With North Georgia just three outs away from advancing to the Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship game, Augusta State came alive with three ninth-inning runs to avoid elimination and force a deciding third game to be held at 7 p.m. tonight at Golden Park in Columbus.

The Jaguars (24-29) lived to play another day, while the Saints (34-19) dropped their first game of the tournament. Jacob Rickett (6-3) suffered the loss for the Saints, giving up all three runs in the ninth inning and not striking out a batter.

PIEDMONT SOFTBALL: The Piedmont College softball team will open play in the 2011 NCAA National Tournament Thursday in Cortland, N.Y. The six-team regional will be hosted by SUNY-Cortland. Piedmont has won 27 games this season, and the Great South Athletic Conference championship.