Box Score LEBANON, Tenn. – Nick McGrew posted three hits, but Brady Hamilton hit a pair of home runs and drove in three, as top-ranked Georgia Gwinnett belted three total homers in a 6-3 victory over Cumberland in baseball action Wednesday at Ernest L. Stockton Field-Woody Hunt Stadium.
The loss ended a seven-game winning streak for the Phoenix (24-17), who are back in action this weekend at Lindsey Wilson for a three-game Mid-South Conference series. The Grizzlies (39-2) got two-run homers from Jabari Gayle and Hamilton in the seventh and eighth innings to break open a 2-1 contest. William Paschal and Trevor Bradley also collected two hits apiece for GGC.
Will Solomon (8-0) tossed six innings for the win, allowing one run on two hits with three walks and seven strikeouts. Cumberland roughed up GGC reliever Matt Muench for two runs on three hits in 1.1 innings, but Davis Adkins picked up his seventh save, getting the final four outs.
Adkins worked out of a jam in the eighth with two on and one out, giving up a run on a sacrifice fly but striking out Mitch Langer to end the inning. He retired the side in order in the ninth.
Drew Chester (2-1) pitched well for Cumberland but took the loss, allowing four runs on eight hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out five.
Hamilton’s solo homer to left to leadoff the second inning gave the Grizzlies an early lead and GGC added to it with a run in the fourth.
Bradley singled through the left side and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Michael Hodorowski. Angel Soto’s double down the leftfield line plated Bradley for a 2-0 Gwinnett advantage.
Cumberland got a run back in the fifth when Kyle Allen drew a leadoff walk and pinch-runner Bo Saunders moved to third on McGrew’s base hit. Hector’s Viera’s groundout to short scored Saunders, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
Soto was hit to start the seventh for GGC and pinch-hitter Gayle belted a two-run homer down the leftfield line, increasing the lead to 4-1.
Kyle Allen’s solo homer to left in the bottom of the inning, his first of the year, made it a 4-2 contest.
Paschal singled to start the eighth for the Grizzlies before Hamilton’s second homer of the day, a two-run shot.
In the bottom of the inning Mike Melendez doubled with one out and went to third on a wild pitch before a walk to Josh Croft ended the day for Muench. Gabe Lares delivered a sacrifice fly, but that was as close as CU would get.