The Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team moved one win closer to achieving its goal of playing in the NAIA World Series after defeating Keiser University (Fla.) 10-2 Tuesday afternoon in the Lawrenceville Bracket of the 2018 NAIA Baseball Opening Round at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.

The No. 2-ranked Grizzlies (47-10) used a three-run third inning to take a 4-2 advantage. A run-scoring single from junior Alex Garland scored freshman Walter Coursey to tie the contest, 2-2, after Keiser had taken an early lead. Junior Onassis Matos gave the tournament hosts the lead for good with a two-run single to cap off the third inning.

Later, Garland connected on a two-run home run to extend the team's lead to 6-2 in the fifth inning.

GGC would add four more runs in the eighth inning to a commanding 10-2 edge. Junior Jordan Tylski provided the big blow in the inning with a two-run double.

A passed ball in the first inning allowed junior C.J. Ballard to score for the game's first run. Keiser (38-18) would answer with a run in the second and third innings to take a 2-1 lead.

Sophomore Hunter Dollander scattered six hits in the second complete-game pitching performance of the tournament.

Senior Marcus McCorkle, Coursey and Garland each collected two hits in the victory. The Grizzlies outhit Keiser 11-to-6 in the contest.

Georgia Gwinnett College is the only undefeated team remaining in the Lawrenceville Bracket. This means the team is scheduled to play in the championship game Wednesday, May 16, at 3 p.m., facing the winner of the day's 10 a.m. contest. GGC would need to lose twice in the championship round of the double-elimination tournament.

Turning Point

Junior Onassis Matos broke a 2-2 tie with a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of third inning. The Grizzlies never looked back after taking the lead. The base hit from Matos capped a three-run inning.

Key Plays

Bottom of Third

Alex Garland tied the game, 2-2, with a run-scoring single that scored Walter Coursey

Onassis Matos drove home a pair of runs with a single to give GGC a 4-2 lead

Bottom of Fifth

Alex Garland connected on a two-run home run

Bottom of Eighth

Jordan Tylski hit a two-run double during a four-run inning

By The Numbers

• GGC outhit the Seahawks 11-to-6 in the contest
• Hunter Dollander struck out nine batters in the complete-game pitching performance; GGC has used only two pitchers so far in the tournament
• Hitters in the 2-3-4 positions in GGC's batting lineup collected six of the team's 11 hits and scored five runs

News & Notes

• Georgia Gwinnett College improves to 47-10 on the season; Keiser falls to 38-18 in 2018
• GGC is ranked No. 2 in the final regular-season NAIA Top 25 poll
• The Grizzlies are hosting a NAIA Opening Round for the fifth consecutive year
• The team has received complete-game pitching performances through the first two games of the NAIA Opening Round

Up Next

Georgia Gwinnett College advances to play in the championship round of the Lawrenceville Bracket of the 2018 NAIA Baseball Opening Round. That's scheduled for Wednesday, May 16, at 3 p.m. The opponent will come from the finale of the loser's bracket, taking place at 10 a.m. at the Grizzly Baseball Complex. Once more victory will give the Grizzlies the title and qualification to the NAIA Baseball Word Series in Lewiston, Idaho.