ORANGEBURG, S.C. –  The No. 8 Georgia College Baseball team (1-0, 1-0 PBC) got the 2021 season off on the right foot Saturday, beating Claflin University (1-5, 1-5 PBC) 12-4 on the road. The win also provided the first for new head coach Nolan Belcher.

Claflin surprised with a strong pitching effort early, as the Panthers led 3-1 heading into the sixth. The Bobcats tied it up in that frame with a two-run blast off the bat of sophomore Cam Hill (Marietta, Georgia). GC took the lead in the seventh, thanks to a six-run inning.

Junior Cassius Young (Atlanta, Georgia) provided a two-run home run, and Jay Saunders (Moultrie, Georgia) drove in a pair with a triple in the game-deciding seventh.

Sophomore Noah Mendlinger (Alpharetta, Georgia) added a three-run home run in the eighth to cap the scoring.

Senior Cal Gentry (Perry, Georgia) was 4-for-6 with two runs and an RBI. Both Young and junior Paul Grazzini (Marietta, Georgia) finished 3-for-5. Mendlinger went 2-for-4, driving in three and scoring once. Freshman Brandon Bellflower (Milledgeville, Georgia) added a 2-for-4 effort of his own, scoring twice and driving in another.  

Bobcat reliever Brennan Crooms (Metter, Georgia) picked up the first win of 2021, spinning 6 2/3 innings with just four hits and a run. He fanned nine and walked just one. He set the Panthers down in order in the fifth and sixth, at one point fanning four in a row.

The Bobcats finish up the series with Claflin tomorrow, Feb. 21 at 1 p.m. in doubleheader action. No spectators are allowed at Claflin home games, so Bobcat fans can follow the livestream at GCBobcats.com.

The Georgia College Department of Athletics is proud to receive the 2020 NCAA Division II Presidents' Award for Academic Excellence. The two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner Cup and the former PBC Sportsmanship Institution of the Year, GC Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on Graduating Champions For Life. Sign up at @GCBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit GCBobcats.PhotoReflect.com to purchase photo prints from home athletic contests.