Grizzlies Are Conference Champions
The No. 1 Georgia Gwinnett baseball team captured its second Association of Independent Institutions title in three years on Tuesday afternoon, dominating the championship game with a 14-1 victory over Clarke (Iowa).
"We had a great tournament, and I'm very happy for the guys on winning their second title in three years," stated GGC Head Coach Brad Stromdahl. "Each time out, we are getting better and today was another example of that growth. Across the board, our team played a complete game with great pitching, sound defense, and offensive execution at the plate. I believe this week prepared us for the great competition that we will face in the NAIA Opening Round next week."
GGC's starter Adam Clark (6-1) had a dominant performance on the mound for the Grizzlies as the right-handed hurler pitched seven innings, only surrendering one run on two hits while striking out six batters. Relievers Jeremy Hutchison and Michael Royal pitched an inning a piece of shutout work to hold the Crusaders' offense scoreless down the stretch.
In total, the Grizzly offense scored 14 runs on 18 hits in the championship game. The 2016 A.I.I. Baseball Tournament Most Outstanding Player Jereid Woods was a major part of the Grizzlies' success as the second baseman went 2-for-3 at the plate, driving in two runs while scoring twice. Left fielder Brady Hamilton had a career day as well going 3-for-3 at the plate, including a sacrifice fly, an RBI-single, and a two-run home run in the top of the sixth.
Georgia Gwinnett (55-4) wasted no time in the opening inning of play, scoring four runs for the 4-0 lead.
Errors doomed Clarke (37-15) in the championship game as the Crusaders committed a tournament high of five during the nine-inning contest. The Crusaders' lone run of the contest came in the bottom of the first on an RBI-double by third baseman Stephan Zanoni.
In the top of the second, GGC pushed its lead to five, 6-1, with a sacrifice fly by Woods and an RBI-triple by first baseman Zac Rinehart. Rinehart went 3-for-5 on the day, driving in two runs while scoring twice. Georgia Gwinnett's seventh run of the game came in the third inning where a Clarke throwing error allowed Hamilton to score from second for the 7-1 GGC advantage.
Woods drove in his second run of the game with an RBI-single in the fifth before an error-plagued sixth inning by Clarke added five insurance runs for GGC to increase the lead to 13-1.
The final Grizzly run of the game came on a sacrifice fly by pinch hitter Jabari Gayle to push Georgia Gwinnett's tally to 14 runs.
Clarke's Mike Poteet received the loss, going three and one-third innings, surrendering seven runs, four unearned, on eight hits.
The Grizzlies had three other players recognized for their performance during the tournament as Hamilton, Trevor Bradley, and Marcus McCorkle received All-Tournament Team selections.
