The fifth-ranked Georgia Gwinnett baseball team displayed an offensively dominant showing on Tuesday as the Grizzlies overpowered No. 17 Middle Georgia State 18-7 en route to a seven-inning, run-rule victory.
"Our hitting tonight was on point and timely," said GGC head coach Brad Stromdahl. "The guys showed up ready to play, and I'm proud of the effort they displayed against a great Middle Georgia squad."
The Grizzlies (14-4) were led by junior left fielder Austin Alexander at the plate as the Tuscaloosa, Ala., native went 3-for-4, including his third home run of the season, and drove in five of GGC's 18 runs in the contest. He finished just shy of the cycle, recording a single, double, and home run against the Knights.
Georgia Gwinnett opened the contest with a seven-run first inning and then responded with back-to-back three-run innings to take a 13-0 lead in the third.
With the bases loaded in the first inning, Alexander gave GGC the 2-0 lead a two-run single up the middle. With one out in the inning, designated hitter Kyler Timmerman made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly to deep center, scoring first baseman Brady Hamilton. Alexander would then score on an RBI-single by catcher Ryan Lark to make it 4-0 in the Grizzlies' favor. Moments later, shortstop Angel Soto cleared the bases, ripping the first pitch he saw over the left field fence for a three-run home run.
Up 7-0 in the second, the Grizzlies pushed three more runs across the plate to take the 10-0. Third baseman Deion Sellers scored on a wild pitch, making it 8-0, while second baseman Marcus McCorkle was knocked in by a grounder to first by Alexander. Timmerman's second sacrifice fly of the game made it 10-0 in GGC's favor.
In the third, Hamilton's sacrifice fly to right, Alexander's RBI-double to right, and another wild pitch by the Knights added to the Grizzlies' 13-0 lead.
Middle Georgia (15-5) halted the shutout in the bottom of the third, scoring three runs, including a solo home run by shortstop Bryce Todd. The Knights posted another three-run inning in the fourth, cutting GGC's gap to 13-6. Shortly after, the Grizzlies would score two insurance runs in the fifth off an RBI-double by Timmerman and an RBI-single by center fielder Rodney Tennie, giving GGC the 15-6 lead.
In the top of the seventh, GGC would drive in three more runs to take an 18-6 advantage. Alexander drove a 2-2 pitch over the right field fence to make it 16-6 while Lark's two-run double down the left field line catapulted the Grizzlies to the 18-6 advantage.
The Knights managed a final run in the seventh with a bases-loaded walk, but could not overcome Georgia Gwinnett's early lead as Middle Georgia fell 18-7 in the Grizzlies' run-rule victory.
GGC's Trevor Bradley (3-1) picked up his third win of the season, surrendering six runs, five earned, in six innings of work. He struck out four batters without surrendering a walk. MGSU's Jake Hundley (1-1) received the loss, giving up seven runs on four hits in an inning of work.
Georgia Gwinnett will be back in action tomorrow as the Grizzlies host NCAA Division II foe Albany State (Ga.) in a midweek meeting. First pitch from the Grizzly Baseball Complex is set for 4:00 p.m. The game will be broadcasted live on the Grizzly Digital Network with pregame coverage beginning at 3:45 p.m.
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