The No. 4-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team picked up a commanding 14-0 victory in seven innings to open a home weekend series against Edward Waters College (Fla.) on Friday afternoon at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.

The Grizzlies (29-8) scored in four consecutive innings and received a strong starting pitching performance from senior Jonathan McKinney. The right hander carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning before Edward Waters' Marcus Judd led off the inning with a single.

McKinney improved to 6-2 on the season and picked up his second straight win against the Tigers. Last weekend in Jacksonville he had a no-hitter through 6.1 innings.

GGC grabbed a 3-0 lead in the third inning when senior C.J. Ballard legged out a triple to bring home the second run of the frame. He would later score on a sacrifice fly.

Senior Brandon Robinson drove in a pair of runs with a double in the fourth inning to extend the lead to 5-0. The Grizzlies added five runs in the fifth inning and four more runs in the sixth inning to record the game that was shortened by the 10-run lead rule.

Sophomore Cord Johnson led GGC's 14-hit offensive attack with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate, while scoring three runs scored and having two RBI. Senior Brenton Burgess, sophomore Cam Coursey, Ballard and Robinson each collected two hits in the victory.

GGC has won its last four games against Edward Waters, outscoring the Tigers by a 39–to-4 margin in the process. The team has won its last seven games and 10 of the last 11 contests.  

The two teams conclude the weekend series with a doubleheader Saturday, April 6, starting at 1 p.m., on Military Appreciation Day. All current military personnel and veterans, along with their families, will gain free admission to the game. Pregame festivities are scheduled to begin at 12:45 p.m. A ceremonial flyover is planned at 1 p.m.
           


Turning Point
The Grizzlies broke the game open in the fourth inning when senior Brandon Robinson hit a double off the first base bag that resulted in bringing home a pair of runs. The two-run double increased GGC's lead to 5-0.
 
Key Plays
Bottom of Third
C.J. Ballard hit a triple to score the second of three runs in the inning
Nick Barnes connected on a sacrifice fly to bring home C.J. Ballard
 
Bottom of Fourth
Brandon Robinson hit a two-run double off the first base bag to give the Grizzlies a 5-0 lead
 
Bottom of Fifth
A balk allowed C.J. Ballard to score from third base – the first of five runs in the frame
Brandon Robinson hit a run-scoring single to bring home Livingston Morris
Cam Coursey followed with a RBI single to left field
 
Inside The Numbers

• The Grizzlies collected 14 hits in the victory
• Sophomore Cord Johnson had a 3-for-3 hitting performance, with three runs scored
• Five players recorded multiple-hit performances
• GGC scored all 14 of its runs between the third and sixth innings

News & Notes

• GGC improves to 29-8 on the season; Edward Waters drops to 18-28
• Georgia Gwinnett College is No. 4 in the NAIA Top 25 poll
• The team is 22-5 at the Grizzly Baseball Complex this season
• The Grizzlies have won all six meetings played between the two programs

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College hosts Military Appreciation Day on Saturday, April 6, at 1 p.m. with a doubleheader against Edward Waters College at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.