The eighth-ranked Georgia Gwinnett baseball team found a way past Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) in both halves of Saturday's doubleheader, sweeping a four-game set from the Lynx with 6-5 and 5-4 victories at the Grizzly Baseball Complex to run its stellar start to the season to 17-0.

Saturday's first game, which was designated for seven innings but went to an extra frame, saw GGC trail 5-1 in the fifth inning, but later witnessed a walk-off victory on Trevor Bradley's eighth-inning RBI single.  The second game saw Georgia Gwinnett build an early lead before holding on late, as three of the Grizzlies' four wins in the series over the Lynx (2-11) were by just one run.

GGC home run leader Zac Rinehart belted long balls in both games Saturday to lead the Grizzly attack. The senior first baseman from Snellville finished the day a combined 6-for-7 with three RBIs and three runs scored.



"Lindenwood definitely kept us on our toes and fought all day," stated GGC head coach Brad Stromdahl.  "In the first game, we were down by four, but didn't stress.  Consequently, we fought back and showed great maturity and perseverance in the win.  Zac really stepped up for us today and carried a lot of the load when we needed him to."

Game 1- Georgia Gwinnett 6, Lindenwood-Belleville 5 (8 inn.)
The Grizzly bats mustered just seven hits in the contest, but GGC dug out of a four-run hole with two runs in the fifth and one each in the sixth, seventh and eighth to keep its winning streak alive. 

Rinehart opened the scoring in the second inning by doubling and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Marcus McCorkle as GGC went on top, 1-0.  The Lynx answered with a run of their own in the top of the third inning, and then four runs in the fifth, keyed by a pair of triples, pushing the visitors on top by a 5-1 score.

The Grizzlies put a runner on second with nobody out to start the bottom of the inning, and Alex Lugo's shot into right-center looked like it might get a rally started, but a diving catch by center fielder Ethan Ruff helped limit the damage. Brady Shoppe would later deliver a two-run single to left to pull GGC within two at 5-3.

Junior Tyler Souris pitched 1.2 innings of effective relief for GGC after starter Will Solomon struck out five over 4.2 innings.

A big momentum play in the sixth helped keep GGC close, as left fielder Brady Hamilton gunned down a man at the plate to end the top half of the inning and send the Grizzlies up to bat still down two runs.   Rinehart then led off the bottom of the inning with a solo home run to right field to make it 5-4.  Reliever Davis Adkins (4-0) came on in the top half of the seventh with one out and two men on base as the Grizzlies set up the double play with an intentional walk. Adkins did his part, inducing a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning and keep the score 5-4.

Jereid Woods then led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk before stealing second base. A ground out pushed Woods to third with one out. Shoppe was hit by a pitch and Trey Haygood came on as a courtesy runner to represent the winning run. Woods tied the game, 5-5, on a misplayed grounder to second base, but later in the inning with runners in scoring position, the Grizzlies couldn't plate the winning run as McCorkle bounced into a fielder's choice and Trumon Jefferson grounded out to first.

In the top of the eighth, the Grizzlies ended a Lynx threat on a double play with a strikeout and a caught stealing to build momentum on defense once again.

Hamilton started the bottom of the deciding inning with an infield single to third. Pinch hitter Michael Hodorowski moved the runner to second with a bunt, then Haygood came on to represent the winning run at second. An intentional walk to Woods put runners on first and second, then Bradley delivered a single up the middle to plate Haygood from second to win the game.

Game 2- Georgia Gwinnett 5, Lindenwood-Belleville 4
The Grizzlies opened the scoring in the nine-inning contest in the bottom of the first with an RBI single from Rinehart that scored Jefferson from second.  Two more runs in the second inning made it 3-0 for the Grizzlies as three straight singles began the inning and RBIs from Lugo and Haygood padded the GGC lead.

Starter Adam Clark was sharp, striking out seven batters over 6.0 innings, allowing just one run on three hits. 

With the score 3-1 in the sixth, the Grizzlies tacked on one more run as Hodorowski scored on a wild pitch.

The Lynx scored three times in the top of the seventh to tie the game, due in part to a leadoff triple. Reliever Jeremy Hutchison (1-0) entered in the inning and while the Lynx would tie it, 4-4, on a sacrifice fly, a stellar defensive play at short by Bradley ended the inning with two more runners in scoring position.

The game did not remain deadlocked for long. With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Rinehart belted a home run to deep right, his fourth of the season, to put GGC ahead, 5-4. The Grizzlies were not able to add to their lead, but pitching and defense helped the lead stand up.

A sharp double play with the pitcher Hutchison covering first base ended a Lynx threat in the top of the eighth, and senior Matt Muench picked up the save in his second appearance of the year with a pair of strikeouts in the ninth inning.

Georgia Gwinnett returns to action on Tuesday as they host Robert Morris (Ill.) in the first game of their two-game series.  First pitch against the Eagles is slated for 6:00 p.m. at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.  The concluding contest with the Eagles will take place on Wednesday starting at 4:00 p.m.

Tickets for Tuesday's game are $5 for adults, $3 for youth, seniors, and military, and free for children under five.  All members of the GGC community receive free admission with their Claw Card.  Season ticket packages are also on sale for all regular season contests.  For more information on ticketing, click here.  Free game day parking is available in the deck at the entrance to the GGC campus.

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