Feb. 15, 2014
GGC 10, Bryan 2
Bryan 8, GGC 6
The Georgia Gwinnett baseball team captured its series with Bryan (Tenn.) on Saturday by splitting a pair of games with the Lions at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.
The Grizzlies (6-3) slugged their way to a 10-2 win in the opening game before Bryan (3-7) nipped GGC in game two, 8-6.
“All in all, it was a good series win for us and we played well today but one inning cost us a lot in game two,” said Grizzlies head coach Brad Stromdahl. “Give credit to Bryan, they are a gritty team, so to come away with the series win is always a good thing.”
Game 1: GGC 10, Bryan 2 (7 Inn.)
Sloan Strickland paced the Grizzly offense going 3-for-3 at the plate with a double and two RBIs as GGC put up 11 hits in the 10-2 win.
Phillip Bates and Jereid Woods each added two hits for GGC. Bates had three RBIs while Woods drove in one. Antonio Allen scored two runs pinch running for Strickland.
Georgia Gwinnett starting pitcher Alex Roberts (2-0) tossed 5.0 innings and allowed one unearned run on two hits, striking out four batters. Christian Van Camp tossed two innings of relief and struck out two batters to strand the bases loaded in the sixth.
The Grizzlies scored in every inning but the fifth.
William Paschal scored the game’s first run on a throwing error by the Bryan shortstop after reaching on a single in the first. Bates had one of his two RBI singles in the second inning to score Allen from third.
GGC plated five runs in the third on run-scoring hits by Jake Fields, Strickland, Kyle Norton and Bates. Fields’ hit was an RBI triple over the head of the centerfielder and Bates’ single drove in two runs.
Strickland and Woods both delivered RBI hits in the fourth inning. Zack Alvord had a pinch hit sacrifice fly with the bases loaded to add a run in the sixth inning.
The Lions struck for an unearned run in the fourth inning without getting a hit after drawing two walks and advancing around the bases on a pair of passed balls. Bryan scored its second run on two hits in the top of the seventh.
Game 2: Bryan 8, GGC 6
Georgia Gwinnett built a 6-3 lead by the sixth inning but Bryan scored the game’s final five runs over the last three innings to split the day.
The Lions struck first with two runs on four hits in the second inning. Bryan scored another run on three singles in the third.
GGC responded with a run in their half of the second on an RBI double off the bat of Alvord. That scored Jake Fields from second after Fields led off the inning with a single.
Alvord belted his second double of the game in the fourth inning. Pat Long hit a two-run single to score Alvord and Garitt Church and tie the game at three.
The Grizzlies took a 5-3 lead on a two-out two-RBI single from Van Camp in the fifth inning. GGC added another unearned run in the sixth on a throwing error by the Bryan pitcher.
Jonathan Spitler pitched three shutout innings in relief of GGC starter Brandon MacKinnon, but the Lions connected in the seventh inning. Bryan used four runs on four hits in the top of the seventh inning to retake a one-run lead.
The Lions added another run in the top of the ninth inning and GGC’s eight total hits were not enough as Bryan produced 13 hits in the two-run game.
The Grizzlies are now 5-3 at home this season. GGC returns to action with a new Monday start time at home against Truett-McConnell at 7:30 p.m.
