The top-seeded Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team continued its strong offensive play with a 27-1 victory against No. 4 seed Florida National University on Saturday to begin the 2024 Continental Athletic Conference Baseball Championship Tournament at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.

The Grizzlies (45-6) scored multiple runs in all six of their offensive innings.

CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

Junior Braxton Meguiar led the 29-hit performance by going 6-for-6 and scoring six runs. Senior Ajay Sczepkowski and junior Henry Daniels each connected on their 17th home runs of the season. Sczepkowski went 5-for-6 and drove in four runs.

Junior Blaze O'Saben tallied four hits and drove in six runs from the leadoff spot in GGC's batting order. Classmate Joe Quelch hit a home run as part of a five-hit performance. He drove in a pair of runs with an infield single during a four-run opening inning.

The tournament hosts plated six runs in the third inning to stretch the early lead to 12-0. Daniels hit a two-run home run in the frame.

GGC added nine more runs to the scoreboard during the fifth inning, when Quelch had his two-run blast beyond the outfield fence.

Eight of GGC's nine players in the starting lineup registered multiple hits. Junior Jackson Cobb tallied two hits while classmate Caden Smith went 2-for-4 and scored a run. Daniels drove in four runs and scored four runs himself as part of a three-hit performance.

Senior starting pitcher Kaleb Hill struck out seven batters and scattered four hits across six strong innings to improve his record to 9-1 on the season.
  "This was exactly the gameplan that we drew up: Getting a big (pitching) start from Kaleb, who kept them off balance, and our offense punched early and often throughout the game. While we take pride in our offense and pitching, our defense has also been a key element for us," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
  The Grizzlies played an all-around strong game with 29 hits producing 27 runs, while getting seven strikeouts on the mound from senior Kaleb Hill, who limited the Conquistadors to one run. Meanwhile, the defense tossed out a runner at third base on a relay play and picked off opposing base runners. GGC won its 10th straight CAC postseason game under Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
  Bottom of First
Joe Quelch hit an infield single to score two runs that gave GGC a 4-0 lead
 
Bottom of Third
Matthew Lee collected a run-scoring single
Blaze O'Saben followed with an RBI double that extended the lead to 8-0
Braxton Meguiar hit a double that scored Blaze O'Saben
Henry Daniels connected on a two-run home run that capped the team's six-run frame
 
Bottom of Fourth
Blaze O'Saben hit a round tripper for the team's 13th run of the contest
Ajay Sczepkowski added an RBI single to left field
 
Bottom of Fifth
Braxton Meguiar hit a run-scoring single as part of a six-hit performance
Joe Quelch connected on a two-run home run that gave the Grizzlies a 24-1 lead
 
Bottom of Sixth
Ajay Sczepkowski tied for the team lead with his 17th home run, a two-run blast
Brett Dingess collected an RBI double that scored Henry Daniels
 

• The Grizzlies outhit Florida National by a 29-6 margin
• Senior Kaleb Hill struck out seven batters across six innings to pick up his ninth win of the season
• Junior Braxton Meguiar went 6-for-6 with six runs scored on Saturday
• Four players tallied at least four hits in the contest

• GGC improves to 45-6 in 2024; Florida National falls to 21-27 on the season
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 2 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll
• The team is the top seed in the CAC Baseball Championship Tournament; Florida National is the No. 4 seed
• Georgia Gwinnett College has won the last four conference tournament titles

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to play No. 2 seed College of the Ozarks (Missouri) in a winner's bracket contest of the 2024 Continental Athletic Conference Baseball Championship Tournament on Sunday, May 5, at the Grizzly Baseball Complex, starting at 11 a.m.