BARNESVILLE, Ga. – Gordon State closed out the 2021 baseball regular season in style as the Highlanders swept Georgia Highlands College – the top team in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA) standings – by scores of 6-5 and 12-3 here Saturday afternoon.

GSC finishes the regular season at 30-19 overall and 19-11 in the GCAA, which is good for second place in the final regular season standings behind GHC at 18-10 in the conference (39-13 overall).

GSC will now get ready for the postseason as the Highlanders welcome either No. 3 seed Andrew College (31-22-1, 16-14) or No. 6 seed South Georgia State (26-23, 9-21).

Those two teams play on May 7 with the winner advancing to take on No. 2 seed GSC on Sunday, May 9 at 2 p.m. ET.

GSC jumped out to a 6-1 lead and then held on as GHC got four runs in the sixth to cut the Highlanders' advantage to a single run.

But Luke Jester (Arlington, Ga. / Early Co. HS) and Davis Smith (Social Circle, Ga. / Social Circle HS) combined to keep the Chargers off the scoreboard the rest of the way to propel the Highlanders to the victory.

Carson Renz (Dacula, Ga. / Mill Creek HS) went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run while Ethan Scott (Augusta, Ga. / Aquinas HS) and Derek Wylie (Warner Robins, Ga. / Veterans HS) each had two hits for GSC.

DJ Banks (Marietta, Ga. / McEachern HS) had a double and a walk while driving in three runs for the Highlanders, who had nine hits and also walked seven times.

GSC once again raced out to an early lead in the nightcap as the Highlanders scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning, but didn't allow for a GHC rally on their way to the nine-run triumph.

GSC added single runs in the third and sixth innings to go along with two in the fourth and four more in the fifth during a 14-hit offensive attack.

Brody Parkerson's (Villa Rica, Ga. / Bremen HS) grand slam in the fifth did most of the damage as the third baseman went 3-for-4 with six RBI and three runs scored.

Jamel Rookard (Winston, Ga. / Chapel Hill HS), Alex Kite (Lizella, Ga. / Mary Persons HS), Noah Dawkins (Marietta, Ga. / Kell HS) and Banks each had two hits while Adam Alicia-Brooks (Suwanee, Ga. / Collins Hill HS) had a triple and two RBI.

Five GSC pitchers held GHC to three runs on seven hits while striking out 11 and walking three in the seven-inning game.

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The Gordon State College Department of Athletics is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA). Gordon State College competes in NJCAA Division I in the sports of Women's Soccer (Fall), Men's Basketball (Fall/Spring), Softball (Spring) and Baseball (Spring). Gordon State College is located in Barnesville, Ga., approximately 60 miles south of Atlanta and 35 miles northwest of Macon. Gordon State College offers both two-year and four-year degree programs and believes that our Athletics program provides student-athletes with the opportunity to be successful academically, athletically and in life after their time as a Highlander.  Follow GSC Athletics at www.gscathletics.com, on Facebook (@Gordon State Highlanders) and Twitter (@state_ad / GordonStateAD). You can also follow Gordon State College on Facebook (@GordonStateCollege #GSCHighlandersForward), Twitter (@GordonState) and Instagram (gordon_state).