Junior Taylor Hansis backed up her 2018 Association of Independent Institutions' Softball Pitcher of the Year title by tossing a no-hitter as the Georgia Gwinnett College softball team opened the league championship tournament with an 8-0 five-inning victory against No. 4-seeded Crowley's Ridge College Thursday afternoon at the Grizzly Softball Complex.

Hansis tossed the program's fifth no-hitter and first of the 2018 season. The victory propelled the top-seeded Grizzlies to the winner's bracket contest, where they will play No. 2-seeded Edward Waters College (Fla.) Friday, May 4, at noon. Edward Waters defeated No. 3-seeded Talladega College (Ala.) 5-3 in Thursday's second first-round game of the double-elimination tournament.

GGC got out of the gates quickly in the postseason opener, tallying an unearned run in the first inning. Sophomore RaeQuinn Rossetti hit a sacrifice fly to bring home senior leadoff hitter Niki Cook.

One inning later, junior Brianna Fickes lined a run-scoring single to give the tournament hosts a 2-0 advantage. Later, freshman Holly Janco connected on a RBI triple to give GGC a 3-0 lead in the second inning.

That was enough more than enough offense to support Hansis, who recorded seven strikeouts across five innings. The right hander got seven ground ball outs and needed 73 pitches to complete the dominant performance in the pitching circle.

The Grizzlies' offense exploded in the fifth inning, adding five more runs. Junior Elyssa Melton drove home a pair of runs with a triple. Melton would later score on a RBI single from sophomore Sydney Willhite. Junior Tori Robinsonadded a run-scoring triple to close out the contest.

GGC collected 10 hits with Cook, Robinson and Janco leading the way with each having two hits.

Turning Point

After GGC already scored one run in the fifth inning, junior Elyssa Melton lined a two-run triple to bring home a pair of runs and extend GGC's lead to 6-0.

Key Plays

Bottom of First

RaeQuinn Rossetti gave the Grizzlies the early lead with a sacrifice fly

Bottom of Second

Brianna Fickes' RBI single scored Tori Robinson

Holly Janco hit a run-scoring triple to give GGC a 3-0 lead

Bottom of Fifth

Niki Cook lined a single to center field to bring home Holly Janco

Elyssa Melton hit a two-run triple to score the third of five runs in the inning

Tori Robinson ended the contest with a RBI triple

Inside The Numbers

• GGC collected 10 hits in the victory
• The Grizzlies legged out four triples
• Elyssa Melton registered eight putouts at first base

News & Notes

• Georgia Gwinnett College improves to 47-3 on the season; Crowley's Ridge drops to 21-26 in 2018
• GGC is the unanimous No. 1-ranked team in the NAIA Top 25 poll
• The Grizzlies have had a no-hitter in five of the six seasons in program history
• The team stands 30-1 at the Grizzly Softball Complex in 2018

Up Next

Georgia Gwinnett College faces No. 2-seeded Edward Waters College (Fla.) in a winner's bracket contest Friday, May 4, starting at noon. Crowley's Ridge plays No. 3-seeded Talladega College (Ala.) in an elimination game Friday at 2:30 p.m.