The walk-off victories continue to add up for the No. 11-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College softball team with junior catcher Sydney Pelaez becoming the latest Grizzly with a dramatic hit in Wednesday's doubleheader sweep of Bryan College (Tennessee) at the Grizzly Softball Complex.

Pelaez connected on a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give GGC a 3-0 victory in the opener. Then, the sweep was completed with a 6-4 victory in the nightcap.

GGC (11-9) has recorded five walk-off victories this spring – all by a different player.

The opener featured a pitcher's duel between Georgia Gwinnett College's Alexa Good and Bryan's Annalise Wood. The two tossed seven scoreless innings to send the game into extra innings. Bryan (4-10) threatened in the top of the eighth by having the bases loaded with two outs. However, Good got Brianna Nagelhout to hit a tapper to freshman first baseman Angelica Gallegos to retire the side and keep the Lions off the scoreboard.

In the home half of the inning, a fielding error on a sacrifice bunt attempt put GGC's potential game-winning run at third base and another teammate at first base with no outs. Pelaez then smashed a three-run home run over the right field fence for the walk-off base hit. The junior has hit both of this spring's home runs over the last four games.

Good, a junior, took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and finished the contest allowing just one hit to capture her ninth victory of the season.

There were hits galore in the second game. Nine hits helped the Grizzlies build a 3-0 lead by the fifth inning. Sophomore Lani Trent hit a run-scoring single up the middle to bring home sophomore Kloey Goins in the first inning. Senior Piper Wagner lined an RBI double in the fifth inning.

The visitors got within 3-2 by pushing across two runs in the sixth inning and stranding the potential game-tying run in scoring position. GGC answered right back with three runs in the bottom of the sixth frame. Pelaez delivered the big hit with a two-run single through the right side. The reigning Continental Athletic Conference Hitter of the Week drove in five runs and went 3-for-7 at the plate across the doubleheader sweep.

Freshman pitcher Kailyn Berry picked up her first collegiate victory, striking out a career-high eight batters in the complete-game performance.


 
"Our team never quit. Sydney has been swinging the bat really well lately and is coming off a good weekend. I had faith that she was going to put the ball into play in that (eighth inning) situation. It was exciting to see her hit go out of play (home run)," said Head Coach Kat Ihlenburg.
 
The first contest was a classic pitcher's duel with Georgia Gwinnett College junior Alexa Good and Bryan freshman Annalise Wood matching pitch for pitch to put up a string of seven scoreless innings. In extra innings, the Grizzlies put a zero for Bryan on the scoreboard. Good got Brianna Nagelhout to ground out to first base with the bases loaded to get out of the jam in the top of the eighth inning. Then, the hosts benefitted from a fielding error on a sacrifice bunt to put runners on the corners (third and first bases) with no outs. Junior Sydney Pelaez deposited a three-run home run to right field for the team's fifth walk-off victory of the season.
 
First Game
Bottom of Eighth
Sydney Pelaez connected on a walk-off three-run home run to right field to break the scoreless game
 
Second Game
Bottom of First
Lani Trent opened the scoring with an RBI single to bring home Kloey Goins
 
Bottom of Fifth
Piper Wagner lined a run-scoring double to give the Grizzlies a 3-0 lead
 
Bottom of Sixth
Brooke Parker brought home a pair of runs with a single through the right side to extend GGC's lead to 6-2
 

• The Grizzlies registered nine of their 14 hits for the day in the second game
• Freshman Kailyn Berry had eight strikeouts in picking up her first collegiate victory
• Junior Alexa Good took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and finished with an one-hit effort

• GGC improves to 11-8 on the season; Bryan falls to 4-10 this spring
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 11 in the 2022 NAIA Top 25 preseason poll
• GGC is 8-6 at home this season
• The team holds a 23-3 edge in the series history against Bryan, including a 16-1 mark in Lawrenceville

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to travel to participate in the Gulf Coast Invitational this weekend, March 4-5, in Gulf Shores, Alabama.