The No. 3-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team used a pair of four-run frames to win the opener of a three-game weekend series against Toccoa Falls College (Georgia) 13-3 in seven innings on Friday evening at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.

Senior Paul Winland Jr. tied the program's single-game record with three doubles. The third baseman became the eighth player in GGC history to accomplish the feat and first since Caden Smith against Lourdes University (Ohio) on March 4, 2023.

Winland's first extra-base hit came in the opening frame to give the hosts a 4-1 lead. Another double came in the third inning before capping his strong offensive day by lining a two-run double to right field during the fifth inning.

"A lot of great players have come before me, so it is an honor to accomplish a great feat. I'm just trying to stay athletic with my swing and trust myself," said Winland Jr.

He went 3-for-3 with three RBI to lead the team's 11-hit offensive attack in the series opener.

"Paul is starting to round into form. He is committed to doing his job and getting his best swing off each time. When doing that, he's fun to watch," said Sheetinger.

Junior Tyler M. Martin gave the Grizzlies (13-2) a 2-1 lead with a run-scoring single in the first inning. Senior Jackson Cobb followed with a run-scoring single through the right side of the infield.

Martin extended the lead to 5-2 with an RBI ground out to shortstop in the third inning.

Later, senior Kyle Norton brought home a pair of runs with an infield single as GGC built a 9-2 advantage in the fifth inning.

Two innings later, senior Braxton Meguiar lined a two-run double off the wall in right field before scoring on a single from junior Alex Harrell. Harrell joined Norton in tallying two hits in the victory.

Senior starting pitcher Ben Harris improved to 3-0 on the season, striking out 10 batters across six innings.


 
Coach's Corner
"I'm very happy with how we battled back and took some punches, but we punched right back. I thought we did a good job of taking advantage of the moments," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
 
Turning Point
The Grizzlies scored four runs in the opening inning to grab early momentum of the contest. Junior Tyler M. Martin lined a go-ahead RBI single to left field. Senior Jackson Cobb followed with a run-scoring single before classmate Paul Winland Jr. capped the productive inning with the first of his three doubles on the evening.
 
Key Plays
Bottom of First
Tyler M. Martin lined a run-scoring single to left field to score Braxton Meguiar and give the Grizzlies a 2-1 lead
Paul Winland Jr. hit a run-scoring single to center field to plate the fourth run of the frame
 
Bottom of Fifth
Paul Winland Jr. legged out his third double of the game to drive in a pair of runs
Kyle Norton hit an infield single to extend GGC's lead to 9-2
 
Bottom of Seventh
Braxton Meguiar lined a two-run double to right field
Alex Harrell followed with an RBI single to bring home Braxton Meguiar
 
Inside The Numbers

• The Grizzlies outhit Toccoa Falls by a 11-9 margin in the series opener
• Senior Paul Winland Jr. tied a single-game program record with three doubles
• Senior starting pitcher Ben Harris struck out 10 batters across six innings on Friday
• Seniors Jackson Cobb and Jon Ponder each recorded two steals in the victory

News & Notes

• GGC improves to 13-2 in 2025; Toccoa Falls drops to 9-5 on the season
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 3 in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 poll
• GGC has won 13 of the 17 all-time meetings with Toccoa Falls, including an 11-2 mark in games played in Lawrenceville
• Friday's game was the team's ninth of 17 straight home games

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to conclude the three-game series with a doubleheader against Toccoa Falls College (Georgia) on Saturday, March 1, at the Grizzly Baseball Complex, starting at 1 p.m.