On Saturday, the second-ranked Georgia Gwinnett baseball team pushed its win streak to six games as the Grizzlies defeated St. Ambrose (Iowa) in doubleheader action. The Grizzlies took game one 10-4 and run-ruled the Fighting Bees in game two with a 14-1 victory in seven innings.
GGC's Saturday victories lock up the series sweep over the Fighting Bees as the Grizzlies have now won 23 contests in 2017 and are 15-0 on the season when their offense produces 10 or more runs in a game.
Junior outfielder Austin Alexander had a career day for the Grizzlies, going 5-for-7 in two games. The Tuscaloosa, Ala., native drove in six runs on the day. Alexander also scored on five different occasions and collected five hits for a "cycle" that included two home runs, a single, a double, and a triple over two contests.
In game one, GGC's starting pitcher, Tyler Souris, remained undefeated on the season, recording his fifth win. Souris allowed just two runs on five hits in the contest, striking out five batters in seven innings of work.
GGC briefly trailed St. Ambrose 2-1 in game one, but regained a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the third on a three-run triple by first baseman Brady Hamilton.
In the fifth, Alexander drove in his first of six runs on the day with an RBI-single to make it 5-2 while a sacrifice fly to deep center by Hamilton pushed the Grizzly advantage to 6-2. Two innings later, Alexander launched the first of his two home runs on the day over the right field fence. The two-run shot gave Georgia Gwinnett the 9-2 lead.
St. Ambrose responded with a two-run double by first baseman Greg Wymer in the eighth to cut GGC's gap to 9-4, but a sacrifice fly to right by second baseman Marcus McCorkle pushed another Grizzly insurance run across the plate in the bottom of the inning, giving the Grizzlies the 10-4 lead. Reliever Tanner Shelton finished out the contest with two strikeouts and fly ball to end game one with a 10-4 Grizzly victory.
Senior Abram Cartledge (1-0) picked up his first win in a Grizzly uniform in game two as the left-hander struck out six while surrendering just one run on six hits in five innings of work.
GGC jumped on the board first in the opening inning as Alexander lifted his second home run of the day over the right field fence.
In the bottom of the second, the Grizzlies used a seven-run inning to push their gap to 8-1 over the Fighting Bees. Catcher Ryan Lark made it 4-1 with a three-run home run over the left field fence while an RBI-single by center fielder Chris Jones gave the Grizzlies a 5-1 lead. Later in the inning, Hamilton drove in the sixth run of game two with an RBI-single. Designated hitter Rodney Tennie knocked in the final two runs of the inning with a two-run single to left.
With an 8-1 lead, Georgia Gwinnett scored four more insurance runs in the third to push its advantage to 12-1, capitalizing on a dropped fly ball in right field, an RBI-double by Alexander, and an RBI-single by Tennie.
The Grizzlies' final two runs of the day came on back-to-back hits as an RBI-double by Tennie and an RBI-triple by third baseman Brandon Frazier closed out GGC's 14 runs in game two.
Reliever Michael Royal closed out the contest with two innings of scoreless relief as the Grizzlies run-ruled St. Ambrose 14-1 in seven innings.
On Friday, March 24, the Grizzlies will welcome No. 1 ranked Faulkner (Ala.) to Lawrenceville for the first contest of their three-game series against the Eagles starting at 6:00 p.m. Georgia Gwinnett will also host the Eagles in doubleheader action on Saturday, March 25 beginning at 3:00 p.m.
The Grizzlies' three-game set against the Eagles will be broadcasted live on the Grizzly Digital Network with pregame coverage beginning at 5:45 p.m. on Friday.
Tickets for Friday's and 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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