The Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team withstood a furious comeback attempt to score a 6-5 victory Friday against the University of Tennessee Southern to begin a weekend road series in Pulaski, Tennessee.

The Grizzlies (23-8) jumped out to a 6-1 lead after the top of the seventh inning. However, the Firehawks scored four runs over the next three frames and made things interesting with a potential tying run on the basepaths with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Sophomore Chase Evans made a diving stop behind the first base bag on a ground ball and tossed the ball to senior relief pitcher Gavin Heltemes, who came off the mound to cover first base for the third out of the inning and secure his first save of the 2022 season.

GGC built an early 4-0 lead when senior Austin Bates hit a three-run double down the right field line in the fourth inning. That followed an RBI single to left field by senior Livingston Morris in the first inning.

Junior Blaze O'Saben added a run-scoring single in the top of the seventh inning to give the visitors the 6-1 advantage.

That's when the Firehawks (10-20) got their offense going. Lance Pope connected on a three-run home run in the seventh inning to trim GGC's lead to two runs, 6-4. In the ninth inning, Collin Huntley hit a two-out RBI single to narrow the gap to 6-5 and put the potential tying run in scoring position before the final out was made by a crucial defensive play.

Senior reliever Rhian Mann pitched in to strike out a season-high 10 batters across five innings to pick up the victory. Friday's performance was his longest of the season in improving to 2-1 on the season.

GGC's pitching staff recorded 16 strikeouts in the victory.

Freshman Braxton Meguiar paced GGC's eight-hit offensive attack by going 2-for-3 and scoring three runs from the leadoff spot in the batting lineup. Morris and O'Saben also recorded two hits for the team.
  "I loved the perseverance that our guys exhibited tonight. We competed and were tough enough to win a road game. We stayed together in crucial moments. It was a great game for us as a team. Rhian (Mann) did a phenomenal job and knew his role to bridge our pitching from the third inning and get us to the eighth inning," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
  Tennessee Southern attempted a ninth-inning rally, but a key defensive play allowed the visiting Grizzlies to capture the opening game of the weekend series. The Firehawks hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning before Collin Huntley added an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning. With GGC clinging to a 6-5 lead, Nick Davis then hit a ground ball behind the first base bag. Sophomore Chase Evans made a diving stop and threw the ball to senior relief pitcher Gavin Heltemes, who was covering first base, to end the game and secure the road win.
  Top of First
Livingston Morris opened the scoring with an RBI single to left field
 
Top of Fourth
Austin Bates hit a bases-loaded double to score three Grizzlies for a 4-0 lead
 
Top of Sixth
Braxton Meguiar scored from second base following a passed ball
 
Top of Seventh
Blaze O'Saben hit a run-scoring single to bring home Ryan Hunt
 
Bottom of Seventh
Lance Pope hit a three-run home run to bring the Firehawks within 6-4
 
Bottom of Ninth
Collin Huntley hit an RBI single to center field with two outs
 

• Tennessee Southern outhit the Grizzlies by a 12-8 margin
• Georgia Gwinnett recorded three stolen bases on Friday to add to its NAIA-leading total (127)
• GGC's pitching staff combined for 16 strikeouts, led by senior Rhian Mann with 10 strikeouts in five innings in relief
• Freshman Braxton Meguiar went 2-for-3 and scored three runs from the leadoff spot in GGC's batting lineup

• GGC improves to 23-8 on the season; Tennessee Southern falls to 10-20 this spring
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 8 in the latest NAIA Top 25 regular-season poll
• Friday's game marked the first meeting between the two colleges
• The team is 4-3 in road games this season

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to conclude the weekend series against Tennessee Southern with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 2, from Pulaski, Tennessee, starting at 2 p.m.