Skip To Main Content

Scoreboard

Events and Results

Composite Calendar

Georgia Gwinnett College Athletics

Georgia Gwinnett Grizzlies
Tyler M. Martin throw
Junior Tyler M. Martin scored twice in Tuesday's win over Talladega (Alabama) in the NAIA Opening Round
4
Talladega (AL) TC 43-13
6
Winner Georgia Gwinnett GGC 50-4
Talladega (AL) TC
43-13
4
Final
6
Georgia Gwinnett GGC
50-4
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Talladega (AL) TC 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 4 11 3
Georgia Gwinnett GGC 0 0 1 0 2 2 0 1 X 6 7 2

W: Harris, Ben (11-0) L: S. Guadamuz (11-2) S: Martin, Tyler E. (4)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball Earns 6-4 Win in NAIA Tournament Opener

The top-seeded Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team may have had to wait an extra day to open the NAIA Opening Round Lawrenceville Bracket, but once they got on the diamond, the tournament hosts claimed a hard-fought 6-4 victory against No. 4 seed Talladega College (Alabama) on Tuesday afternoon at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.

The Grizzlies (50-4; ranked No. 2 nationally) will face No. 2 seed Keiser University (Florida) in a winner's bracket contest on Wednesday, May 14, starting at 11 a.m.

OPENING ROUND CENTRAL

GGC scored two runs in the fifth and sixth innings to build a 5-2 advantage. Senior Jon Ponder connected on a solo home down the right field line to give the Grizzlies a 2-1 lead. Junior Alex Harrell added an RBI single later in the frame.

"Jon's home run set the table and swung the game's momentum in our direction after giving up some early hits. It took us a little while to get cooking but once we did, it was Grizzly Baseball that led the way, as it has all season," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.

Harrell later collected a sacrifice fly to right field to cap the two-run sixth inning. He went 1-for-1, with three RBI in the contest, after hitting another sacrifice fly during the eighth inning, extending the lead to 6-3.

Those runs proved to be beneficial as the Tornadoes (43-13) loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the ninth inning. Senior reliever Tyler E. Martin allowed a sacrifice fly to trim the margin to two runs, at 6-4. Another fly out coupled with an error allowed the potential game-tying run to advance into scoring position. However, Martin struck out Jahir Cruz looking to end the ballgame and secure the hard-fought victory.

"Like usual, Tyler came through in the clutch, with the game on the line. It was a usual all-around team effort to get this win," said Sheetinger.
Harris pitch
Senior starting pitcher Ben Harris worked around 11 hits across seven innings to improve his record to 11-0 on the season. Junior reliever Jaxon Dennis retired all three batters he faced in the eighth inning when the Tornadoes got within three runs, at 6-3.

Senior Braxton Meguiar tallied two of GGC's seven hits in the contest, while Ponder hit his eighth home run of the 2025 campaign and scored twice from the leadoff spot in the batting order. Junior Tyler M. Martin also scored twice in the victory.

   
Coach's Corner
"Every postseason win has to be earned and this one certain was. Our players are trained to excel in these types of pressure-packed situations. That's when you see Jon (Ponder) come through with the solo homer, Braxton (Meguiar) setting the table with some key hits, and Tyler (E. Martin) coming up with some big pitches at the end. I was confident that we would come through in the end. We've done it all season long," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
 
Turning Point
The Grizzlies used productive middle innings to take the lead for good. Senior Jon Ponder connected on a solo home run down the right field line in the fifth inning. Junior Alex Harrell added an RBI single later in the frame. The team added two runs one inning later to grab a 5-2 advantage. Those runs became beneficial as Tornadoes loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth inning, with GGC leading 6-3, and senior reliever Tyler E. Martin allowing a sacrifice fly, another fly out and a strikeout to strand the potential game-tying runs in scoring position.
 
Key Plays
Bottom of Third
A fielding error in left field by the Tornadoes allowed Tyler M. Martin to score the first run of the contest
 
Bottom of Fifth
Jon Ponder hit a solo home run down the right field line, giving GGC a 2-1 lead
Alex Harrell added an RBI single through the left side of the infield
 Meguiar leading
Bottom of Sixth
Alex Harrell hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Jon Ponder for a 5-2 GGC advantage
 
Bottom of Eighth
Alex Harrell once again collected a sacrifice fly to right field, extending the lead to 6-3
 
Top of Ninth
Tyler E. Martin struck out Jahir Cruz looking with runners at second and third base to secure the 6-4 victory
 
Inside The Numbers
  • Talladega outhit the Grizzlies by an 11-7 margin on Tuesday
  • Junior Alex Harrell went 1-for-1 with three RBI after having two sacrifice flies
  • Senior Ben Harris picked up his 11th pitching victory of the 2025 season, tossing seven innings on Tuesday
  • Senior Jon Ponder hit his eighth home run of the season
News & Notes
  • GGC improves to 50-4 on the season; Talladega drops to 43-13 in 2025
  • The Grizzlies were ranked No. 2 in the final regular season NAIA Top 25 poll
  • The team was the top seed in the five-team Lawrenceville Bracket; Talladega stood as the No. 4 seed
  • The team has won 31 of the 35 all-time meetings against Talladega
Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to play No. 2 seed Keiser University (Florida) in the winner's bracket of the NAIA Opening Round Lawrenceville Bracket on Wednesday, May 14, at the Grizzly Baseball Complex, starting at 11 a.m.
 
Print Friendly Version