Senior Blaze O'Saben had six hits in seven at-bats, brought home nine runs and scored four runs to set the offensive pace as the No. 2-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team swept a doubleheader against Fisher College (Massachusetts) by 12-1 and 9-3 scores Friday afternoon at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.

O'Saben followed a Wednesday performance in which he tied a GGC single-game school record with five runs scored.

On Friday, the center fielder led off the opening game with a home run over the left field fence, marking his third leadoff homer of the spring. He went 3-for-4, with five RBI and a pair of runs scored, in the first contest, then added another home run during a 3-for-3 performance, with four more RBI and two more runs scored. He was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle in the nightcap.

"Blaze is doing a fantastic job in the leadoff spot and it's been fun watching him transition there. He's not making things bigger than they are, he's just attacking that spot in the (batting) order," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger on O'Saben batting leadoff in the lineup for the 13th straight game.

Junior Joe Quelch hit a three-run homer to left field as part of a four-run fourth inning as the Grizzlies built a 6-1 lead in the opener.

One inning later, senior Ajay Sczepkowski homered for the second consecutive game and fourth time this season. Junior Paul Winland Jr. drove home a pair of runs with a single to right field during a three-run sixth inning.

Then, O'Saben capped off his strong opener with a two-run double to center field in the seventh inning.

Senior right hander Gage Williams struck out nine batters and scattered two hits in the complete-game victory. He improved to 4-0 on the season.

"Over the course of the season, a player is going to have some outings where they aren't their best. A mature player just goes back to work. He (Gage) recognized it and he worked hard on making some adjustments. Gage was pitching down in the (strike) zone and threw multiple pitches for strikes," stated Sheetinger.

GGC (19-2) plated three unearned runs in the second inning of the nightcap. Junior Jackson Cobb hit a sacrifice fly to left field to bring home Sczepkowski. After stealing second and third bases, Sczepkowski would score again off a sacrifice fly from Winland Jr. in the fifth inning.

O'Saben provided the scoring the rest of the way for the Grizzlies, lining an RBI double to left field in the sixth inning. He would later score from second base following a passed ball to give GGC a 7-2 lead. Then, the senior belted his fifth homer of the season for two more runs.

Senior Kaleb Hill improved to 5-1 on the mound behind six strikeouts and six hits allowed in 6.2 innings. Junior reliever Wyatt Dodgens tossed 1.1 scoreless innings before classmate Jaden Bankston tallied three strikeouts during the ninth inning. All three runs allowed by the pitching staff were unearned.

Junior Peyton Peoples scored three runs and also added three stolen bases in each contest on Friday.

"You have these certain players on your team that players respond to. Peyton is one of the best teammates and has done an exceptionally good job of embracing his role as the pinch runner," said Sheetinger.


  "We keep learning how to win different kinds of games. The process throughout the season is finding ways to win in a variety of different ways. I'm really happy with how we have responded in all of those moments," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
  The Grizzlies halted any momentum visiting Fisher was trying to gain during both ends of Friday's doubleheader. In the opener, Fisher got within a run, at 2-1, after a two-out RBI double in the fourth inning. However, junior Joe Quelch connected on a three-run homer as GGC scored four runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning. Later, the Falcons cut the lead in half at 4-2 in the fifth inning of the nightcap. That's when the hosts answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning before plating two runs during the sixth inning to build a 7-2 advantage.
  First Game
Bottom of First
Blaze O'Saben led off the game with a home run to left field
 
Bottom of Fourth
Joe Quelch connected on a three-run home run to left field
 
Bottom of Fifth
Ajay Sczepkowski hit a leadoff home run to left field that gave GGC a 7-1 lead
 
Bottom of Sixth
Paul Winland Jr. lined a two-run single to right field that brought home Blaze O'Saben and Braxton Meguiar
 
Bottom of Seventh
Blaze O'Saben hit a two-run double to center field that plated the team's 12th run of the contest
 
Second Game
Bottom of Second
Blaze O'Saben hit a run-scoring single to third base and then got into a rundown between first and second that allowed Peyton Peoples to score a second run on the play
 
Bottom of Third
Jackson Cobb hit a sacrifice fly to left field that gave GGC a 4-0 lead
 
Bottom of Fifth
Paul Winland Jr. hit a sacrifice fly to shallow left field that brought home Ajay Sczepkowski
 
Bottom of Eighth
Blaze O'Saben lined a two-run home run down the left field line that extended the lead to 9-2
 

• The Grizzlies registered nine hits in both games Friday
• Senior Blaze O'Saben went 6-for-7, with nine RBI and four runs scored, during the doubleheader sweep
• Junior Peyton Peoples successfully stole six bases and scored six runs across both games
• Junior Jackson Cobb recorded nine assists from his shortstop position, highlighted by five assists during the nightcap

• GGC improves to 19-2 on the season; Fisher drops to 3-17 this spring
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 2 in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 poll
• Georgia Gwinnett College holds a 27-1 record in the series with the Falcons in games played in Lawrenceville
• GGC and Fisher are members of the Continental Athletic Conference

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host Indiana Tech in a doubleheader on Sunday, March 10, at the Grizzly Baseball Complex, starting at 2 p.m.