ATLANTA – The Petrels had the tying run at the plate after trailing by three with two out and two strikes in the bottom of the ninth but ultimately came up short to Piedmont, 5-3, in a nonconference game Tuesday at Hermance Stadium.

Nick Tarantino drew a two-out walk to start the rally before Mason Pearcy tripled him home in the next at-bat. The sequence followed a bit of misfortune for Oglethorpe, whose first two out of the inning came on a lineout double play that erased what could have been a game-tying triple from Pearcy. Instead, Pearcy wound up stranded on third in a 5-3 game.

Pearcy ended the day 2-for-4 with two RBI's, his other hit coming in the seventh on an RBI single to left, scoring Andrew Noack. That made it 3-2, but the Petrels gave up a pair of unearned runs in the top of the ninth which proved to be crucial insurance runs for the Lions.

Carson Weir also provided an RBI single in the fourth, driving in Sam Mills.

Up next, Oglethorpe faces Covenant, another USA South member, this weekend in a three-game set. Game one of the series will take place at Hermance Stadium Friday at 5 p.m. Games two and three will take place Saturday in a 12 p.m. doubleheader at Covenant.