Scoring multiple runs in each of the first four innings, the top-seeded Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team opened play in the Opening Round of this year's NAIA national tournament with a 18-1 victory over No. 4 seed Midway University (Kentucky) in Monday's Lawrenceville Bracket action at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.

The Grizzlies (48-5; No. 3 NAIA national ranking) plated four runs in the first and third innings to take a commanding 10-0 lead – setting a positive tone at the plate and on the mound for the rest of the contest.

GGC advances to the winner's bracket and will face No. 2 seed Freed-Hardeman University (Tennessee) on Tuesday, May 16, starting at 1 p.m.

Junior Jesus Pacheco led the host's 20-hit offensive charge by going 5-for-5 at the plate, with three RBI and three runs scored. Junior Jon Ponder was 3-for-5 and added three more runs to the team's total – extending his personal hitting streak to a school-record 35 games in the process.

Junior Ajay Sczepkowski connected on a grand slam home run as part of a five-run eighth inning for his 29th round tripper of the season – also a new school mark.

Six GGC players had multiple hits in the contest.

The Grizzlies hit the ground running, literally, in the first inning as Sczepkowski's RBI single, sophomore Caden Smith and Pacheco had run-scoring singles.

Sophomore Braxton Meguiar then brought home a pair of runs with a single to left field during the four-run third inning.

That early run production paved the way for the Grizzlies to utilize two pitchers across the nine-inning game. Junior right hander Gage Williams surpassed the 100-strikeout plateau for the season by registering seven strikeouts across five innings to improve to 10-1 for the spring. Senior reliever Sam Hunt tossed four scoreless innings without allowing a hit for his first save of 2023.

 

BASEBALL VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: @GGC_Baseball scores 10 runs through the first three innings to win its NAIA postseason opener.@NAIABall #NAIABaseball | #BattleForTheRedBanner pic.twitter.com/pUDmIb7A1D

— GGC Athletics (@GGCAthletics) May 16, 2023

  "Sam (Hunt) delivered the performance of the day, giving our bullpen a break and carving up those last four innings. We made key in-game adjustments offensively that became important in the last few innings. We have a mature group and the players rose to the challenge (of playing in the NAIA Opening Round)," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
  The Grizzlies took any suspense out of their NAIA postseason opener by scoring four runs in the first inning. Two more runs were added an inning later and four more in the third inning to build a commanding 10-0 advantage. Junior Jesus Pacheco tallied five of the team's 20 hits in the contest. Six different players had at least two hits.
  Bottom of First
Ajay Sczepkowski hit an RBI single to open the scoring
Caden Smith added a run-scoring single to right field
Jesus Pacheco capped the team's four-run inning with an RBI single to center field
 
Bottom of Third
Joe Quelch drew a bases-loaded walk that gave the Grizzlies a 7-0 advantage
Braxton Meguiar brought home a pair of runs with a single to left-center field
 
Bottom of Fourth
Jesus Pacheco legged out a triple that scored Ryan Hunt
Jon Ponder hit a single up the middle that plated the team's 12th run of the game
 
Bottom of Eighth
Ajay Sczepkowski connected on a grand slam home run
 

• The Grizzlies outhit Midway by a 20-7 margin
• Junior right hander Gage Williams struck out seven batters across five innings in the starting assignment
• Junior Ajay Sczepkowski hit his school-record 29th home run of the season with a grand slam during the eighth inning
• Junior Jesus Pacheco went 5-for-5 and scored three runs in the victory

• GGC improves to 48-5 on the season, while Midway is 28-23 in 2023
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 3 in the final NAIA Top 25 poll
• The team was the No. 1 seed in the NAIA Opening Round Lawrenceville Bracket; Midway stood as the 4 seed
• GGC has won its last 10 NAIA postseason games played at the Grizzly Baseball Complex

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to play No. 2 seed Freed-Hardeman University (Tennessee) in a winner's bracket game on Tuesday, May 16, from the Grizzly Baseball Complex, starting at 1 p.m.