The No. 8-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team accounted for 12 runs over the final three innings in Tuesday's decisive 17-6 win at Truett-McConnell University in Cleveland, Georgia, to start the busy final week of the regular season.

The Grizzlies (33-9) pounded out 15 hits and had five players have multiple-hit performances. They have scored 49 runs to win the last four games.

A pair of two-out run-scoring base hits in the sixth inning jump-started GGC's strong finish. Junior Gabe Howell legged out an RBI double that allowed junior Myles Smith to score. Junior Livingston Morris followed with a single to give the visitors a 7-4 lead.

The team pushed across four more runs one inning later before erupting for six runs during the eighth frame. The big hits were a bases-clearing double by sophomore Jake Defries before Smith connected on a two-run home run.

Defries drove in three runs from the top of the Grizzlies' batting order. Junior Austin Bates went 3-for-5, while junior Nick Barnes and Morris each collected two hits. Junior Tate Kight came off the bench to go 2-for-2 and scored twice.

The visitors were also aggressive on the base paths, recording 10 steals, including three players registering two stolen bases apiece.

On the mound, sophomore reliever Klay Allen tossed three quality innings to pick up the victory in relief of junior starting pitcher Adam McKillican, who had six strikeouts across the first four innings.
 
"We have a mature group of players who know how to compete. I'm very proud of the guys and their efforts today. We had ultimate self-confidence, even when they made a run. Those two base hits in the sixth inning were huge. I like the balance that this lineup gives us, with players back in their normal spots. They play well together," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
 
After Truett-McConnell got within a run, 5-4, in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Grizzlies had an answer that created some separation by pushing across two runs with two outs in the top of the sixth inning. Junior Gabe Howell started the rally with an RBI double. Junior Livingston Morris followed with a run-scoring single that extended GGC's lead to 7-4.
 
Top of Fourth
Jake Defries drove in a pair of runs with a single
Griffin Keller followed with a RBI single to cap a three-run inning
 
Top of Sixth
Gabe Howell hit a two-out RBI double to score Myles Smith from first base
Livingston Morris added a run-scoring single to give the Grizzlies a 7-4 lead
 
Top of Eighth
Myles McKisic cleared the bases with a double
Myles Smith connected on a two-run home run during a six-run inning
 

• GGC outhit Truett-McConnell by a 15-11 margin in the contest
• The Grizzlies recorded 10 stolen bases
• Three GGC pitchers combined to record nine strikeouts

• GGC improves to 33-9 on the season; Truett-McConnell falls to 25-19 this spring
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 8 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll
• The team has scored 49 runs during its current four-game winning streak
• This was the sixth and final road game of the regular season; the team has a 4-2 road record

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host Fisher College (Massachusetts) and Talladega College (Alabama) on Friday, April 30, with games at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. from the Grizzly Baseball Complex.