Feb. 8, 2014

Southern Poly 12, GGC 4

The Georgia Gwinnett baseball team (3-1) dropped its first contest of the season to No. 17 Southern Poly (4-0) by a score of 12-4 Friday afternoon at the Grizzly Baseball Complex in Lawrenceville.

The visiting Hornets scored seven runs in the top of the ninth inning to blow open a close game. Southern Poly led by a run entering the frame, but scored two runs on a costly GGC fielding error and three more on a home run.

The Grizzlies took an early lead when Jake Fields scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the second inning. Fields came home on a wild pitch after reaching on a single and advancing around the bases on a pair of groundouts.

The Hornets answered with runs in the third and fourth on two singles in each inning.

Two-out RBI singles by Sloan Strickland and Pat Long were part of a three-run Grizzly fourth inning as GGC stormed in front. Phillip Bates scored the third run from third on a dropped pickoff attempt. Strickland led GGC offensively in the game with two hits, including a double.

Southern Poly scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to retake the lead for good. A Grizzly fielding error with two outs and the bases loaded allowed the first two runs to score.  The go-ahead run came home on an RBI bunt single.

The Grizzlies used five pitchers during the game. Starter Tyler Carpenter allowed two runs on five hits in 6.0 innings pitched with four strikeouts, but did not factor into the decision.

Georgia Gwinnett had several missed opportunities after leaving the bases loaded in the seventh and eighth innings, stranding a total of 10 runners in the game.

The two teams continue their three-game series on the campus of Southern Poly in Marietta, Ga., on Saturday before returning to Lawrenceville on Sunday to finish the series.