Hitting four home runs, the No. 5-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team picked up a 9-5 victory at No. 22 Middle Georgia State University on Tuesday afternoon in Cochran, Ga. – the first midweek games of this spring.

Juniors Gabe Howell, Nick Tanner and Nick Barnes connected on solo homers in the first, third and fourth innings, respectively, to give GGC a 3-0 lead. Junior Tate Kight hit a three-run home run during a five-run fifth frame to extend the team's lead to 9-1.

Five Grizzlies recorded two or more hits in GGC's 13-hit attack. Barnes led the way with three hits and two runs scored. Contributing two hits apiece were senior Gabe Austin, junior Steven Lugo, Howell and Kight.

Benefiting from that offensive output was junior left hander Christopher Bergmoser, who had six strong innings to improve to 1-1 on the season. He allowed just five hits in the starting assignment. Sophomore reliever Rob Hamby tossed the remaining three innings to pick up the save.

Middle Georgia State (5-5) scored four runs in the ninth inning.

GGC (3-2) has scored first in all five games this season, including a run in the first inning of each contest.
  The visitors broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning – all led by junior team members. A single by Nick Barnes brought home Myles Smith to give GGC a 5-1 lead. Steven Lugo added a RBI single before Tate Kight capped the frame with a three-run home run.
  "We were definitely ready for the first midweek game on the road. We were tough-minded mentally. Tate (Kight) has as much power as anybody on our team and he is seeing the ball really well. On the mound, our pitchers attacked the strike zone and Christopher (Bergmoser) kept opposing hitters off balance," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
  Top of First
Gabe Howell gave the Grizzlies a 1-0 lead with a solo home run
 
Top of Third
Nick Tanner drilled his second home run of the season
 
Top of Fourth
Nick Barnes opened the frame with GGC's third home run of the game
Tate Kight extended the visitor's lead to 4-0 with a RBI double to bring home Steven Lugo
 
Top of Fifth
Steven Lugo added a RBI single to score Nick Barnes, giving GGC a 6-1 lead
Tate Kight connected on a three-run home run
 

• Both teams registered 13 hits in the contest
• The Grizzlies had a stretch of scoring a run in 11 of 13 innings across the past two games
• Seven of GGC's nine starting position players registered a hit
• Sophomore Rob Hamby recorded the team's second save of the season, allowing one earned run across the final three innings

• GGC improves to 3-2 on the season; Middle Georgia State falls to 5-5
• The Grizzlies now lead the series by a 5-4 margin, including a 5-1 mark in Cochran
• Georgia Gwinnett College was ranked No. 5 in the 2020 NAIA Preseason Poll; Middle Georgia State stood No. 22 in the same poll
• GGC has scored first in all five games this season; the team has scored a run in the first inning in four of those contests
• Tuesday marked the first midweek game of the season and started a stretch of six games on the schedule this week

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host Truett-McConnell University (Ga.) on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 5 p.m. from the Grizzly Baseball Complex.