburn University Montgomery, 10-8, while Lee University knocked off Georgia Southwestern State University , 7-4.

The nightcap was once again marred by bad weather, as the game started 45 minutes late and included a thirty minute rain delay.  Most of the rest of the game was played in mist and rain. 

NGCSU got things going in an error-plagued seven-run first inning.  They recorded only three hits in the inning, but a dropped fly ball in left field and two bobbled grounders did the damage.  The Dahlonega club added a pair of runs in the third and sixth innings, before a three-run blast by Ryan Gurley finished Lee off.  He has three home runs this season, two against Lee. 

The Saints recorded only nine hits after having averaged 15.5 per game, but made them count, taking advantage of eight walks and four errors by the Flames.  Gurley was 2-for-3 with four RBI, two walks, and three runs scored.  Justin Rickett capped off a remarkable tournament with two doubles, four RBI, and two runs scored.  He had seven extra base hits in five games.  David Chastain drove home three runners. 

Justin Stowe was dominant, allowing only five baserunners in eight shutout innings.  He struck out 12 before yielding to Skyler Webb for the ninth.  Stowe upped his record to 9-3. 

Russ Williams received the same poor support as David Dowdy one night earlier, going five innings and allowing nine runs.  However, only four were earned and he whiffed seven.  Travis Smith and Chris Shepherd completed the game.  Jeremy Hutslar had two hits for Lee. 

Lee falls to 46-11, while No. 14 NGCSU goes to 51-12.  Both advance to the NAIA Region XIII Tournament, beginning on May 11, hosted by LSU-Shreveport.  Lee will host King College in a Wednesday doubleheader at Olympic Field in a tune-up for regionals. 

In the 3:30 game, AUM took an early 2-0 lead before North Georgia took the lead with three runs in the fourth inning. North Georgia would go up 5-2 the following inning. In the top of the sixth, the Senators would send ten batters to the plate and score six runs to go up by an 8-5 margin.

The Saints would not surrender. They answered AUM's big inning with one of their own with five runs in the in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Leading the North Georgia charge was Gurley. Gurley was a perfect 4-for-4 with a double, a walk and two runs scored.  Kevin Bulger, Justin Rickett, Richie Daigle and Erik Good each added two hits each to the North Georgia total of 16 hits. Bulger and Daigle each had a double and Rickett launched a home run in the win.

The Senators were lead by Drew Danner and Britt Clayton with two hits each. Four other Senators singled to give AUM eight hits in the game.

Craig McKee picked up the win in relief by being the pitcher of record during North Georgia 's five-run seventh. McKee (2-0) gave up one hit and two runs, while striking out one in two innings. Joseph Hardigree pitched the final two innings without giving up any hits or runs to gain his sixth save of the season.

Kyle Hunter took the loss with 1 1/3 inninings pitched. Hunter (4-4) gave up five runs and six hits and struck out one.

AUM fell to 33-26 and will now look to receive a bid to the NAIA Region XIII Tournament.

In the earlier game, Gabe Seten gave the Lee baseball team a clutch performance as the Flames eliminated Georgia Southwestern, 7-3. 

The Lee club rode Seten’s strong right arm in a complete game effort to move on to their fifth game in the SSAC Tourney.  They will face either North Georgia or AUM in the 7 p.m. game tonight. 

It looked like it would be another wild game as the score stood at 2-2 after three innings.  GSW would take the lead in the fourth, but senior Trey Hicks bounced a single up the middle to score Jimmy Stanfield and Matt Brooks and put Coach David Altopp’s team up 4-3. 

Lee would add a pair of insurance runs an inning later a two-run double by Andrew Shaver.  Seten made the lead stand up, holding the Hurricanes scoreless in the final five innings.  He threw 150 pitches to relieve the Flames’ beleaguered bullpen, notching seven strikeouts in nine innings, while allowing only one earned run on seven hits and five walks.  Seten is now 4-2. 

Stanfield was 2-for-2 with three runs scored and two walks.  Andrew Shaver had a pair of hits, as did Matt Brooks. 

Josh Drew took the loss for GSW, allowing six runs on seven hits and four walks in 4 2/3 frames.  Jay Perdue followed with 2 1/3 innings of relief before Steven Snell finished off the contest.  Jake Mobley had a home run and finished with a pair of hits and RBIs.  Jeremy McCall and Mitch Wade had two hits, with the latter collecting a double as well. 

Southwestern falls to 29-21 and will wait until region play to continue their season.