The No. 2-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team wrapped up the regular season with a pair of wins that completed a three-game series sweep against Fisher College (Massachusetts) on Saturday afternoon. The series was played on a neutral-site diamond in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Grizzlies (43-6) won the opener 16-3 before junior second baseman Payton Fort hit a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning to help the team capture the nightcap 2-1. That came after junior left fielder Trey Smith hit a solo home run in the seventh inning to tie the contest.

Fisher (22-21) took a 1-0 lead in the second game on a solo homer from Armando Torres in the top of the third inning.

GGC received five scoreless innings of relief pitching between freshman right-hander Kyle Haag and senior left-hander Jake Cothran.

Junior first baseman Jackson Legg opened the 11th inning with a single. A sacrifice bunt from junior pinch hitter Ashton Fuselier advanced Legg into scoring position. Fort then delivered the single that brought home junior pinch runner Braden Smith.

Cothran had three strikeouts across two hitless innings in picking up the second-game victory, improving to 3-1 on the season. Haag tossed three hitless innings out of the bullpen. They supported junior starting pitcher Peyton Castellow, who had seven strikeouts across the first six innings.

In the opener, the Grizzlies broke open the contest with a seven-run fourth inning. Junior shortstop Peyton Watts drove in a pair of runs with a double. Junior third baseman JJ Garcia added a run-scoring single before senior catcher Grant Pohlman hit a two-run double that gave the team a 12-1 advantage.

Junior right fielder Jay O'Neill capped a three-run opening frame with a two-run single.

GGC pushed across three more runs in the sixth inning to seal the triumph. Legg provided an RBI double before senior pinch hitter Wilbert Espinal hit a run-scoring single.

Legg paced the team's 15-hit attack in the first game by going 2-for-4 with two RBI and scoring twice. Freshman center fielder Vick Gann went 2-for-2 with a pair of runs scored. Watts drove in three runs and collected hits in both plate appearances.
 
Coach's Corner
"I am proud of how the group attacked the regular season. We have grown a lot since January. I am excited to attack the next opportunity (next week's Continental Athletic Conference Championship) with this group," said Head Coach Tommy Goodale.
 
Turning Point
The Grizzlies concluded the regular season in dramatic fashion with a walk-off victory in 11 innings. Junior second baseman Payton Fort provided the fireworks with an RBI single that scored junior pinch runner Braden Smith after junior first baseman Jackson Legg led off the frame with a single. GGC received five scoreless innings from relief pitchers Kyle Haag and Jake Cothran.
 
Key Plays
First Game
Bottom of First
Trey Smith opened the scoring with a run-scoring double
Jay O'Neill added a two-run single
 
Bottom of Second
Peyton Watts hit a sacrifice fly to left field
 
Bottom of Fourth
Jackson Legg tallied an RBI double
Peyton Watts drove in a pair of runs with a double, extending the lead to 8-1
Lance Bratlien executed a safety squeeze bunt to plate another run
JJ Garcia collected a run-scoring single
Grant Pohlman capped the seven-run frame with a double to plate two runs
 
Bottom of Fifth
Ashton Fuselier hit an RBI single
 
Bottom of Sixth
Jackson Legg registered a run-scoring double
Wilbert Espinal hit a run-scoring single

Second Game
Top of Third
Armando Torres hit a solo home run to give Fisher a 1-0 lead
 
Bottom of Seventh
Trey Smith connected on a solo home to tie the contest
 
Bottom of 11th
Payton Fort hit a walk-off RBI single that scored Braden Smith
 
Inside The Numbers 

• GGC tallied 25 hits across the doubleheader sweep
• Junior Trey Smith hit five home runs in six games played in Kentucky this season (against Fisher and Lindsey Wilson University)
• Two relief pitchers combined for six strikeouts and five hitless innings in the second game
• The Grizzlies had nine stolen bases in the first game of the day

News & Notes 

• GGC improves to 43-6 on the season; Fisher concludes the season with a 22-21 record
• The Grizzlies are ranked No. 2 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll
• Georgia Gwinnett College and Fisher are members of the Continental Athletic Conference
• The Grizzlies have won 50 of the 51 all-time meetings against Fisher

Up Next 
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host the 2026 Continental Athletic Conference Baseball Championship, facing the winner of the game between No. 4 seed Simpson University (California) and No. 5 Carolina University (North Carolina). The Grizzlies' first game of the tournament will be on Wednesday, April 29, starting at 7 p.m. at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.