LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – The Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team collected its 40th win of the season with a Sunday doubleheader split against the University of South Carolina Beaufort in the regular-season finale at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.
The Grizzlies (40-11) won the opener 6-1 before the Sand Sharks picked up a 10-8 triumph in the nightcap.
Sophomore Nick Barnes drove in a pair of runs in the first-game victory. His run-scoring single in the fifth inning gave the hosts a 3-1 lead. GGC would add three insurance runs in the sixth inning.
Senior C.J. Ballard collected four hits and scored two runs in the opener.
Junior Hunter Caudelle struck out eight batters across five innings to pick up the victory.
USCB (22-31) broke a tie game, 6-6, in the second contest by pushing one run across in the sixth and seventh innings. Then, the visitors took a 10-6 lead following a two-run eighth inning.
GGC would threaten with a late-inning rally. Sophomore Cam Coursey connected on a solo home run in the eighth inning. The Grizzlies brought the potential go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth inning, but Harrison Merck got a groundout to end the game.
Turning Point
The Grizzlies added a key insurance run in the fifth inning of the opener when sophomore Nick Barnes lined a RBI single to right field. That increased the team’s lead to 3-1. The home team would add three more runs in the sixth inning to earn the 6-1 victory.
Key Plays
First Game
Bottom of Third
Nick Barnes hit a ground out to bring home C.J. Ballard, giving the Grizzlies a 2-1 lead
Bottom of Fifth
Nick Barnes connected on a RBI single to right field
Bottom of Sixth
Cam Coursey hit a run-scoring single to score the first of three runs in the frame
C.J. Ballard added two runs with a double
Second Game
Bottom of First
Alex Garland hit a two-run double to left field
Onassis Matos added a two-run double to give the Grizzlies a 4-0 lead
Bottom of Fourth
Cam Coursey hit a RBI triple to bring home Brenton Burgess
C.J. Ballard connected on a sacrifice fly to tie the game, 6-6
Top of Sixth
Bragg Eastin drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Sand Sharks a 7-6 lead
Inside The Numbers
- The Grizzlies recorded 21 hits in the doubleheader, highlighted by 11 hits in the second game
- Senior C.J. Ballard went 5-for-7, with three runs scored, across the two games
- Seven GGC pitchers saw action on the mound during the second game
- Five doubles were among seven extra-base hits that GGC collected during the doubleheader
News & Notes
- GGC stands 40-11 on the season; USC Beaufort ends the 2019 season at 22-31
- Georgia Gwinnett College is No. 3 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll
- The Grizzlies posted a 30-7 home record during the regular season
Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College hosts the Association of Independent Institutions Baseball Championship Tournament from May 4-7 at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.