LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – The #24 Louisiana Christian University baseball team took an early lead and then tried to rally late but fell 12-6 to the #3 Georgia Gwinnett Grizzlies in the 1-0 game at the 2026 NAIA Baseball Championship Tournament Opening Round Lawrenceville Bracket Tuesday at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.
#24 Louisiana Christian (36-14), the two seed in the Lawrenceville Bracket, struck first.
Braden McLin led off the bottom of the first with a base hit to center.
Caleb Brown was hit by a pitch and
Braden Trull drew a walk to load the bases with no outs.
Drake Aldridge got the Wildcats on the board with a fly ball to right that was deep enough to let McLin tag up and score for a 1-0 LCU advantage.
That score held to the third inning. That's where #3 Georgia Gwinnett (48-6), the top seed and host of the Lawrenceville Bracket, got its offense in gear with a three-spot in the inning to take a 3-1 lead. The Grizzlies added a run apiece in the fourth and fifth and two each in the sixth and seventh before LCU could respond.
Trailing 9-1 in the bottom of the seventh, the Wildcats got a two-out rally going in an attempt to get back into the contest. With two away, McLin drew a walk, Brown punched a base hit through the left side of the infield, and Trull walked to load the bases. Aldridge also watched a pitch outside of the zone go by for ball four, pushing home McLin.
Matthew Cody came up next and he was hit by a pitch to force in Brown to make it 9-3 GGC.
But the Grizzlies answered with three more in the top of the eighth to push the deficit to nine at 12-3.
LCU wasn't going down without a fight. Brown led off the bottom of the ninth by getting hit by a pitch. Trull drew a walk and then Aldridge drove a base hit into right field to load the bases with no outs. Cody then drove a pitch all the way to the left field fence for a double which scored both Brown and Trull. With one out,
Brady Huffman's ground ball to second allowed Aldridge to come home for what proved to be the game's final run.
Luke Morgan was the only Wildcat with multiple hits in the contest, going 2-for-4 with a double, drew a walk, and stole a base.
Cody was 1-for-3 with a double, was hit by pitch twice, and drove in three runs.
Aldridge was also 1-for-3 with a walk, drove in two runs, and scored once.
Trull saw ball four go past him three times during the for a trio of bases on balls. He scored a run without getting a hit in two official at bats.
Brown was 1-for-2 with a walk, was hit by pitch twice, stole a base, and scored twice.
McLin was 1-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base, and scored twice.
Brandon Carter (8-4) got the start and threw five innings, allowing eight hits and five runs, all earned, with three strikeouts and a walk.
Thomas Collins threw an inning, giving up a hit and two runs, one earned, with no walks or strikeouts.
Aedan Thibodeaux went 0.2 innings, allowing a hit and two runs, one earned, with two walks and no strikeouts.
Seth Whitney went 1.1 innings, giving up three hits and three runs, all earned, with two walks and no strikeouts.
Alan Mason finished the game by throwing an inning without giving up a hit or a run with no walks or strikeouts.
The Wildcats can still punch a ticket to the 2026 NAIA Baseball Championship Tournament Opening Round Lawrenceville Bracket Championship on Wednesday. To get there, LCU will have to win an elimination game Wednesday morning against the winner of Tuesday's final game of the day, an elimination contest between the (RV) Northwestern Ohio Racers (37-17) and Talladega Tornadoes (33-18). First pitch of Wednesday's elimination game is set for 11 a.m. EDT/10 a.m. CDT.
The winner of that game advances to the Championship Round against Georgia Gwinnett at 3 p.m. EDT/2 p.m. CDT Wednesday, looking to force the winner-take-all game on Thursday. All games of the Lawrenceville Bracket of the 2026 NAIA Baseball Championship Tournament Opening Round are being played at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.
