The Oglethorpe baseball team took an early 7-0 lead on the Piedmont College Lions Tuesday evening, then held on as Piedmont mounted a furious rally and pulled to within a single run before finally succumbing.

Piedmont scored three runs in both the fifth and seventh innings to cut the Oglethorpe lead to 8-7, and it looked as though they would go to bat in the eighth still down by just one when shortstop Matt Cornwell flew out into a double play to end the seventh inning. However, it appeared that right fielder Neal Amos both successfully tagged up at third and touched home plate before left fielder Will Hanna was doubled off second base. After a long on-field discussion, the umpire's changed the call, giving Oglethorpe a 9-7 lead going to the eighth. Piedmont played the rest of the game under protest.

Piedmont got the run back in the eighth, cutting the lead back to one. But Oglethorpe picked up an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning. Center fielder Brendan Pilger singled and stole second, setting catcher Adam Brazenas up for a run-scoring single to give Oglethorpe their final margin of victory, 10-8.

Cornwell, who moved to pitcher to close the game out, had some difficulty in the eighth, but set the Lions down in order in the ninth, tallying his first save of the year. Overall, he allowed three hits, a run and a walk over two innings, striking out two.

The Petrels exploded early to build their 7-0 lead. They scored two runs in the first on a Pilger fielder's choice-RBI and a passed ball. Then in the second, Oglethorpe scored five times. After taking a 3-0 lead on a fielder's choice, Brazenas brought home another run with an RBI single. Third baseman Cory Leff followed with the big blow, a three-run homer that gave the Petrels a seven-run lead.

Emmett Goodman pitched five solid innings, recording the first win of his Oglethorpe career. He allowed four runs on seven hits, striking out six and walking two. He allowed only one run through the first four innings.

Brazenas led the way for the Petrel offense on the night, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored.

The win improves the Petrels to 2-2 on the young season. They will next be in action Wednesday afternoon at LaGrange.