JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Senior Onassis Matos hit a pair of home runs as the No. 7-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team amassed 20 hits Saturday in sweeping a doubleheader at Edward Waters College.
Matos’ blasts came in the 11-3 first-game triumph that featured six home runs, while senior pitcher Gregory Loukinen had eight strikeouts during a 3-1 complete-game victory in the nightcap.
The Grizzlies connected on 10 home runs in winning all three games of the weekend series.
Matos started the day with a run-scoring single in the first inning and then hit his first home run of the day to score two runs in the third inning. He then completed the game with a solo round-tripper in the ninth inning.
Three other GGC players had solo home runs in the game: sophomore Nick Barnes in the opening inning, sophomore Cam Coursey in the third inning and senior Brody Wofford in the fifth frame.
Sophomore Cord Johnson hit a three-run home run in the ninth inning to round out the team’s home run barrage.
The Grizzlies collected 13 hits in the first-game victory, led by Matos’ 3-for-5 performance producing four RBI. Wofford scored four runs in the victory. Sophomore Livingston Morris added three hits.
Junior Hunter Caudelle had his second straight strong pitching performance, scattering five hits and tallying a season-high five strikeouts across seven innings to earn his second victory of the season.
GGC completed the weekend sweep by scoring one run in each of the first three innings while Loukinen was once again in command on the mound. Wofford opened the scoring with a RBI double in the first inning. He later added a run-scoring in the third inning to give GGC a 3-0 lead the team would never relinquish.
Turning Point
Home runs paved the way for the scoring in the opener with nine of the 11 runs clearing the outfield fences. GGC turned a two-run lead into a 5-0 advantage with two big hits in the third inning. Sophomore Cam Coursey hit a solo home run before senior Onassis Matos connected on the first of his two home runs for the game.
Key Plays
Top of First
Nick Barnes hit a solo home run to open the scoring
Onassis Matos brought home Brody Wofford with a run-scoring single
Top of Third
Cam Coursey connected on a solo home run, extending the lead to 3-0
Onassis Matos hit the first of his two home runs with a two-run blast
Top of Fifth
Brody Wofford hit a solo home run to give the Grizzlies a 6-0 advantage
Top of Ninth
Cord Johnson connected on a three-run home run and Onassis Matos followed with a homer
Second Game
Top of First
Brody Wofford hit a RBI double to bring home C.J. Ballard
Top of Second
A wild pitch allowed Nick Tanner to score all the way from second base
Top of Third
Brody Wofford gave the Grizzlies a 3-0 lead with a run-scoring single
Inside The Numbers
- The Grizzlies recorded 20 hits in the doubleheader
- Senior Onassis Matos went 4-for-8, with four RBI, across the two games
- GGC hit six home runs in the two games and 10 homers for the weekend series
- Senior Brody Wofford scored four runs in the doubleheader sweep
News & Notes
- GGC improves to 28-8 on the season; Edward Waters drops to 18-27
- Georgia Gwinnett College is No. 7 in the NAIA Top 25 poll
- GGC won 16 of its 20 games in March
- The Grizzlies have won all five meetings played between the two programs; this weekend’s series is the first time GGC has played in Jacksonville
- The two teams will meet again April 5-6 in Lawrenceville for another three-game series
Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College hosts Edward Waters in a single nine-inning contest on Friday, April 5, at 3 p.m.