The No. 1 ranked Georgia Gwinnett baseball team dropped just its third game of the 2016 season on Tuesday night falling to No. 4 Faulkner (Ala.) 11-3.
Three costly errors doomed the Grizzlies (42-3) as Faulkner (35-10) capitalized on each miscue, plating five unearned runs. Tuesday's loss splits the season series with Faulkner as GGC defeated the Eagles 3-1 in Lawrenceville on March 22.
"Tonight, we played like a team who has been on the road the last three weeks," stated GGC head coach Brad Stromdahl. "We got beat today, but are looking forward to being back home tomorrow against Auburn-Montgomery. These games are preparing us for the tournaments ahead."
Georgia Gwinnett collected 10 hits in the contest, but left eight runners stranded on base.
The Grizzlies held their lone lead, 1-0, in the first inning of play with an RBI-chopper to second by first baseman Zac Rinehart. Right fielder Trey Haygood led the game off with an infield single, advanced to second on a single by designated hitter Marcus McCorkle, moved to third on a ground out by center fielder Josh Merrigan, then scored on Rinehart's ground ball.
Faulkner took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second on a two-run double by Deivy Palmerio. An inning later, the Grizzlies tied the game at 2-2 on an Eagle fielding error.
The Eagles regained a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the third. A GGC fielding error scored the first two runs of the inning while an RBI-single by Peivy added the third run of the frame in favor of the Eagles.
In the fourth, Faulkner added an insurance run on RBI-single by T.J. Condon before Georgia Gwinnett plated its final run of the contest on an RBI-infield single by third baseman William Paschal.
Faulkner went on to score five more runs over the next three innings, including a two-run home run by Condon in the bottom of the eighth, to seal the 11-3 victory over the Grizzlies.
GGC starter Nikolay Uherek (7-2) was credited with the loss, surrendering six runs, four unearned, on eight hits in five innings of work. Faulkner's Kurt Lipscomb (1-1) picked up his first win of the season, allowing just three runs, one unearned, on nine hits while recording two strikeouts.
Tuesday's game with Faulkner concludes the Grizzlies' 10-game schedule away from home. Georgia Gwinnett now returns to the Grizzly Baseball Complex on Wednesday as it hosts No. 8 Auburn-Montgomery (31-11) in a nine-inning contest. First pitch between the Warhawks and Grizzlies is set for 6:00 p.m.
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