Match Up: No. 1 Faulkner (Ala.) vs. No. 6 Georgia Gwinnett
Game 1:  Faulkner 7 – Georgia Gwinnett 1
Game 2:  Faulkner 8 – Georgia Gwinnett 4
Game 3:  Faulkner 5 – Georgia Gwinnett 3

The sixth-ranked Georgia Gwinnett baseball team suffered its first-ever home series sweep at the hands of top-ranked Faulkner (Ala.) on Saturday as the Grizzlies were defeated by the Eagles 8-4 and 5-3 in doubleheader action.

In game one, the Grizzlies (23-11) held a 4-2 lead over Faulkner after four innings of play.  In the first inning, center fielder Chris Jones plated GGC's first run of the day with an RBI-single to the shallow left to tie the game at 1-1.  After the Eagles scored their second run of the contest on a sacrifice fly by pitcher Reid Long in the top of the third, the Grizzlies responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning to take their lone lead, 4-2, of the contest.  Second baseman Marcus McCorkle tied the game at 2-2 when he scored on a Faulkner fielding error.  Later in the inning, Jones lifted a sacrifice fly to deep center to give the Grizzlies the 3-2 lead.  Three pitches later, catcher Brady Shoppe made it 4-2, driving an RBI-single to shallow right.

Faulkner (31-3) would go on to score six unanswered runs over the next three innings, one in the fifth, three in the sixth, and two in the seventh, to regain the lead and create an 8-4 edge over the Grizzlies.

Long was game one's winning pitcher.  The left-hander pitched five scoreless innings of relief for the Eagles, striking out five Grizzlies en route to the 8-4 win.  Senior Trevor Bradley (4-2) suffered the loss, surrendering six runs, four earned, on five hits in 5.2 innings of work.



Game two started out in Faulkner's favor as the NAIA's top-ranked team jumped out to a 5-0 lead after six innings of play.  Georgia Gwinnett broke up the potential shutout in the bottom of the seventh, producing a three-run rally to cut FU's lead to 5-3.  Catcher Jean Paul Rodriguez drove in the Grizzlies' first run of game two with an RBI-single to left.  On the next pitch from reliever Braden Olive, pinch-hitter Kyler Timmerman ripped an RBI-double to the left-center gap, scoring Rodriguez.  Facing a 5-2 deficit, GGC plate its third and final run of the day with an RBI-single by right fielder Jean Figueroa.

Of note, relievers Stone Kelly and Tanner Shelton kept the Eagles scoreless in the final three innings of the contest.  Kelly did not allow a hit and struck out four of the seven batters he faced in two innings of work.  Shelton closed out the contest with two innings of shutout relief as well.

GGC's Tyler Souris (5-1) suffered his first loss of 2017, allowing five runs, one earned, on seven hits while Faulkner's Israel Fuentes (6-0) received the victory.

Next, Georgia Gwinnett welcomes Talladega (Ala.) to Lawrenceville on Tuesday, March 28 for doubleheader action.  First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. with pregame coverage beginning at 2:45 p.m. on the Grizzly Digital Network.  Both contests will be broadcasted free of charge.

Tickets for Tuesday's game are $5 for adults, $3 for youth, seniors, and military, and free for children under five.  All members of the GGC community receive free admission with their Claw Card.  Season ticket packages are also on sale for all regular season contests.  For more information on ticketing, click here. Free game day parking is available in the deck at the entrance to the GGC campus.

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