Southeastern University (Florida) plated a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and relied on a complete-game pitching performance to defeat the Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team 2-1 Tuesday evening in a winner's bracket contest at the Avista NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho.

The No. 6-seeded Fire (46-13) took advantage of a fielding error with two outs and the bases loaded to grab a 2-0 lead.

Meanwhile, starting pitcher Aaron Robertson scattered seven hits and got out of several potential scoring jams in going the distance on the mound, improving his record to 11-2 on the season.

GGC (55-6), the tournament's No. 2 seed, placed base runners on third and first bases with no outs in the top of the fifth inning of a scoreless contest. Robertson proceeded to throw out a runner at home plate on a safety squeeze bunt play for the first out of the frame. Following a fielder's choice for the second out, the left hander picked off a runner at third base to end the threat.

"Anytime you are in a really good game, there are subtle shifts of momentum and things can ebb and flow with each pitch. (The fifth inning plays) certainly tipped momentum their way. We know that we have to be better in those spots," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.

At the same time, Southeastern loaded the bases in the bottom half of the fifth inning behind a single, a walk and a hit by pitch. Then, with two outs, a fielding error allowed John Rossi and Jon Paul Pennella to score, giving the Fire a 2-0 lead.

The Grizzlies mounted a ninth-inning rally, with two outs, as senior pinch hitter Joe Quelch lined a run-scoring double to right-center field, scoring senior Zayd Brannigan from first base to trim the deficit to 2-1. However, Robertson got a ground out to preserve the one-run triumph.

"(Quelch) has been seeing the ball really well in batting practice and I felt like it was a good moment for him. He's built for those moments and has done a great job here (Harris Field) over the years," said Sheetinger. "We felt like he would be the right guy in the right spot. He certainly put together a good at-bat."

Georgia Gwinnett College will now play an elimination-round contest against No. 3 seed Tennessee Wesleyan University on Wednesday, May 28, at 3 p.m. pacific time. The Grizzlies defeated Tennessee Wesleyan 14-0 on Monday.
 
Coach's Corner
"That was a really good college baseball game. It was competitive on both sides. I thought our pitchers did a great job of holding the rope, but we came up just a little short. We are going to learn from it and move forward," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
 
Turning Point
GGC managed to put base runners on third and first bases with no outs in the top of the fifth inning of a scoreless contest. Southeastern threw out a runner at home plate on a safety squeeze bunt play for the first out and kept the game deadlocked at 0-0 by picking off a runner at third base for the third out of the frame. The Fire took advantage of a two-out fielding error by the Grizzlies to score both of their two runs in the bottom half of the fifth inning.
 
Key Plays
Top of Fifth
Southeastern threw out a baserunner at the plate on a safety squeeze bunt and picked off a runner at third base to keep the game scoreless
 
Bottom of Fifth
A fielding error with two outs allowed two runs to score for the Fire to take a 2-0 lead
 
Top of Ninth
Joe Quelch lined a pinch-hit RBI double to right-center field, scoring Zayd Brannigan to trim the deficit to 2-1
 
Inside The Numbers

• The Grizzlies outhit Southeastern by a 7-3 margin
• GGC left seven runners on the basepaths across nine innings
• Three GGC pitchers combined to strike out seven batters in the contest
• Senior Jackson Cobb went 2-for-4 at the plate

News & Notes

• GGC drops to 55-6 in 2025; Southeastern improves to 46-13 this spring
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 2 in the final regular season NAIA Top 25 poll; Southeastern stood No. 6 in the same poll
• The team was the No. 2 seed in the 2025 Avista NAIA World Series bracket; Southeastern stood as the No. 6 seed
• Georgia Gwinnett College has an 8-6 lead in the series with the Fire, including a 3-2 edge in games played in NAIA postseason action

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to play No. 3 seed Tennessee Wesleyan University in an elimination-round game on Wednesday, May 28, at the Avista NAIA World Series, from Lewiston, Idaho, starting at 3 p.m. pacific time.