No. 7-seeded Taylor University (Indiana) tallied 18 hits to score 23 runs in defeating the No. 2 Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team 23-7 Saturday afternoon to open the Avista NAIA World Series at Harris Field.

The Trojans (42-15) used a six-run fifth inning to take an 8-6 lead. They later plated eight runs during the seventh inning to take a commanding 17-7 advantage.

GGC (50-7) jumped out to a 6-2 lead behind a pair of home runs. Sophomore Caden Smith jumpstarted a three-run second inning by hitting a solo home run to right field. Junior Jesus Pacheco lined an RBI triple down the right-field line to tie the contest at 2-2. Junior Jon Ponder added a run-scoring single.

Junior Ajay Sczepkowski connected on a three-run homer to left field, his 31st round tripper of the season, during the fourth inning.

Smith later hit his second solo homer of the contest during the fifth inning to trim the deficit to 8-7.

Brayden Manning led Taylor's offense by going 4-for-6 with three doubles and scoring four runs. Mason Davis drove in seven runs as part of a 3-for-5 performance. Ben Kalbaugh had five RBI and Sam Gladd collected four RBI.

Gladd hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the top of the fifth inning.

David cleared the bases with a double as part of the eight-run seventh inning.

The Grizzlies will play No. 8 Indiana Wesleyan University in an elimination contest on Monday, May 29, starting at 8:30 a.m. pacific time.
  Taylor used a pair of big offensive innings to build a 17-7 lead. The Trojans scored six runs in the top of the fifth inning to take the lead for good. Sam Gladd hit a two-run home run to right field to give Taylor an 8-6 lead. Mason David then cleared the bases with a double as part of an eight-run seventh inning.
  Bottom of Second
Caden Smith connected on a solo home run to right field
Jesus Pacheco tied the game, 2-2, with an RBI triple down the right-field line
Jon Ponder lined a run-scoring single to right field that brought home Jesus Pacheco
 
Bottom of Fourth
Ajay Sczepkowski crushed a three-run home run with two outs to extend the lead to 6-2
 
Top of Fifth
Brayden Manning hit a run-scoring double down the left field line
Ben Kalbaugh added an RBI single to tie the game at 6-6
Sam Gladd hit a two-run homer to give the Trojans an 8-6 lead
 
Bottom of Fifth
Caden Smith hit his second solo home run of the contest to bring the Grizzlies within a run, 8-7
 
Top of Seventh
Mason David cleared the bases with a double to right-center field
Ben Kalbaugh hit a two-run single to cap an eight-run frame
 

• Taylor outhit the Grizzlies by an 18-13 margin
• Six GGC players registered two hits in Saturday's contest
• Junior Ajay Sczepkowski hit his 31st home run of the season with a three-run blast in the fourth inning
• The Grizzlies hit three home runs

• GGC drops to 50-7 on the season, while Taylor improves to 42-15 on the season
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 3 in the final NAIA Top 25 poll; Taylor stood No. 19 in the same poll
• The team was the No. 2 seed in the Avista NAIA World Series bracket; Taylor is the No. 7 seed

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to play No. 8 Indiana Wesleyan University on Monday, May 29, at the 2023 Avista NAIA World Series, starting at 8:30 a.m. pacific time.