The No. 7-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team overcame early deficits and deteriorating weather and field conditions to record a pair of wins Friday by 6-3 and 8-4 scores to open a four-game weekend series against IU South Bend at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.

The Grizzlies (10-2) used a five-run fourth inning in the opener to rally from a two-run deficit. Then, the hosts scored four runs in the third inning to turn an early 3-0 disadvantage into a five-run lead in a rain-shortened nightcap.

In both games, home runs put IU South Bend (4-9) ahead on the scoreboard. First, Kaleb Farnham's two-run blast put the visitors ahead 2-0.

However, that lead was short-lived as GGC junior Ajay Sczepkowski answered with a home run of his own – his third of the young season – in the bottom half of the fourth inning. Senior Blaze O'Saben then gave the team a 3-2 lead with a two-run single. Sophomore Caden Smith followed with an RBI triple before junior Jesus Pacheco hit a sacrifice fly to bring home the fifth and final run of the frame.

Smith would later have a run-scoring double that scored O'Saben in the sixth inning to stretch the Grizzlies' lead to 6-2.

Sophomore starting pitcher Cameron Repetti scattered five hits across six innings to pick up his second win of the season. Senior reliever Jonathan Haab struck out all three batters he faced in the seventh inning to record his third save.

In the nightcap, Brenden Bell's three-run homer in the opening inning gave the Titans a quick 3-0 advantage before GGC responded once again in the middle innings.

Sophomore Joe Quelch drove home a pair of runs with a double in the third inning. Junior Devin Warner tied the game, 3-3, with an RBI ground out to second base. Then, O'Saben delivered the go-ahead run-scoring single up the middle that brought home sophomore Brett Dingess.

The hosts pushed across three additional runs in the sixth inning to build an 8-3 lead. Sophomore Braxton Meguiar hit an RBI double before Smith legged out his second triple of the day to score a pair of runs.

Junior left hander Tyler Clayton went the distance on the mound, striking out eight batters and allowing four hits in improving to 1-1 on the season. He retired 14 straight batters after allowing the first-inning home run.


  "We're not worried by any deficit because these guys are always competing. Both of our starting pitchers did a great job of stretching both games. Tyler (Clayton) hung zero after zero on the scoreboard. That gave us a ton of confidence heading into the later innings," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
  The Grizzlies fell behind in both games on Friday after conceding a home run, only to battle back and take the lead by the fourth inning through big offensive innings. GGC scored five runs in the fourth inning of the opener, sparked by a leadoff homer from junior Ajay Sczepkowski. Sophomore Joe Quelch delivered a two-run double in the nightcap to put the team on the scoreboard during the third inning.
  First Game
Bottom of Fourth
Ajay Sczepkowski led off the frame with a home run to center field
Blaze O'Saben collected a two-run single to give the Grizzlies a 3-2 advantage
Caden Smith hit a triple to left-center field to score Blaze O'Saben for the fourth run of the inning
Jesus Pacheco added a sacrifice fly to score the team's fifth run
 
Bottom of Sixth
Caden Smith hit an RBI double as the lead grew to 6-2
 
Second Game
Bottom of Third
Joe Quelch lined a two-run double to left field to put the Grizzlies on the scoreboard
Devin Warner added an RBI ground out to second base to tie the game, 3-3
Blaze O'Saben hit a run-scoring single up the middle to score Brett Dingess
 
Bottom of Fourth
Ajay Sczepkowski hit a run-scoring double to center field to give GGC a 5-3 lead
 
Bottom of Sixth
Caden Smith drove in a pair of runs with a triple
 

• The Grizzlies totaled 21 hits in Friday's doubleheader, led by 11 hits in the first contest
• Junior Tyler Clayton tossed the pitching staff's first complete game of the 2023 season when he went seven strong innings in the nightcap
• Sophomore Caden Smith went 3-for-4 with all three of his hits going for extra bases in two triples and a double
• The Grizzlies stole eight bases in Friday's second game

• GGC improves to 10-2 this spring; IU South Bend drops to 4-9 on the season
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 7 in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 poll
• Friday marked the first games played between the two colleges
• Georgia Gwinnett College has played all 12 games this season at the Grizzly Baseball Complex

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to conclude the four-game weekend series with IU South Bend another doubleheader on Saturday, February 25, at the Grizzly Baseball Complex, starting at 3 p.m.