April 24, 2015
Box Score
BECKLEY, W. Va. - Christian Turnipseed came into Friday afternoon's baseball game with West Virginia Tech with the goal of keeping the hosts off the board long enough for Georgia Gwinnett push a run across, and the senior did just that as the second-ranked Grizzlies grabbed a 4-3 12th-inning victory over the Golden Bears at Linda K. Epling Stadium.
GGC, which lost 11-5 in the day's first game to Rio Grande, now sits at 42-9 on the season.
Turnipseed, who improved to 5-0 on the year, entered the game in the bottom of the ninth and pitched a season-best four innings, striking out seven in the process.
It was Ty Abbott who supplied the game-winning run for the Grizzlies, cashing in Marcus McCorkle with a double to left-center. It marked the third run batted in on the day for the senior, who took his nation-leading total in the category up to 77.
Abbott finished 1-for-4 in the game, and Arsenio Watlington enjoyed another strong outing at the top of the line-up, going 3-for-5 with a pair of scores. As a team, GGC collected 12 hits in the contest.
Turnipseed wasn't the only Grizzly to impress on the mound as Joseph Boatright made the start and fanned seven as well. The junior allowed all three Golden Bear hits in the game and gave up three runs (one earned).
Andy Threatt also saw action on the mound and tossed a pair of scoreless frames.
A Kyler Timmerman sacrifice fly in the fourth allowed GGC to draw first blood in the ballgame, but it was short-lived as a Trevor Lam single tied it up in the bottom of the frame. Jamie McKnight and Ernesto Vazquez each doubled in the ensuing inning to restore the one-run edge.
An error in the seventh came back to haunt the Grizzlies as the hosts grabbed a 3-2 advatage, but an Abbott sac fly plated Watlington in the eighth to bring things back even.
In the day's first game, Rio Grande racked up six runs in the first and another four in the eighth as the Grizzlies saw their six-game winning streak snapped.
Starting pitcher Alex Roberts was dealt his fourth loss of the season, and Brian Jacobs enjoyed a 3-for-4 outing at the plate as the Grizzlies were out-hit by the Red Storm 14-10.
GGC will return to action on Saturday with a doubleheader against West Virginia Tech.
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