Georgia Gwinnett College Athletics

You can't keep a good team down.

After being held scoreless for the first two innings, the No. 2-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team broke away to score 13 unanswered runs in a commanding 13-2 seven-inning victory against Simpson University (California) in Wednesday night's opening-round game of the Continental Athletic Conference Championship, being hosted at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.

CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

GGC (44-6), the tournament's top seed, advances to play No. 2 seed Westcliff University (California) on Thursday, April 30, at 3 p.m. in a winner's bracket contest. The double-elimination tournament is scheduled to continue through Saturday, May 2, with the champion representing the CAC in the Opening Round of the NAIA national tournament.

Three doubles and a home run helped break open the flood gates for the Grizzlies' scoring barrage, taking a 9-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. They added four more runs with opportunistic hits and walks to score the 11-run victory.

That was more than enough offensive help for senior starting pitcher Shane Anderson, the CAC's 2026 Pitcher of the Year. He overcame a rather slow start, allowing two runs in the top of the first inning, to improve his record to 7-0 on the season. The right-hander had six strikeouts and allowed five hits in the seven-inning performance.

Junior designated hitter Lance Bratlien had two of GGC's five doubles in the contest, while going 3-for-4 and having four RBI. Junior right fielder Jay O'Neill also had four RBI, with a home run being part of a four-run fourth inning. He ended with a 2-for-4 night and two runs scored. Senior catcher Grant Pohlman had another strong offensive game, going 2-for-2 and having two RBI.

GGC scored its 13 runs on 10 hits in the contest. Meanwhile, Simpson had four defensive errors.
 
Coach's Corner
"It was awesome to see the guys settle into the game. I honestly thought Shane's stuff was much better in the fourth, fifth, sixth, and even the seventh innings. We made an adjustment offensively and we continued to put our foot on the gas after that. It was an awesome start to the postseason," said Head Coach Tommy Goodale.
 
 
Turning Point
The Grizzlies' offense was ignited in the third inning, after trailing early 2-0. The team scored five runs in that frame, with run-scoring hits by juniors Trey Smith and Jay O'Neill and senior Grant Pohlman. Four more runs were added in the fourth inning and another four-run frame gave the team a commanding 13-2 advantage. Junior Lance Bratlien had a run-scoring double and O'Neill smashed a home run to right center field as part of the fourth-inning scoring display.
 
Key Plays
Top of First
Bo Valladao drove in a run with a single and Duke Aloy had a double to bring home another run as the Red Hawks took an early 2-0 lead
 
Bottom of Third
Trey Smith singled to left field, scoring Vick Gann
Jay O'Neill brought home two runs with a double that scored Peyton Watts and Payton Fort
Grant Pohlman's double scored Jay O'Neill and Trey Smith, giving the team a 5-2 lead
 
Bottom of Fourth
Lance Bratlien had a double and a fielding error added two more runs with Trey Smith and Payton Fort coming home
Jay O'Neill smashed a two-RBI home run to right center field, moving the team to a 9-2 advantage
 
Bottom of Fifth
A bases-loaded walk to Peyton Watts brought home Jackson Legg
Trey Smith's sacrifice fly to right field allowed Vick Gann to score
Lance Bratlien hit a two-RBI single, scoring Peyton Watts and Payton Fort, putting the team ahead 13-2
 
Inside The Numbers 

• GGC had six extra-base hits with five doubles and a home run
• Senior pitcher Shane Anderson allowed only two hits after the first inning, when Simpson scored its two runs on three hits
• Junior designated hitter Lance Bratlien had three of the team's 10 hits, while junior right fielder Jay O'Neill and senior catcher Grant Pohlman each had two hits
• The top five hitters in the GGC lineup accounted for seven of the team's 10 hits

News & Notes 

• GGC improves to 44-6 in 2026; Simpson drops to 25-25 this spring
• The Grizzlies are ranked No. 2 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll
• The team has a 24-3 record at the Grizzly Baseball Complex this season
• Georgia Gwinnett has won its last seven CAC Championship games by a combined 149-9 score

Up Next 
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to play No. 2 seed Westcliff University (California) in a winner's bracket game on Thursday, April 30, starting at 3 p.m.