A matchup between quality Top-10 NAIA teams lived up to its billing as the No. 3-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team scored a doubleheader sweep against No. 9 Freed-Hardeman University (Tennessee) Friday afternoon 5-2 and 4-3 at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.

Besides this year's preseason rankings, GGC and Freed-Hardeman have advanced to the past two Avista NAIA World Series, in 2019 and 2018.

The Grizzlies (3-2) would jump out to early leads in both contests. The team scored three times in the first inning of the opener. Junior Livingston Morris opened the scoring with a RBI single to center field. A sacrifice bunt from junior Austin Bates extended the lead to 2-0. Junior Nick Barnes provided a 3-0 advantage with a RBI triple.

The hosts added another run in the second inning to build a 4-0 lead.

That's all the support that right-handed pitcher Hunter Dollander would need. The senior struck out seven opposing hitters across six innings to earn his first victory (1-0) of the season. Junior Adam McKillican tossed a scoreless seventh inning to record the save and seal the first-game victory.

In the second contest, Morris connected on a solo home run in the first inning as the Grizzlies built an early 2-0 lead. Barnes opened the second inning with another home run to extend GGC's lead to a three-run margin.

Freed-Hardeman (2-4) would tie the contest behind two runs in the third inning and an additional run in the fifth inning.

The two teams would battle back-and-forth until GGC junior J.D. Stubbs delivered in the bottom of the seventh inning with a fly ball that allowed Barnes to score from third base with the winning run.

Five pitchers combined to scatter eight hits in the second contest. Sophomore Rob Hamby picked up the victory by allowing one unearned run and registering three strikeouts across four innings. Senior right hander Hunter Caudelle recorded two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth inning to pick up the save.
  The Grizzlies started fast in both games, scoring five combined runs across the two games. The hosts pushed across three runs during the opener and built an early 3-0 lead in the second game behind home runs from juniors Livingston Morris and Nick Barnes.
  First Game
Bottom of First
Livingston Morris hit a run-scoring single to center field to score Jake Defries
Austin Bates brought home Griffin Keller with a sacrifice bunt
Nick Barnes gave GGC a 3-0 lead with a RBI triple
 
Bottom of Second
Gabe Howell hit a RBI single to bring home Jake Defries and extend the lead to 4-0
 
Bottom of Sixth
Jake Defries collected a run-scoring single to give the Grizzlies a 5-2 advantage
 
Second Game
Bottom of First
Livingston Morris connected on a solo home run as GGC moved ahead 2-0
 
Bottom of Second
Nick Barnes led off the inning with a home run past center field
 
Bottom of Seventh
Nick Barnes scored the eventual game-winning run, 4-3, on a fly ball from J.D. Stubbs
 

• The Grizzlies registered 15 hits across the doubleheader sweep
• Sophomore Jake Defries went 3-for-4 and scored two runs in the opener
• GGC pitchers combined for 19 strikeouts during the day
• Senior Hunter Caudelle and junior Adam McKillican each collected a save

• GGC improves to 3-2 on the season; Freed-Hardeman drops to 2-4 this spring
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 3 in the NAIA Top 25 preseason poll; Freed-Hardeman  stood No. 9 in the same national poll
• Freed-Hardeman leads the all-time series 4-3

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to conclude the three-game weekend series with a single nine-inning contest with Freed-Hardeman on Saturday, February 13, at 2 p.m. from the Grizzly Baseball Complex.