The offense and pitching shined brightly as the nationally ranked Georgia Gwinnett College softball team registered a pair of victories Saturday at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, defeating Indiana University Southeast 6-0 and Lawrence Tech University (Michigan) 13-5 in Columbus, Ga.

The Grizzlies (9-7) recorded a season-high 18 hits in the second game, smashed two home runs in the first outing, and had a pitcher with eight-strikeout efforts across both games to improve their record to 3-1 in this year's classic.

GGC raced out to an early 2-0 lead in Saturday's first game when senior Piper Wagner hit a two-run home run in the first inning. The round tripper was Wagner's second at the NFCA Leadoff Classic and fifth on the season.

Sophomore Lani Trent extended GGC's lead to 3-0 in the third inning with an RBI single. Wagner led off the frame with a double and advanced to third base following a wild pitch.

A few innings later, the Grizzlies broke the game open as junior Sydney Pelaez led off the fifth inning with her first homer of 2022. Freshman Angelica Gallegos added an RBI single to give GGC a 5-0 advantage.

That was enough run support for junior pitcher Alexa Good, who struck out eight batters and scattered four hits across six innings. Her younger sister, freshman Kayla Good, came in and tossed a scoreless seventh inning in her collegiate debut.

In the second game, the Grizzlies scored five runs in the second inning to build a 5-1 lead. Sophomore Logan Oller hit a two-run double to right field to give GGC a 3-1 lead. RBI singles from freshman Jane Hoover and sophomore Kloey Goins later in the frame added to the offensive outburst.

Lawrence Tech got within a run, 6-5, after the third inning, but the Grizzlies answered with a solo run in the fifth before pushing across six runs in the top of the sixth inning. Hoover once again delivered a two-run single. Junior Brooke Parker collected a run-scoring single before Goins drove in the team's 13th run of the game with another hit.

Alexa Good duplicated her first-game effort with eight strikeouts in the second outing, this time in relief, to pick up the victory to improve to 8-3 inside the pitching circle for 2022.

Junior Lea McFadden and Gallegos each had three of the team's 18 hits against Lawrence Tech while Goins joined Pelaez, Trent, Oller and Hoover in each having two hits in the game.
 
The Grizzlies jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a home run from senior Piper Wagner. GGC continued to add to its lead when sophomore Lani Trent delivered a run-scoring single to score Wagner in the third inning. Junior Sydney Pelaez opened the fifth inning with a home run. Freshman Angelica Gallegos added an RBI single later in the frame.
 
Indiana Southeast Game
Top of First
Piper Wagner connected on a two-run home run to open the scoring
 
Top of Third
Lani Trent delivered an RBI single to bring home Piper Wagner
 
Top of Fifth
Sydney Pelaez led off the inning with her first home run of the season
Angelica Gallegos hit a run-scoring single to center to give the Grizzlies a 5-0 lead
 
Top of Sixth
Sydney Pelaez added an RBI single to bring home the team's sixth run
 
Lawrence Tech Game
Top of Second
Lea McFadden tied the game, 1-1, with a run-scoring single
Logan Oller hit a two-run double to right field to give the Grizzlies a 3-1 lead
Jane Hoover added an RBI single
Kloey Goins capped the team's five-run inning with a run-scoring single
 
Top of Third
Lani Trent led off the inning with a home run to left field
 
Top of Sixth
Angelica Gallegos hit an RBI single to start GGC's six-run sixth
Jane Hoover brought home a pair of runs with a single
Brooke Parker singled to center field to bring home Logan Oller
Kloey Goins gave the Grizzlies a 13-5 lead with a run-scoring single
 

• The Grizzlies tallied 18 hits in the Lawrence Tech contest
• Junior Alexa Good recorded a pair of victories in the pitching circle, giving her eight on the season
• GGC hit three home runs across Saturday's two games

• GGC improves to 9-7 on the season; Indiana Southeast stands 2-5 this spring; Lawrence Tech is 3-10 in 2022
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 11 in the 2022 NAIA Top 25 preseason poll; Indiana Southeast received votes in the same poll
• GGC stands 3-1 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to conclude action in the NFCA Leadoff Classic with a game against No. 15 Freed-Hardeman University (Tennessee) on Sunday, February 27, from Columbus, Georgia, starting at 11 a.m.