Box Score

COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Georgia Gwinnett offense got back to its high-scoring ways on Sunday afternoon as the team picked up a 12-1 victory over No. 21 Oklahoma Baptist to take home the top spot in the Copper Bracket at the NFCA Leadoff Classic at South Commons Softball Complex.

"Overall this was a good tournament for us," GGC Head Coach Kat Ihlenburg said. "We picked up two wins over ranked opponents and continued to progress as a program. I'm happy that we were able to close out the weekend on a high note, and now we'll take it into Mobile next weekend."

Cassidy Littlefield's leadoff home run to start the game signaled the return to form for the Grizzly line-up as she would be one of five different players to record multiple hits in the affair as the team out-hit the Bison 13-3 over a run rule-shortened six innings. Littlefield was joined in the home run column by Alycia Fields, whose sixth-inning grand slam propelled her to a 2-for-5 day with five runs batted in.

The trio of Chlesi Palazzo, Haley Thompson and Ashleigh Simmons also impressed, combining to go 7-for-9 with five scores and three RBI.

GGC (9-4) would go on to score four more runs in the opening frame, and after the Bison reclaimed a run in the bottom half, Littlefield answered with a bunt single to leadoff the second and later scored on a Thompson single to restore the advantage at 6-1.

From there, pitcher Ashley Beyke went to work for the Grizzlies, limiting OBU (4-9) to just two hits over the game's final five frames and finishing with one unearned run on three hits while striking out three. She improved to 3-1 on the year.

A Rayna Harjo error and Jordyn Fones sacrifice fly in the fifth took the GGC advantage out to seven runs, and Fields' homer in the sixth gave the team its 11-run cushion to secure a seventh Grizzly victory this season decided in less than seven innings.

GGC will return to action next weekend at the Gulf Coast Invitational.

NOTES: Sunday's game was the first ever for the Grizzlies against a school from the state of Oklahoma ... GGC is now 27-15-1 all-time in the month of March ... With 12 home runs already this season, the Grizzlies now stand just three shy of eclipsing last season's total.

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