The sixth-ranked Georgia Gwinnett baseball team bounced back into the win column on Tuesday evening as the Grizzlies swept Association of Independent Institutions rival Talladega (Ala.) in an epic doubleheader battle.
The Grizzlies (25-11) defeated Talladega in a 12-0 shutout in game one and used a ninth inning walk-off infield single by Marcus McCorkle in the bottom of the ninth for the 13-12 victory in the nightcap.
"It's good for the guys to get two wins back under their belts after being swept this past weekend," said GGC head coach Brad Stromdahl. "Myles [Smith] and Michael [Royal] dominated Talladega on the mound in our first game, and our guys held strong and just didn't give up in game two. Each day, we are growing and learning and that's the direction we need to continue to take."
Freshman Myles Smith and senior reliever Michael Royal combined for a three-hit shutout in GGC's 12-0 victory in game one. Smith took a no-hitter into the fifth and also picked up two strikeouts in five innings of work. Royal surrendered just two hits in relief.
GGC scored its first two runs of the contest in the third inning as an erred throw by Talladega's first baseman Emilio Martinez plated pinch runner Deion Sellers for the 1-0 Grizzly lead. Four pitches later, first baseman Brady Hamilton scored on a fielder's choice.
The Grizzlies increased their gap to 8-0 over the Tornadoes (24-14) two innings later, plating six runs on seven hits and two Talladega errors. Right fielder Jean Figueroa made it 3-0 with an RBI-single up the middle, scoring shortstop Trevor Bradley. When retrieving the hit, Talladega's Wilkin Louis bobbled the ball, allowing designated hitter Rodney Tennie to also score. With a 4-0 lead, McCorkle drove in two more Grizzlies with a two-run double to center. The seventh Grizzly run scored on another Talladega error while an RBI-triple by Sellers increased Georgia Gwinnett's gap to 8-0.
Georgia Gwinnett would go on to score four more insurance run in the sixth, leading to the 12-0 victory in game one. GGC's Smith (3-2) received the win while Talladega's starter, Kyle Chavez (7-3) was credited with the loss.
In game two, the Grizzlies faced a 6-1 deficit after four innings of play. While trailing, GGC maintained its focus and slowly chipped away at the Tornadoes' lead as the Grizzlies eventually tied the game at 9-9 in the bottom of the seventh on a three-run home run by Kyler Timmerman. Later in the inning, an RBI-single by Bradley gave GGC its first lead of the game at 10-9.
Talladega bounced back with two runs of its own in the top of the eighth, taking the 11-10 lead on a passed ball. An inning later, pinch-hitter Brondick Johnson increased the Tornadoes' slight lead to 12-10 with an RBI-single to center.
Facing a two-run deficit and their final three outs of the contest, the Grizzlies rallied again and emerged with the 13-12 come-from-behind victory in the bottom of the ninth. Austin Alexander drew the Grizzlies within one, 12-11, with a pinch-hit RBI-single to center and later came around to score, tying the game at 12-12 when Figueroa ripped an RBI-triple to the right-center wall.
With center fielder Chris Jones standing at second, McCorkle hit a high chopper towards the Talladega third baseman. McCorkle used his speed to beat out the bang-bang throw at first, but the relay throw to the plate by Martinez was high, allowing Jones to slide in under the Tornadoes' catcher to score the game-winning run.
Reliever Chase Boone received the victory while Chavez (7-4) was tabbed with the loss.
Next, Georgia Gwinnett welcomes Shawnee State (Ohio) to Lawrenceville on Friday, March 31 in the first contest of its three-game series against the Bears. First pitch is set for 5:00 p.m. with pregame coverage beginning at 4:45 p.m. on the Grizzly Digital Network.
Tickets for Friday'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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