The No. 8 Georgia Gwinnett baseball team snapped its two-game skid on Saturday as the Grizzlies overcame a three-run deficit to defeat the Phoenix of Cumberland University (Tenn.) 9-6.
"It was great to see the team bounce back today after yesterday's tough loss," said GGC head coach Brad Stromdahl. "We had a great team win with clutch hitting and good pitching."
Catcher Brady Shoppe and second baseman Trevor Bradley led the Grizzlies at the plate, driving in combined eight runs on four hits.
Junior reliever Michael Mayuski (3-0) provided the Grizzlies with two shutout innings of work to record the final six outs of the contest, scattering three hits while striking out two to pick up his third win of 2017.
GGC (28-14) snagged a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on Austin Alexander's seventh home run of the season. Two innings later, the Grizzlies pushed their advantage to 3-0 with an RBI-single by Bradley.
Cumberland (18-24) tied the game at 3-3 as the Phoenix plated two runs in the fifth on a solo home run by Austin Voeller and an RBI-single by Bo Saunders and another run in the sixth with an RBI-double by Steven Hollis.
The Phoenix continued their rally in the seventh, pushing three runs across the plate for the 6-3 advantage over the Grizzlies. Catcher Nick Mira gave CU the 5-3 lead with a two-run single down the right field line while an infield chopper by Hollis moved the Phoenix's gap to 6-3.
Georgia Gwinnett refused to quit and rallied for three runs in the eighth, tying the game at 6-6. Bradley connected for his second RBI-hit of the day as he lifted a three-run double to the left-center gap.
Down to their final three outs of the contest, the Grizzlies used back-to-back hits by Alexander and pinch hitter Rodney Tennie and a hit-by-pitch to shortstop Marcus McCorkle to load the bases. With one out in the inning, Shoppe stepped to the plate and provided the late inning heroics, lifting a three-run double to the right-center field gap to give Georgia Gwinnett the 9-6 lead and win.
GGC starter Tyler Souris went six innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits. The Grizzly trio of Souris (4), Mayuski (2), and middle reliever Stone Kelly (2) combined for eight strikeouts in the game while giving up five walks. Cumberland's Mitch Langer (2-3) suffered the loss.
Georgia Gwinnett meets Cumberland in the rubber game of the three-game series on Sunday with first pitch set for 1:00 p.m. Eastern.
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