The No. 9-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College softball team won two games in much different ways Sunday afternoon to cap an undefeated season-opening Grizzly Open at the Grizzly Softball Complex.

The Grizzlies (5-0) came back with four runs in the seventh inning to tie the first game against Lindsey Wilson College (Kentucky). Then, senior Lindzie Owen hit a walk-off single one inning later for a 6-5 victory.

In the second game of the day, GGC jumped out to an early seven-run lead for a 7-3 triumph against No. 25 College of Coastal Georgia.

Sophomore Sophie Sisk hit a run-scoring ground out to bring the hosts within 5-2 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning of the opener against the Blue Raiders. Classmate Morgan McQuagge followed with a two-run single up the middle to put the potential tying run at third base. Two batters later, junior pinch hitter Savannah Jenkins delivered a clutch run-scoring single to plate that tying run and send the game into extra innings.

The Grizzlies increased the defensive intensity in the eighth inning. Senior right fielder Kayla Good threw out Brooklyn Becker, the potential go-ahead run, at the plate for a double play.

GGC loaded the bases in the home half of the eighth inning as Good drew a walk with one out. Owen hit a base hit up the middle to score freshman Samantha Fadely for the game-winning run.

Lindsey Wilson (1-4) pushed one run across in the second inning before adding two more runs in the third inning and one more run during the fourth inning while building a 4-0 advantage.

In the second game, GGC scored twice in the opening inning before using a four-run second frame to take a commanding 6-0 advantage against the Mariners (8-3).

Owen jumpstarted the big second inning with an RBI double. Sisk followed with a run-scoring single before McQuagge added an RBI single to give the Grizzlies a 5-0 lead. Jenkins hit a sacrifice fly to score Sisk for an additional run.

Two innings later, McQuagge collected a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Owen as the lead grew to 7-0.

Coastal Georgia would plate two runs in the fifth inning and an additional run in the top of the sixth inning on an RBI single from Mackenzie Southerland.

Senior pitcher Annalise Jarvis recorded victories in both games, entering the Lindsey Wilson contest in the eighth inning. She tossed a complete game against Coastal Georgia to improve to 3-0, with one save, during the season-opening weekend.

Offensively, Owen paced the Grizzlies by going 5-for-8 with four runs scored. She tallied three runs and had three hits in Sunday's second contest. Junior Sara Roussel registered multiple hits in both games, while McQuagge went 2-for-3 at the plate in the come-from-behind victory against Lindsey Wilson.


 
Coach's Corner
"We have a very competitive and complete team. There are a lot of people who can come in during different situations. The rally (in the seventh inning) started with a hit by Summer (Hickson). That little moment gave us the spark we needed. We continued to chip away while not trying to do too much," said Head Coach Kat Ihlenburg.
 
Turning Point
The Grizzlies scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie Lindsey Wilson 5-5 in Sunday's opener. The final three runs of the rally were registered with two outs in the frame. Sophomore Morgan McQuagge hit a single up the middle to plate two runs that brought the hosts within a run, at 5-4. Then, junior pinch hitter Savannah Jenkins hit the game-tying base hit. GGC completed the comeback in the bottom of the next inning.
 
Key Plays
Lindsey Wilson Game
Top of Third
Sam Hartman hit a run-scoring single to right field that gave the Blue Raiders a 2-0 lead
Brylee Pickerell added an RBI single
 
Top of Fourth
Sam Hartman collected another RBI single to extend the visitor's lead to 4-0
 
Bottom of Fifth
Summer Hickson scored following a throwing error on a ground ball by Enna Lackey to put the Grizzlies on the scoreboard
 
Bottom of Seventh
Morgan McQuagge hit a two-run single up the middle to bring GGC within a run, at 5-4
Savannah Jenkins delivered a pinch-hit RBI single through the left side of the infield to tie the contest
 
Top of Eighth
Kayla Good turned a double play after catching a fly ball in right field and throwing out a Lindsey Wilson baserunner at the plate
 
Bottom of Eighth
Lindzie Owen hit a walk-off RBI single that scored Samantha Fadely with the game-winning run
 
Coastal Georgia Game
Bottom of First
Savannah Jenkins opened the scoring with a single to left field that brought home Lindzie Owen
Haley Robinson lined a run-scoring double to give GGC a quick 2-0 lead
 
Bottom of Second
Lindzie Owen hit an RBI double that scored Kayla Good
Sophie Sisk followed with a run-scoring single
Morgan McQuagge collected a single through the left side of the infield to score Lindzie Owen
Savannah Jenkins' sacrifice fly gave the hosts a 6-0 lead
 
Bottom of Fourth
Morgan McQuagge added a sacrifice fly to right field
 
Inside The Numbers

• The Grizzlies tallied 20 hits across Sunday's two games, highlighted by 11 hits against Coastal Georgia
• Senior Lindzie Owen went 5-for-8 with four runs scored on Sunday
• GGC successfully had five stolen bases during the day
• The team used four pitchers to pick up the win against Lindsey Wilson

News & Notes

• GGC improves to 5-0 on the season; Lindsey Wilson drops to 1-4 in 2024; Coastal Georgia is 8-3 this spring
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 9 in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 poll; Coastal Georgia stood No. 25 in the same poll
• The team leads the series with Lindsey Wilson by a 15-7 margin and a 17-8 edge against Coastal Georgia
• GGC has scored nine runs in the second inning of games this spring

Up Next
The Grizzly Open is scheduled to host Truett-McConnell University (Georgia) on Tuesday, February 18, at the Grizzly Softball Complex, starting at 4 p.m.