The No. 1-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team's opportunistic offense accounted for 20 runs on 13 hits to continue its home winning ways with a doubleheader sweep Saturday against the University of Northwestern Ohio.

The Grizzlies (12-1) took advantage of 10 walks to win the first game 13-5 before coming back twice for an 8-6 triumph in the nightcap.

GGC has played its first 13 games at the Grizzly Baseball Complex, with seven more to come next week.

A four-run fourth inning provided the difference in a back-and-forth affair during the second contest. Junior Blaze O'Saben delivered a game-tying two-run double to right field before a sacrifice fly from senior Austin Bates and a RBI single by freshman Braxton Meguiar gave the hosts the decisive 7-5 lead.

Senior reliever Maddex Richardson tossed scoreless innings across the fifth and sixth innings. That came before another sacrifice fly from Bates extended GGC's lead to 8-5 at the end of the sixth frame. Richardson earned his first win of the season by scattering three hits across three late innings.

Junior Jake Defries connected on a two-run home run over the right field fence in the third inning to tie the game at 3-3.

In the nine-inning opener, four of GGC's first five batters drew walks to build a quick 2-0 lead. Sophomore Chase Evans followed with a two-RBI single before run-scoring hits from Meguiar and Defries capped the eight-run opening frame.

Senior starting pitcher Kevin Kyle took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and ended the contest by allowing just one hit across six innings to improve to 4-0 on the season.

Meguiar drove in three runs and collected two of the team's eight hits in the first game of the day.


 
"It was two different kinds of games. We created some separation early in the first game, but I appreciate the level of competition shown throughout the second game. It was good to see how the team reacted and competed in a back-and-forth game. Maddex (Richardson) did a great job coming in and shutting down a good team and giving us a chance to win (the second game)," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
 
Saturday's second game was filled with several momentum shifts. Junior Jake Defries tied the game, 3-3, with a towering two-run home run over the right field fence in the third inning. Northwestern Ohio answered in the top of the fourth with an RBI single from Skakur Jackson and scored a second run on a defensive error, going back in front 5-3. The Grizzlies once again responded to the challenge. Junior Blaze O'Saben flared a base hit to bring home a pair of runs to tie things again, 5-5. A sacrifice fly and an RBI single later in the inning gave GGC the lead for good.
 
First Game
Bottom of First
Chase Evans gave the Grizzlies a 4-0 lead with a two-run single
Myles McKisic followed with an infield run-scoring single
Braxton Meguiar added an RBI single to score another run
Jake Defries drove in Ryan Hunt with a double as the Grizzlies scored eight runs in the first inning
 
Bottom of Fifth
Austin Bates drilled a run-scoring double to right field to score Myles McKisic to give the Grizzlies a 10-1 lead
 
Bottom of Seventh
Braxton Meguiar drove in a pair of runs with a double
 
Second Game
Bottom of Third
Jake Defries tied the game at 3-3 with a two-run home run to right field
 
Top of Fourth
Skakur Jackson gave the visitors a 4-3 lead with an RBI single
 
Bottom of Fourth
Blaze O'Saben hit a two-run double down the right field line to square the contest at 5-5
Austin Bates followed with a sacrifice fly to bring home Ryan Hunt and give the Grizzlies the lead
Braxton Meguiar added an RBI single for an insurance run that capped GGC's four-run inning
 

• The Grizzlies recorded 13 hits across the doubleheader sweep
• Freshman Braxton Meguiar drove in five runs, led by three RBI in the first game
• The Grizzlies drew 15 walks in the doubleheader sweep, highlighted by 10 walks in the opener

• GGC improves to 12-1 in 2022; Northwestern Ohio drops to 9-5 this spring
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 1 in the 2022 NAIA Top 25 preseason poll
• Georgia Gwinnett College has won 12 of the 13 meetings against Northwestern Ohio
• The team is opening the season with 20 straight home games

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to conclude the series with the University of Northwestern Ohio in a doubleheader on Sunday, February 27, from the Grizzly Baseball Complex, starting at 3 p.m.