A strong pitching performance by senior Kaleb Hill guided the No. 3-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team to a road series victory by splitting Saturday's doubleheader against No. 20 Tennessee Wesleyan University at Athens, Tennessee.

The Grizzlies (35-6) bounced back from dropping the opener 9-7 to win the rubber game of the weekend series with a 5-1 victory. GGC won three of the four games this season against the Bulldogs (27-15).

Hill matched his career high with 12 strikeouts and tossed his third complete-game victory of the season in the seven-inning nightcap. The left hander improved to 6-1 on the season by scattering five hits and not allowing an earned run in the outing.

Junior Caden Smith gave the visitors a quick 2-0 lead with a two-run home run in the second inning. Classmate Henry Daniels added a two-run single in the top of the fifth inning to extend the team's lead to 4-0.

Daniels went 2-for-2 at the plate to pace GGC's offensive attack in the third game of the weekend series.

Tennessee Wesleyan rallied to win Saturday's opener as Kruise Newman hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning.

GGC held a 7-6 advantage after Evan Magill hit an RBI single to right field for Tennessee Wesleyan earlier in the eighth inning.

The Grizzlies jumped out a 6-1 lead after senior Blaze O'Saben and junior Joe Quelch hit solo home runs in the first two innings. O'Saben would later successfully steal home as part of a two-run fifth inning. Quelch hit an RBI single to bring home junior Jackson Cobb in the top of the sixth inning to plate the sixth run of the contest.

The Bulldogs answered with a three-run homer from Magill in the bottom half of the sixth inning. A round tripper from Carson Ford trimmed the lead to 6-5 in the seventh inning.

GGC won Friday's series opener 11-8 and earlier picked up a 7-1 triumph against Tennessee Wesleyan in Lawrenceville on March 25.
  "Tennessee Wesleyan is a tough place to play and they're a well-coached team. These are not easy games to win. I'm really proud that we came away with two wins this weekend. We did a great job of bouncing back from the first game (of the day). We got back to doing the things that have made us successful this season. Kaleb pitched really well," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
  The Grizzlies seized control of the rubber match of the three-game weekend series by scoring the first four runs of Saturday's nightcap. Junior Caden Smith connected on a two-run home run during the second inning. Junior Henry Daniels added a two-run single in the fifth inning. Senior left hander Kaleb Hill made that early offense stand up by holding the Bulldogs to one run and striking out 12 batters during the complete-game victory.
  First Game
Top of First
Blaze O'Saben led off the game with his 10th home run of the season
 
Top of Second
Joe Quelch connected on a solo home run to give the Grizzlies a 3-0 lead
 
Top of Sixth
Joe Quelch hit an RBI single that extended the lead to 6-1
 
Bottom of Sixth
Evan Magill connected on a three-run home run
 
Bottom of Seventh
Carson Ford hit a solo home run that brought the Bulldogs within a run, at 6-5
 
Bottom of Eighth
Kruise Newman hit a go-ahead three-run home run to put the hosts ahead 9-7
 
Second Game
Top of Second
Caden Smith hit a two-run home run to open the scoring
 
Top of Fifth
Henry Daniels collected a two-run single that gave the Grizzlies a 4-0 lead
 
Top of Seventh
Peyton Peoples scored following a balk
 

• The Grizzlies tallied 13 hits across the doubleheader split
• GGC stole nine bases on Saturday, led by six steals in the opener
• Senior Kaleb Hill matched his career high with 12 strikeouts in the complete-game victory in the nightcap
• Senior Blaze O'Saben went 3-for-5 and hit his 10th homer of the season in Saturday's opener

• GGC stands 35-6 in 2024; Tennessee Wesleyan is 27-15 on the season
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 3 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll announced on Wednesday, April 10; Tennessee Wesleyan stood No. 20 in the same poll
• Tennessee Wesleyan leads the all-time series 13-11 between the programs
• The Grizzlies had their season-long 13-game winning streak ended in Saturday's first game

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host Brewton-Parker College (Georgia) on Tuesday, April 16, at the Grizzly Baseball Complex, starting at 4 p.m.