Senior J.D. Stubbs cleared the bases with a three-run double off the center field wall to lead a nine-run seventh inning that rallied the No. 11-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team past Columbia International University (South Carolina) 12-9 on Friday night to open a weekend series at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.

The Grizzlies (32-12) trailed 9-3 with nine outs remaining. That's when the offense finally heated up for the hosts, taking advantage of CIU's bullpen pitching to swing momentum in the game.

Junior Blaze O'Saben opened the seventh inning with a double against reliever Hunter Garris. Then, a single by freshman Braxton Meguiar and senior Austin Bates was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

The Rams turned to another reliever, Rodrigo Rodriguez, but GGC junior Jake Defries kept the good times rolling with a run-scoring single to left field for the first tally of the inning. Sophomore Joshua Holt Jr. added a two-run single with one out to cut the deficit to 9-6. A fielding error by the visitors allowed Defries to score and bring the Grizzlies within two runs of tying the game.

Then came Stubbs' big performance at the plate. The senior designated hitter brought home three runs with a drive to deep center field. That gave GGC its first lead of the night, 10-9.

"Thankfully, the pitcher put one over the middle and gave me a chance to drive it. I'm glad I came through for the team," said Stubbs about his crucial late-inning at bat.

After another pitching change, O'Saben legged out an RBI triple and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Meguiar to cap the nine-run frame. The Grizzlies took a decisive 12-9 lead into the final two innings.
GGC trailed 5-0 after two innings as the Rams (19-28) scored three runs in the opening inning and added two more runs in the second frame.

Senior Livingston Morris connected on a three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning. However, the visitors added another run in the fifth inning and then pushed across three runs one inning later to hold the 9-3 advantage at the midway point in the game.

While relief pitching may have been Columbia International's Achilles' heel, GGC's bullpen was a key element in the victory. Senior Rhian Mann and juniors Sam Hunt and Jonathan Haab tossed 7.1 innings in relief, recording 10 strikeouts in the process. Hunt tossed 2.1 scoreless innings to register his first win of the season.

"Sam (Hunt) is the epitome of hard work. From where he was when he came here to where he is now speaks to his work ethic and dedication. He is a tireless worker and the benefits of that hard work were on display tonight," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.

Columbia International brought the potential game-tying run to the plate with one out in the ninth inning, but Haab got back-to-back strikeouts to record his first save of 2022.

O'Saben led GGC's 12-hit offensive attack by going 3-for-3 and scoring two runs. Stubbs went 2-for-4 and recorded three RBI. Holt Jr. and Meguiar also had a pair of hits in the victory.


  "We were looking for a spark throughout the entire game. We scored in the third inning but left guys on base. That spark finally came in the seventh with big hits by Blaze (O'Saben) and J.D. (Stubbs) igniting our guys. It gave us belief that we could come back. It was really cool to see our guys rally together, fight for each other and win that game," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
  Trailing 9-3, the Grizzlies mounted a rally in the seventh inning to win the series opener. Junior Blaze O'Saben opened the frame with a double off reliever Hunter Garris. A base hit to left field from junior Jake Defries scored O'Saben as the hosts loaded the bases with no outs. A few batters later, sophomore Joshua Holt Jr. hit a two-run single to bring GGC within 9-6. The big hit of the frame came with one out and the bases loaded as senior J.D. Stubbs lined a bases-clearing three-run double to give the Grizzlies their first lead of the game. When the dust had settled, the team had taken a 12-9 advantage. GGC collected six hits and benefited from three CIU errors to score nine runs in the bottom of the seventh frame.
  Top of First
Shane Hammonds gave the Rams a 3-0 lead with a two-run double to left field
 
Bottom of Third
Livingston Morris connected on a three-run home run to center field to cut the deficit to 5-3
 
Top of Sixth
Grant Bodison hit a two-run single to give the Rams a 9-3 lead
 
Bottom of Seventh
Jake Defries hit an RBI single to left field to bring home Blaze O'Saben
Joshua Holt Jr. added a two-run single
J.D. Stubbs cleared the bases with a double to center field to give the Grizzlies a 10-9 lead
Blaze O'Saben legged out an RBI triple for his second hit of the frame
Braxton Meguiar hit a sacrifice fly to cap the team's nine-run inning
 

• Columbia International outhit the Grizzlies by a 13-12 margin in the contest
• Four GGC hitters recorded multiple-hit performances
• Senior J.D. Stubbs went 2-for-4 and drove in three runs
• Four GGC pitchers combined to record 13 strikeouts

• GGC improves to 32-12 this spring; Columbia International drops to 19-28
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 11 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll
• The team began a nine-game home stand to conclude the regular season
• GGC has won all five meetings in the series with Columbia International

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host Columbia International University (South Carolina) on Saturday, April 23, from the Grizzly Baseball Complex, starting at 2 p.m. The program will celebrate a Senior Day recognition ceremony at 1:35 p.m.