The second-ranked Georgia Gwinnett baseball team used 11 hits to score 10 runs on Friday evening to defeat St. Ambrose (Iowa) 10-4 in the opening contest of its three-game weekend series.
The Grizzlies (21-8) are 13-0 on the season when their offense produces 10 or more runs in a game.
"Tonight was a well-rounded effort by the guys," said head GGC coach Brad Stromdahl. "Nikolay [Uherek] had another great outing with 11 strikeouts, and our guys backed him up with timely hits and runs. We look forward to tomorrow's doubleheader and another opportunity to grow and execute on both sides of the ball."
Georgia Gwinnett took its first lead of the day on an erred throw to third, allowing right fielder Kyler Timmerman to score the first run of the game. St. Ambrose (4-13) tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the second with a grounder to second by shortstop Jake McCabe.
After three scoreless innings, the Grizzlies broke the silence in the bottom of the fifth with a three-run rally. Third baseman Angel Soto led off the inning with a double to the right-center gap and then came around to score on an RBI-single by Timmerman. Six pitches later, second baseman Marcus McCorkle ripped his sixth triple of the 2017 season to the right field wall, scoring Timmerman for the 3-1 lead. Later in the inning, McCorkle would put the Grizzlies ahead 4-1, scoring on a passed ball.
Over the next three innings, the Grizzlies would score two runs during each frame to garner a 10-1 advantage over the Fighting Bees. In the sixth, a two-run triple by designated hitter Jean Figueroa made it 6-1 in GGC's favor. With the five-run lead, Georgia Gwinnett used an RBI-single by pinch hitter Brandon Frazier and a sacrifice fly to left by Timmerman to increase its gap to 8-1. In the eighth, a pinch-hit, two-run bloop single to shallow left by Myles Smith plated GGC's ninth and 10th runs of the contest.
St. Ambrose rallied for three runs in the ninth with an RBI-double by right fielder Mike Miller, a grounder to second by first baseman Greg Wymer, and an RBI-triple by center fielder David Gonzalez, but the Fighting Bees could not overcome GGC's early advantage as the Grizzlies pulled out the 10-4 victory.
Senior Nikolay Uherek (3-2) pitched a complete game for the Grizzlies, surrendering four runs, two earned, on five hits while striking out 11 Fighting Bees. St. Ambrose's Jake Sheley (1-4) was credited with the loss, allowing six runs, five earned, on four walks and eight hits.
On Saturday, the Grizzlies and St. Ambrose will meet again in doubleheader action, concluding the three-game set. Game one will begin at 1:00 p.m. while the final game of the series is set for 4:00 p.m.
The Grizzlies' doubleheader action against the Fighting Bees will be broadcasted live on the Grizzly Digital Network with pregame coverage beginning at 12:45 p.m.
Tickets for Saturday's games are $5 for adults, $3 for youth, seniors, and military, and free for children under five each day. All members of the GGC community receive free admission with their Claw Card. Free game day parking is available in the deck at the entrance to the GGC campus. Georgia Gwinnett is a tobacco and pet free campus.
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