The No. 2-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team hit three-run home runs in consecutive innings to power past Middle Georgia State University 13-8 on Tuesday night at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.

Leading 4-3 in the fifth inning, junior Caden Smith connected on a three-run home run over the right field fence. Then, junior Paul Winland Jr. followed in the next frame with a towering three-run homer to center field to extend the team's lead to 11-4.

Winland Jr. paced the Grizzlies' 10-hit offensive attack by going 2-for-4 with five RBI and three runs scored. The third baseman also stole three bases in the midweek game.

"Everyone in the dugout got behind Caden and it helped motivate him to show up at the plate in that spot. Then, Paul's home run could not have come at a better time to help put the game away," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.

The Grizzlies (24-5) plated four runs in the first inning as Winland Jr. lined a two-run double off the wall in left field. A passed ball and wild pitch allowed the final two runs of the opening frame to score. Those runs more than answered the one run that Middle Georgia State scored to open the game on a two-out RBI double from Zane Faulk.

The visitors methodically chipped away at the early deficit, pushing across a run in the second and fifth innings to get within a run, at 4-3.

However, the Grizzlies' twin three-run homers helped seal the game and even the season series after losing last week's 12-10 contest in Cochran, Georgia. Middle Georgia State spread nine runs across the fifth and sixth innings of that midweek encounter.

Junior right hander Hunter Polley struck out five batters across 4.2 innings to pick up his first win of the season. He scattered six hits and allowed two earned runs in the outing.

"Hunter did exactly what we needed him to do, providing quality innings. I wish we could have scored more runs to make it a little bit easier for him. He did a good job of getting out of some jams and keeping the score really low for us," said Sheetinger.

Senior Ajay Sczepkowski collected an RBI single in the sixth inning and then drove in a pair of runs with a single in the eighth inning.


  "We were excited about evening up the series on our home field. I was impressed with how we came out early. We've got to do a better job in the middle innings. We got some good relief pitching. Considering everything we did, I'm very proud of today's outcome," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
  The Grizzlies used the long ball to secure Tuesday's home triumph. Junior Caden Smith hit a three-run homer to right field that gave the team a 7-3 lead in the fifth inning. One inning later, junior Paul Winland Jr. connected on a towering three-run home run to extend the lead to 11-4.
  Bottom of Second
Paul Winland Jr. lined a two-run double off the wall in left field that gave the Grizzlies a 2-1 lead
Jackson Cobb scored on a wild pitch to cap the four-run frame
 
Bottom of Fifth
Caden Smith connected on a three-run home run to right field
 
Bottom of Sixth
Paul Winland Jr. hit a towering three-run homer that extended GGC's lead to 11-4
 
Bottom of Eighth
Ajay Sczepkowski hit a single up the middle that brought home two runs
 

• The Knights outhit the Grizzlies by a 13-10 margin in the contest
• Junior pitcher Hunter Polley struck out five batters in picking up his first win of the season
• GGC hitters drew nine walks and successfully stole nine bases
• Junior Paul Winland Jr. went 2-for-4 with five RBI and three runs scored

• GGC improves to 24-5 in 2024; Middle Georgia State drops to 13-13 on the season
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 2 in the first NAIA Top 25 poll of the regular season
• Georgia Gwinnett College has a 12-8 record in the all-time series history between the two Georgia programs
• The team has hit 11 home runs in the last three meetings with Middle Georgia State

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to travel to Brewton-Parker College (Georgia) for a doubleheader on Saturday, March 23, at Mount Vernon, Georgia, starting at 2 p.m. This is a modification to the team's schedule due to inclement weather being in Friday's forecast.