Six extra-base hits contributed to a season-high 17 runs in the Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team's 17-3 victory against Lourdes University (Ohio) in seven innings Sunday afternoon at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.

The No. 5-ranked Grizzlies (21-2) have now won 20 consecutive games, tying for the second longest streak in program history. The program's 2014 team won 20 straight games.

GGC broke Sunday's game open with a nine-run second inning. The scoring started innocently, with freshman Chase Evans hitting a run-scoring single. A few batters later, junior Nick Barnes connected on a grand slam home run to give the hosts a commanding 8-0 lead.

The team added four runs in the fourth and fifth innings to build a 17-2 lead.

Junior Myles Smith went 3-for-3 and drove in three runs at the top of the batting lineup. Barnes also collected three hits and added four RBI, led by the grand slam. Junior Tate Kight and Evans rounded out the multiple-hit efforts each with two hits.

The Grizzlies recorded 16 hits in the game, including five doubles. Kight had two of the doubles.

Junior pitcher Matt Hunt improved to 5-0 on the season, allowing no earned runs across five innings on the mound. Freshman Jake Bearden and junior Denzel Coley scattered one hit across the final two innings in relief.


  The Grizzlies removed any doubt in Sunday's outcome by scoring nine runs in the second inning. Back-to-back base hits from freshman Chase Evans and junior Cord Johnson brought home the first two runs. Then, junior Nick Barnes connected on a grand slam home run to put an exclamation point on the frame.
  "We needed our offense to break out. We were looking to gain more confidence at the plate, especially with a good match up (against No. 11 Cumberlands) coming on Monday. We also were fortunate to get a lot of players into the game. Things couldn't have worked out any better for us," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
  Bottom of Second
Chase Evans opened the productive inning with a RBI single through the right side
Cord Johnson added run-scoring single to give GGC a 2-0 lead
Nick Barnes connected on a grand slam homer to account for the eighth run of the frame
 
Bottom of Fourth
Tate Kight hit a run-scoring double to bring home Isaiah Fleming
Myles Smith lined a single to center field to score Chase Evans, capping a four-run inning
 
Bottom of Fifth
Max Hill hit an infield single to bring home Isaiah Fleming
Myles Smith hit a two-run double to give the Grizzlies a 17-2 lead
 

• GGC outhit Lourdes by a 16-6 margin
• The Grizzlies legged out five doubles and hit one home run
• The team drew nine walks in the victory
• Freshman Isaiah Fleming recorded three putouts from left field
• Nineteen different players saw playing time in Sunday's win

• GGC improves to 21-2 on the season; Lourdes drops to 5-5 in 2020
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 5 in the NAIA Top 25 preseason poll
• GGC has won 20 straight games and is 18-0 at the Grizzly Baseball Complex this season
• The team's 20-game winning streak is tied for the second longest in program history, matching a stretch by the 2014 squad

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host No. 11-ranked University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) on Monday, March 9, at 6 p.m. from the Grizzly Baseball Complex.