The Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team dropped a pair of hard-fought games, falling to Talladega College (Alabama) 4-3 before suffering a 10-8 loss to No. 15 Loyola University (Louisiana) on Saturday at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.

Talladega (14-10) scored three runs in the seventh inning to break a 1-1 deadlock in the first game of the day. GGC got a run back on an RBI double from senior Blaze O'Saben in the bottom half of the seventh inning. He later added another RBI double in the ninth inning to trim the deficit to one run. The Grizzlies (21-5) stranded the go-ahead run on base.

Meanwhile, Loyola (17-6) scored four runs with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to rally past the Grizzlies in the nightcap. Brandon Mooney hit a three-run double down the right-field line to give the Wolf Pack a decisive 9-8 lead.

That rally came after GGC had a comeback of its own in the bottom of the eighth inning to take an 8-6 lead. Senior Ajay Sczepkowski hit his program-record 40th home run to open the frame. A few batters later, junior Caden Smith hit a towering two-run home run down the right field line to put the hosts ahead 7-6.

Sczepkowski broke Nick Barnes mark set from the 2018-21 seasons. The 2023 NAIA Baseball Player of the Year and 2024 Preseason All-American has hit seven round trippers this spring.

GGC jumped out to a 4-1 lead after three innings against the Wolf Pack. O'Saben lined a two-run single up the middle during the second inning. Junior Brett Dingess hit an infield RBI single to plate the fourth run of the contest.

Loyola methodically chipped away at the lead and eventually tied the contest, at 4-4, on a pinch hit two-run double from Garrett Beadle in the top of the sixth inning. The Louisiana team would take its first lead in the top of the eighth inning.

In the Talladega contest, junior Joe Quelch connected on his seventh home run of the season.

Despite suffering the loss, senior starting pitcher Gage Williams struck out 11 batters in the complete-game performance against Talladega.
  Loyola scored four runs with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to rally for the victory in Saturday's nightcap. Brandon Mooney provided the key hit with a three-run double down the right-field line that put the visitors ahead for good at 9-8.
  Talladega Game
Bottom of Second
Joe Quelch led off the frame with a home run
 
Top of Seventh
Armando Jackson collected a run-scoring single to break the 1-1 deadlock
Jose Santiago hit an RBI single up the middle that gave the Tornadoes a 3-1 lead
 
Bottom of Seventh
Blaze O'Saben hit an RBI double that brought the Grizzlies within 4-2
 
Bottom of Ninth
Blaze O'Saben added another run-scoring double to cut the deficit to one run, at 4-3
 
Loyola Game
Bottom of Second
Blaze O'Saben hit a two-run single up the middle to give the Grizzlies a 3-1 lead
 
Bottom of Third
Brett Dingess hit an infield RBI single to third base
 
Top of Sixth
Garrett Beadle lined a two-run double to left-center field that tied the contest at 4-4
 
Bottom of Eighth
Ajay Sczepkowski opened the frame with his school-record 40th career home run
Caden Smith hit a two-run go-ahead home run down the right field line to give GGC a 7-6 lead
 
Top of Ninth
Brandon Mooney cleared the bases with a double down the right field line that gave the Wolf Pack a 9-8 lead
 

• The Grizzlies tallied 19 hits across Saturday's two games
• Senior starting pitcher Gage Williams struck out 11 batters in the complete game against Talladega
• GGC successfully stole nine bases across both games

• GGC falls to 21-5 on the season; Talladega improves to 14-10 this spring; Loyola stands 17-6 in 2024
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 2 in the NAIA Top 25 poll; Loyola stood No. 15 in the same poll
• Senior Ajay Sczepkowski hit his school-record 40th career home run, this one coming during the eighth inning of the Loyola contest

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host Loyola University (Louisiana) and Talladega College (Alabama) once again on Sunday, March 17, at the Grizzly Baseball Complex, with single nine-inning games starting at 2 p.m.