The top-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team scored four runs in each of its first three offensive innings to cruise past Talladega College (Alabama) 15-2 in seven innings Tuesday afternoon at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.

The Grizzlies (14-2) held a 12-1 lead after three innings, got six strong innings from senior starting pitcher Gavin Heltemes, and played a clean game defensively with no errors.

This marked the sixth game this season that GGC has scored 10 of more runs.

Junior Jake Defries led the team's 14-hit offensive attack by going 3-for-4 and stealing three bases. The infielder leads the NAIA with 25 steals on the season. He also scored three runs and drove in a pair of other runs in the matchup of former Association of Independent Institutions competitors.

Senior Livingston Morris collected two hits and scored twice while junior Myles McKisic registered two hits and sophomore Cohen Wilbanks went 2-for-2 off the bench.

Heltemes struck out seven batters and scattered four hits across six strong innings in the midweek starting assignment. The right hander improved to 3-0 on the season and allowed just one earned run in the outing. Junior Jaelin Sewell struck out three batters in tossing a scoreless seventh inning to cap off the team's strong pitching effort.

Talladega (8-9) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but the hosts got the offense rolling early in the bottom of the frame. Junior Blaze O'Saben drove in two runs with a single through the left side. Sophomore Chase Evans gave the Grizzlies a 3-1 lead with an RBI double. McKisic hit an infield single to score GGC's fourth run in the team's first time at the plate.

The team duplicated that offensive output in the second and third innings. Junior Ryan Hunt led off the second inning with a home run, his first of the season, over the left field fence. Defries later added an infield RBI single in the second inning.

The Grizzlies are scheduled to conclude their 20-game season-opening home stand with a doubleheader against fellow Continental Athletic Conference member Fisher College (Massachusetts) on Saturday, March 5, from the Grizzly Baseball Complex, starting at 3 p.m. Members of the 2021 NAIA national title squad will receive their championship rings in a pregame ceremony starting at 2:30 p.m.


 
"That was a complete game for us. We were really good defensively, really good on the mound and did some good things offensively. I was very happy with all facets of our game, including the energy and focus we brought to the game. That showed on the scoreboard today," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
 
The Grizzlies got off to a fast start in the midweek contest by scoring four runs in the first inning after allowing a run in the top half of the frame. Junior Blaze O'Saben got the scoring started with a two-run single through the left side. A run-scoring double from sophomore Chase Evans brought home the third run before junior Myles McKisic added an infield single. GGC added four more runs in the second and third innings in building a big lead.
 
Bottom of First
Blaze O'Saben brought home a pair of runs with a single through the left side
Chase Evans hit an RBI double to center field to give the Grizzlies a 3-1 lead
Myles McKisic added an infield single to score Blaze O'Saben
 
Bottom of Second
Ryan Hunt led off the inning with his first homer of the season
Jake Defries hit a run-scoring single to second base as the Grizzlies built a 7-1 advantage
 
Bottom of Sixth
Cohen Wilbanks lined an RBI single to score Joshua Holt Jr.
Livingston Morris capped the team's scoring with a run-scoring single up the middle
 

• The Grizzlies outhit Talladega by a 14-4 margin in Tuesday's contest
• GGC recorded seven stolen bases, led by junior Jake Defries' three steals
• Four players registered multiple-hit efforts

• GGC improves to 14-2 this spring; Talladega drops to 8-9 on the season
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 1 in the 2022 NAIA Top 25 preseason poll
• Georgia Gwinnett College leads the series by a 26-3 margin against Talladega

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host fellow Continental Athletic Conference member Fisher College (Massachusetts) with a doubleheader Saturday, March 5, beginning a four-game series at the Grizzly Baseball Complex. First pitch of the first game set for 3 p.m. Members of the 2021 NAIA national title team will receive their championship rings during a pregame ceremony, starting at 2:30 p.m.