The No. 2-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team posted its 20th win of the 2026 season behind a 15-7 victory in seven innings against Georgetown College (Kentucky) on Saturday afternoon at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.
The game was halted in the top of the eighth inning with its second weather-related delay of the contest. Lightning delayed the contest by over two hours during the top of the seventh inning.
GGC (20-2) jumped out to a 9-0 lead through six innings. The hosts plated five runs in the second inning to grab early momentum.
Junior designated hitter
Braden Smith hit a two-run single up the middle to open the scoring. Junior third baseman
Chris Tillery added a sacrifice fly to left field before junior second baseman
Payton Fort had an RBI triple that plated the team's fifth run of the frame.
A couple of innings later, senior catcher
Grant Pohlman hit a sacrifice fly to left field that brought home junior first baseman
Jackson Legg, giving GGC an 8-0 advantage through five innings.
Georgetown (6-11) scored seven runs behind six hits to trim the deficit to 9-7. Davis Johnson brought home a pair of runs with a single to right field. Oakland Flodell added a two-run single up the middle to bring the Tigers within two runs.
The Grizzlies answered immediately in the bottom half of the frame as junior left fielder
Jay O'Neill hit a run-scoring double to left field. Senior right fielder
Wilbert Espinal followed with an RBI single up the middle, giving the Grizzlies a 12-7 lead. Two of Georgetown's six errors in the contest allowed GGC to score three additional runs later in the seventh inning.
Five Grizzlies registered multiple hits in the game, led by Espinal going 3-for-5 and scoring three times. Smith drove in four runs, while freshman center fielder
Vick Gann joined Fort, O'Neill and Tillery in tallying two hits.
Inclement weather postponed the nightcap against Indiana Tech. The teams are planning to play a nine-inning game on Monday, March 9, at the Grizzly Baseball Complex, starting at 3 p.m.
Turning Point
After Georgetown scored seven runs in the top of the seventh inning and a more than two-hour lightning delay, GGC pushed across six runs in the bottom of the frame to seal the victory. Junior left fielder
Jay O'Neill hit a run-scoring double to left field. Senior right fielder
Wilbert Espinal followed with an RBI single up the middle. A couple of defensive miscues by the Tigers also gave the hosts insurance runs.
Key Plays
Bottom of Second
Braden Smith hit a two-run single up the middle to open the scoring
Chris Tillery added a sacrifice fly to left field
Payton Fort legged out an RBI triple that gave GGC a 5-0 lead
Bottom of Fifth
Grant Pohlman tallied a sacrifice fly to left field, extending the lead to 8-0
Bottom of Sixth
Braden Smith hit an RBI ground out to third base to plate the team's ninth run of the game
Bottom of Seventh
Jay O'Neill lined a run-scoring double to left field
Wilbert Espinal followed with an RBI single up the middle, plating the team's 12th run of the contest
Inside The Numbers
- The Grizzlies outhit Georgetown by a 14-8 margin
- Senior Wilbert Espinal went 3-for-5, with three runs scored, on Saturday
- GGC successfully stole six bases in the triumph
- The team scored multiple runs on three occasions, highlighted by a six-run bottom of the seventh inning
News & Notes
- GGC improves to 20-2 this spring; Georgetown drops to 6-11 on the season
- The Grizzlies were ranked No. 2 in the first regular season NAIA Top 25 poll
- Georgia Gwinnett College has won all five meetings against Georgetown
- The game featured two weather delays before eventually being halted after seven complete innings
Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to play Indiana Tech in a single nine-inning contest on Monday, March 9, at the Grizzly Baseball Complex, starting at 3 p.m.
