Sophomore Jabari Gayle had a team-high three hits as the top-ranked Georgia Gwinnett baseball team began the final series of the regular season with a 6-3 come-from-behind victory over Talladega (Ala.) on Friday night at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.
Despite trailing 2-0 heading into the fifth inning, the Grizzlies belted out 11 total hits and had a solid performance on the mound from four different pitchers to improve to 49-4 on the season.
Gayle finished the game 3-for-3 with a double and a run scored while third baseman William Paschal drove in three runs and first baseman Zac Rinehart had a key RBI-double.
Nikolay Uherek (8-2) battled to earn the victory on the mound, scattering seven hits over 6.0 innings with a pair of strikeouts. Ryan Turner's scoreless ninth inning handed the senior his first-ever save in a Grizzly uniform.
"It was a great team win tonight," said GGC head coach Brad Stromdahl. "We pitched well, Jabari Gayle was great for us and William Paschal had a huge hit in the seventh inning. Those things were the difference in a tight game."
An RBI-double by Talladega's Jean Marmol in the top of the third inning opened the scoring, putting the Tornadoes (20-23) on top, 1-0. An unearned run would score on a GGC defensive error to make it 2-0 in favor of the visitors.
The Grizzlies, quiet offensively through the early innings, finally got the bats going in the fifth. Back-to-back one-out singles from Gayle and left fielder Trumon Jefferson started a GGC rally, and Gayle would come in to score GGC's first run from third on a wild pitch to make it 2-1.
An inning later, the Grizzlies jumped in front for good. After second baseman Jereid Woods and center fielder Josh Merrigan both reached base to begin the sixth, Rinehart unloaded on a double to left-center to score both runners for a 3-2 GGC lead. Paschal then followed with an RBI-double to make it 4-2.
In the seventh, it was Paschal who again provided some key insurance, lining a two-run single into center field to give GGC a 6-2 lead.
The Tornadoes tallied a single run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly, but GGC relievers Tyler Souris, Matt Muench, and Turner combined to allow just two hits over the game's final three innings to preserve a 6-3 win.
The Grizzlies' 49 wins are already five more than the team's previous regular-season high, which was set in 2014.
"Now we look to turn around tomorrow and try to go for a 50-win regular season," added Stromdahl about Saturday's doubleheader, which will close out the regular season.
Action will begin at 2 p.m., with game two beginning approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one.
For all the latest on Grizzly Athletics, including news, scores and features, visit GrizzlyAthletics.com. Check out all the latest Grizzly Baseball content and join the conversation by using @GGC_Baseball on Twitter.
