PEMBROKE — The University of North Carolina at Pembroke endured the highs and lows of playing in the difficult Peach Belt Conference on Saturday in its doubleheader split against 26th-ranked North Georgia at Sammy Cox Field.

After Jason Coker won the first game for the Braves with a walk-off homerun for a 7-5 decision, UNCP dropped the nightcap in equally dramatic fashion as North Georgia pushed across a single run in the 10th inning for a 2-1 victory.

But UNCP (20-10, 3-7 PBC) can still win its first conference series of the season with a victory today in its series finale with the Saints. The rubber match is set for 1 p.m. today at Sammy Cox Field.

“We didn’t come out with intensity and it’s frustrating,” UNCP coach Paul O’Neil said. “Our guys just are not hungry enough to sweep a doubleheader. We won’t win in the postseason unless we change that attitude.”

The Braves had the game-tying and potential game-winning runners on base with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning and the team's leading hitter, Kevin Dietrich, up to bat.

But UNCP's rally was thwarted and the game ended after Kyle Adair was picked off first by North Georgia catcher Daniel Pettiti.

Adair picked himself off the dirt in disbelief after game ended on the close play at first.

“We have to play better tomorrow and keep our heads up,” O’Neil said. “That last play wasn’t why we lost. We only had four hits the whole game and that tells the story.”

Matt McGovern (4-0, 2.53 ERA) went the distance in the series opener against the Saints (16-14, 8-6 PBC), allowing four earned runs in nine innings and finishing with nine strikeouts. The Braves trailed 5-4 heading into the bottom of the ninth before mounting a three-run inning to win.

Dietrich led off with a double to right-center and was moved over to the third following a bunt from Derek Funk. Seth Kivett’s RBI single tied the game on the next pitch before Coker’s bomb to left supplied UNCP with the victory.

Jordan Pegram homered twice and had three hits in the Braves’ Game 1 win, upping his batting average to .410 this season.

Brian Willis allowed one run as the starting pitcher in Game 2 for UNCP, but he was out-pitched by Saints’ ace Tyler Musslewhite. Musslewhite didn’t get the decision, but allowed just three hits in eight innings while striking out nine Braves.

Edmund Locklear accounted for UNCP’s lone run in Game 2 with a homer to right in the sixth.