March 19, 2014

Faulkner 4, GGC 2

The Georgia Gwinnett baseball team (26-4) had a 20-game winning streak come to an end Wednesday evening with a 4-2 loss to defending national champion and NAIA preseason No. 1 ranked Faulkner (Ala.) (27-5) at the Grizzly Baseball Complex in Lawrenceville.

GGC starter Alex Roberts (4-1) pitched eight strong innings, but suffered his first loss of the season after surrendering four runs on eight hits, adding six strikeouts.

The Eagles scored all four of their runs off four hits in the third inning, including a pair of RBI doubles. After the fourth, Roberts settled in to retire 15 of the next 16 batters and keep the ballgame close.

Patrick McGrady (5-0) earned the win on the mound for Faulkner after throwing 2.1 innings of relief without allowing a base runner. Brad Grifffis also earned his seventh save of the year by pitching the ninth inning as Faulkner ran its own winning streak to nine games.

The Grizzlies scored both of their runs in the fifth inning without recording a hit. Antonio Allen, John Fidanza and Zach Alvord all walked to load the bases. Robbie Payne then scored Allen on a sacrifice fly to left field to put the Grizzlies on the board. Jake Fields walked to reload the bases and Ty Abbott was hit by a pitch to drive home pinch runner Garitt Church.

Trailing by two in the bottom of the ninth, GGC put two runners on with a single and a walk, but an infield fly and a close popup double play ended the Grizzly scoring threat and the game.

The Grizzlies finished with just five hits in the game.

Georgia Gwinnett looks to bounce back with a home doubleheader against Hiwasee (Tenn.) on Friday, starting at 4 p.m. in Lawrenceville.