The No. 2-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team once again scored double-digit victories at the Grizzly Baseball Complex – improving to 10-1 on the season – with two more convincing triumphs.

The Grizzlies hit three home runs and stole 10 bases in defeating No. 20 Point Park University (Pennsylvania) by a 15-4 score before having a 12-2 triumph against Toccoa Falls College (Georgia) in the nightcap.

GGC scored 37 runs across the three games over the weekend and now has outscored the opposition by 10-run margins in six of the team's seven home games.

The hosts used an eight-run third inning to pull away from a 2-2 deadlock in Saturday's opener. After the Pioneers (5-2) tied the game behind two runs in the top half of inning, the Grizzlies responded with four runs before the first out was made in the frame.

Junior Braxton Meguiar lined an RBI single to left field as GGC took a 4-2 advantage. Juniors Henry Daniels and Jackson Cobb added back-to-back run-scoring singles and classmate Bryce Lesher collected a single to bring home the team's seventh run of the contest.

Later in the frame, senior Blaze O'Saben hit a sacrifice fly to extend the margin to seven runs, 9-2, before a throwing error capped the productive offensive inning. O'Saben also led off the game by driving the first pitch of the contest deep over the wall in left field for his second round tripper of the season.

"The way our group rallies around each other is this team's super-power. They play and fight for each other. As great as our response was offensively, what I really liked was how (pitcher) Tyler (Clayton) went out there and threw a scoreless fourth inning to keep the momentum going," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.

O'Saben added, "How we're playing together as a unit speaks measures about the makeup of our team, our understanding of big moments, and the importance of grabbing the game's momentum and keeping it in our dugout."

Junior Joe Quelch hit a solo home run over the right field fence in the second inning for his team-leading third homer of the season.

Senior Ajay Sczepkowski also homered, a two-run smash to left field, to create the 10-run victory margin in the first game. It was the first home run of the 2024 campaign for the 2023 NAIA Player of the Year and 2024 Preseason All-American.

Senior left-handed pitcher Tyler Clayton struck out eight batters and scattered five hits across six strong innings to improve his record to 3-0 on the season.

In the nightcap, GGC scored six runs with two outs in the opening frame to jump out to an early advantage. Juniors Caden Smith and Matthew Lee had back-to-back two-run singles.

Sophomore Nico Sall connected on his first homer as a Grizzly with a solo blast to right field in the sixth inning, giving the hosts a commanding 11-2 lead.

Senior starting pitcher Kaleb Hill moved to 3-0 on the season with a five-strikeout, two-hit performance across five scoreless innings.

GGC has scored 120 runs through its first 11 games.


  "I'm super proud of the way the guys went about their business this weekend. How we played and pitched really set the tone for today's games. We continue to juggle the lineup. We felt Blaze would be a great fit at the top (of the batting order) and start the fire for us offensively. He did exactly that by putting together great at-bats all weekend long," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
  After Point Park tied the contest 2-2 in the top of the third inning, the hosts quickly regained the lead by scoring eight runs in the bottom half of the frame. Four runs were plated before the first out was recorded. Junior Braxton Meguiar lined a run-scoring single to left field and then classmate Henry Daniels hit an RBI single for the third run of the inning. Junior Jackson Cobb laid down a bunt for a base hit to give the Grizzlies an early 6-2 advantage.
  Point Park Game
Bottom of First
Blaze O'Saben led off the game with a home run to left field
 
Bottom of Second
Joe Quelch connected on a solo home run to give the Grizzlies a 2-0 lead
 
Bottom of Third
Braxton Meguiar lined an RBI single to left field to bring home Blaze O'Saben
Henry Daniels added a run-scoring single for the third run of the frame
Jackson Cobb laid down a bunt to first base that allowed Ajay Sczepkowski to score
Blaze O'Saben hit a sacrifice fly to center field to extend GGC's lead to 9-2
Bryce Lesher scored an unearned run after a failed pickoff attempt had the ball going to center field – capping an eight-run inning
 
Bottom of Seventh
Braxton Meguiar legged out an RBI triple to center field to give the Grizzlies a 13-4 lead
Ajay Sczepkowski connected on a two-run home run for his first round tripper of the season
 
Toccoa Falls Game
Bottom of First
Caden Smith lined a two-run single to right field
Matthew Lee followed with a two-run single to left field to give the Grizzlies an early 6-0 lead
 
Bottom of Fourth
Henry Daniels hit a sacrifice fly to deep right field that allowed Blaze O'Saben to score from second base
 
Bottom of Sixth
Nico Sall hit a solo home run to right field
 

• GGC collected 21 hits across Saturday's two games, highlighted by 12 hits against Point Park
• Senior Ajay Sczepkowski hit his first home run of the 2024 season to close out the seventh inning against Point Park
• The Grizzlies' pitching staff recorded eight strikeouts in each game
• The Grizzlies successfully stole 16 bases in the two contests, led by 10 steals in the opener of the day

• GGC is 10-1 on the season; Point Park is 5-2 in 2024; Toccoa Falls stands 5-6 this spring
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 2 in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 poll; Point Park stood No. 20 in the same poll
• Georgia Gwinnett College has scored 121 runs in 70 innings this season
• The team is 7-0 at the Grizzly Baseball Complex this spring

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host Saint Xavier University (Illinois) on Friday, February 23, from the Grizzly Baseball Complex, starting at 4 p.m.