The No. 10-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College softball team used a big offensive inning in each game to sweep Tuesday's doubleheader at USC Beaufort by 10-2 and 8-0 scores in Hardeeville, South Carolina.

The Grizzlies (30-7) scored five runs in the sixth inning to break open the first contest. The visitors then used a four-run third inning to pull away from the Sand Sharks (11-33) in the second game.

Senior Sydney Pelaez connected on her fourth home run of the season to open the scoring in the decisive sixth inning in Game 1. Junior Kloey Goins and freshman Summer Hickson added run-scoring singles to give GGC an 8-2 lead. Freshman Madison Rodgers hit a sacrifice fly to left field before Pelaez collected her second RBI of the inning when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. That plated the team's 10th run of the contest.

Earlier, GGC scored three runs in the opening frame to grab early momentum of the contest. Sophomore Lindzie Owen opened the scoring with an RBI single. Senior Lea McFadden added a sacrifice fly to center field before Goins hit a run-scoring single to bring home Owen.

USC Beaufort pushed two runs across in the second inning to get within one run, 3-2. Mackenzie Freeman connected on a solo home run while Harlee Walker hit an RBI single.

However, GGC sophomore pitcher Kailyn Berry got a pair of strikeouts and a ground out to leave the bases loaded and maintain the Grizzlies' one-run advantage.

Junior Logan Oller quickly regained the team's three-run lead with a two-run single in the top of the third inning.

In the second contest, the visitors tallied 11 hits and scored all eight of their runs across the final four offensive innings.

Owen and Oller each collected a two-run single in the third inning to give GGC a 4-0 lead.

Hickson then added an RBI single in the fifth inning before junior Claire Garney opened a three-run sixth frame with a double that scored sophomore Jane Hoover. Goins added a sacrifice fly before Oller followed with an RBI single to right field.

Sophomore pitcher Annalise Wood tossed her eight shutout of the season, scattering five hits and striking out seven batters. She improved to 15-1 on the season.

Strong defensive play preserved the Grizzlies' shutout in the bottom of the sixth inning. A perfect relay throw from center fielder Goins to second baseman Hoover and then catcher Pelaez threw out a USC Beaufort runner at home plate.

Offensively, Owen paced the team's offensive attack by going 6-for-8 for the day, with a pair of three-hit performances. She also successfully stole two bases in each contest. Oller was 3-for-3 in the second game and tallied five hits. Hickson collected two hits in the opener while junior Josie Haulk and Goins also had two hits in the first game.
  "We did a good job of executing situations with runners in scoring position to get a nice road sweep. Everyone played a part in these wins with their hitting, running, pitching, and defense," said Head Coach Kat Ihlenburg.
  The Grizzlies used big offensive innings to win a pair of road games. In the opener, GGC scored five runs in the sixth inning to pull away from the Sand Sharks. Senior Sydney Pelaez opened the frame with a home run. Junior Kloey Goins and freshman Summer Hickson added RBI singles before freshman Madison Rodgers hit a sacrifice fly. Then, the Grizzlies scored four runs in the third inning to break a scoreless deadlock in the second contest. Sophomore Lindzie Owen hit a two-run single before junior Logan Oller brought home a pair of runs with another single for a 4-0 lead.
  First Game
Top of First
Lindzie Owen hit an RBI single that brought home Sydney Pelaez
Lea McFadden followed with a sacrifice fly to center field
Kloey Goins added a run-scoring single that gave the Grizzlies a 3-0 advantage
 
Bottom of Second
Mackenzie Freeman connected on a solo home run
Harlee Walker hit an RBI single that brought the Sand Sharks within a run, 3-2
 
Top of Third
Logan Oller drove in a pair of runs that extended the lead to 5-2
 
Top of Sixth
Sydney Pelaez led off the inning with a home run
Kloey Goins lined an RBI single to left-center field that gave GGC a 7-2 lead
Summer Hickson hit a run-scoring single that brought home Emerson Hall
Madison Rodgers added a sacrifice fly
 
Second Game
Top of Third
Lindzie Owen drove in a pair of runs with a single
Logan Oller hit a two-run single that gave the Grizzlies a 4-0 lead
 
Top of Fifth
Summer Hickson hit a run-scoring single that scored Kloey Goins
 
Top of Sixth
Claire Garney hit an RBI double that brought home Jane Hoover
Logan Oller added a run-scoring single to right field that gave the Grizzlies an 8-0 advantage
 

• The Grizzlies tallied 24 hits across the doubleheader, led by 13 hits in the first game
• Sophomore Lindzie Owen went 6-for-8 for the day, with three hits in each game of the doubleheader
• Senior Sydney Pelaez hit her fourth home run of the season
• Sophomore pitcher Annalise Wood tossed her eighth shutout of the season in the second game

• GGC improves to 30-7 in 2023, while USC Beaufort falls to 11-33 in 2023
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 10 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll
• Georgia Gwinnett College leads the series 17-9 and won three of the four games between the teams this season
• The teams are members of the Continental Athletic Conference

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to travel to No. 21 College of Coastal Georgia for a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 12, from Brunswick, Georgia, starting at 1 p.m.