The Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team wasn't going to let Faulkner University (Alabama) record the 27th out of Thursday's winner-take-all championship game of the NAIA Opening Round's Lawrenceville Bracket on its Grizzly Baseball Complex diamond.

Scoring five runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the top-seeded Grizzlies came back for a dramatic 7-6 victory against the No. 2-seeded Eagles – advancing to the Avista NAIA World Series for the sixth straight season and seventh time in the program's 12 seasons.

The situation looked bleak for the tournament hosts trailing 6-2, with no base runners, but had the top of the batting order up to the plate.

And, the rally started auspiciously, with two hit batters and a walk loading the bases. Then, junior Henry Daniels was also hit by a pitch to plate the first run of the inning.

Junior Jackson Cobb wasted no time in tying the game, smashing a first pitch change-up he saw down the left field line to plate three runs and tie the game at 6-6.

"I woke up this morning thinking that I was going to be at the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. So, I had already played that at-bat in my mind. That was my most comfortable at-bat of the day," said Cobb. "We're not giving up until the last pitch is thrown."

Then, junior Paul Winland Jr. capped things off by lining a slider, in a 2-1 pitch count, back up the middle to bring home Cobb with the winning run.

"I wouldn't call it a 'Miracle on Dirt,' but that was a lot of fun," said Winland Jr. "The toughest team always wins. All we needed was a little spark. We got the bases loaded and Jackson showed up. After that it became fun. I was looking for a slider because that is how they had been pitching me. I fouled off the first one and saw it again and went back up the middle, like we do each day in batting practice."

Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger summarized the day by stating, "Our story is unique to ourselves (the 2024 team), but we have a blueprint in the 2021 team (that won the NAIA national championship). This team has several similarities to that (2021) group. This group decided they wanted to pave their own path to Lewiston."

The Grizzlies won three elimination-round games in the tournament, like the 2021 team.

Faulkner (37-17) jumped out to 2-0 lead through the first three innings as Jorge Lucero hit a run-scoring single in the second inning and Johnny Lopez tallied an RBI double one inning later.

However, GGC tied the game, at 2-2, as Daniels connected on the 20th home run of the season and junior Matthew Lee hit an infield single in the fourth inning.

The Eagles broke the deadlock by pushing across three runs in the top of the sixth inning and added another run to take the 6-2 advantage heading into the final two frames.

Junior reliever Tyler Martin registered six strikeouts across four strong innings to pick up the victory, improving to 5-0 on the season. Four GGC pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts and held the Eagles to seven hits.

Cobb paced the victor's nine-hit offensive attack by going 3-for-4, with a pair of runs scored and collecting three RBI.


  "There are really no words for what happened, except two things: The belief that our guys have in each other and the chemistry, love and trust that this team has had all season. I'm not shocked we were able to come back and win that game because this group is tough. Also, don't let us put our championship gold jerseys on, because we're going to find a way to win," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
  Two hit batters and a walk loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Junior Henry Daniels was also hit by a pitch to drive in the first run of the inning. Junior Jackson Cobb lined a double down the left field that cleared the bases and tied the contest, at 6-6. Junior Paul Winland Jr. then capped the rally by hitting an RBI single up the middle for the dramatic come-from-behind victory.
 

  Bottom of Fourth
Henry Daniels led off the frame with his 20th home run of the season
Matthew Lee tied the game, at 2-2, with an infield RBI single to third base
 
Top of Sixth
Orlando Lorduy drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Eagles a 4-2 lead
 
Top of Seventh
Jack Brinkley hit a safety squeeze bunt that scored Tuane Cope for the team's sixth run of the contest
 
Bottom of Ninth
Henry Daniels was hit by a pitch with two outs that trimmed the deficit to 6-3
Jackson Cobb lined a double down the left field that cleared the bases and tied the contest, at 6-6
Paul Winland Jr. hit an RBI single up the middle that scored Jackson Cobb to cap the dramatic comeback
 

• The Grizzlies outhit Faulkner by a 9-7 margin on Thursday
• Junior Jackson Cobb went 3-for-4, with three RBI and two runs scored
• Junior reliever Tyler Martin struck out six batters in tossing four innings to pick up his fifth win of the season
• Junior Henry Daniels connected on his 20th home run of the season

• GGC improves to 51-7 in 2024; Faulkner ends the season with a 37-17 record
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 2 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll; Faulkner stood No. 15 in the same poll
• The team was the top seed in the NAIA Opening Round bracket; Faulkner stood as the No. 2 seed
• GGC won the NAIA Opening Round for the seventh time in program history

Georgia Gwinnett College advances to the Avista NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho, with play scheduled to begin on Friday, May 24.