The No. 14 Georgia Gwinnett College softball team converted 19 hits into 15 runs to return to its winning ways with an impressive doubleheader sweep of No. 9 Tennessee Wesleyan University by 8-0 and 7-2 scores Saturday afternoon at the Grizzly Softball Complex.

The Grizzlies (10-3) are 6-0 this season against teams ranked in the NAIA Top 25 preseason national poll. The team was coming off losing two games to Middle Georgia State University at home Tuesday.

It didn't take long for GGC's offense to shine on Saturday, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the opening two innings of the first game. Senior Lea McFadden hit a two-run single in the first frame and sophomore Lindzie Owen stole home in the second inning.

The hosts would pull away by adding four runs in the fifth inning with sophomore Emerson Hall clearing the bases for three runs on a bases-loaded double.

Meanwhile, senior starting pitcher Alexa Good retired the first 11 batters to open the game. The right hander scattered two hits and struck out four batters in registering the shutout and improving to 4-0 this spring.

In the second game, GGC scored single runs in the first, third and fifth innings to overcome an early 2-0 deficit against Tennessee Wesleyan (3-3).

McFadden laid down a squeeze bunt to score senior Sydney Pelaez with the tying run, 2-2, in the third inning. Junior Kloey Goins then drew a bases-loaded walk in the fifth inning as the Grizzlies took a 3-2 advantage. The team would later add its second four-run frame of the day, this time coming in the sixth inning. McFadden delivered the big hit with a three-run double.

Sophomore Annalise Wood was once again tough in the pitching circle against another opponent by having 10 strikeouts – her fourth game with double-digit strikeouts in a game – to pick up her fifth win of the season.

Owen led the Grizzlies by going 5-for-5, scoring four runs and stealing five bases across the doubleheader sweep. Pelaez also collected five hits in the two games.


  "It was nice to see us executing things that we've been working on in practice. Our mindset coming into this game was for everybody to win each at-bat and pitch. That led to good things and a good outcome," said Head Coach Kat Ihlenburg.
  The Grizzlies chipped away at a first-inning deficit in the second game of the day by pushing across a single run in the first, third and fifth innings. A consistently productive offense in the nightcap resulted in nine hits. Senior Lea McFadden hit a squeeze bunt to score classmate Sydney Pelaez for the tying run in the third frame. Junior Kloey Goins drew a bases-loaded walk in the fifth inning to grab the lead. GGC would eventually break the game open by scoring four runs one inning later.
  First Game
Bottom of First
Lea McFadden opened the scoring with a two-run single
 
Bottom of Second
Lindzie Owen successfully stole home as Sydney Pelaez swiped second base
 
Bottom of Fifth
Emerson Hall cleared the bases with a double to right-center field to score GGC's seventh run of the game
 
Second Game
Bottom of Third
Lea McFadden laid down a squeeze bunt to bring home Sydney Pelaez to tie the game, 2-2
 
Bottom of Fifth
Kloey Goins drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Grizzlies a 3-2 lead
 
Bottom of Sixth
Lindzie Owen hit an RBI single to left field to bring home Kayla Good
Lea McFadden cleared the bases with a double to left-center field
 

• The Grizzlies tallied 19 hits across the doubleheader with 10 hits coming in the opener
• Sophomore Lindzie Owen went 5-for-5 in the two games with four runs scored and five steals
• Sophomore pitcher Annalise Wood recorded 10 strikeouts in picking up her fifth win of the season
• GGC had seven stolen bases on Saturday

• GGC improves to 10-3 on the season; Tennessee Wesleyan drops to 3-3 in 2023
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 14 in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 poll; Tennessee Wesleyan stood No. 9 in the same poll
• Georgia Gwinnett College has won all five meetings against the Bulldogs in the all-time series
• GGC is 6-0 this season against opponents ranked in the NAIA Top 25 Preseason Poll

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host the University of Rio Grande (Ohio) on Friday, March 3, at the Grizzly Softball Complex, starting at 2 p.m.