By: Bailey Clark, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga.- Georgia College & State University Softball (6-3) took down Southern Wesleyan University (2-8) 5-2 in game one of the Bobcat Battle Tournament, Friday. 

The GCSU offense got the job done plating five runs on five hits and capitalizing on three Warrior errors. The Bobcats brought a single run across in both the first and second innings to start with the early 2-0 lead. Southern Wesleyan then tied it up scoring a run in both the fourth and sixth innings. Georgia College countered with a three-run bottom of the sixth inning to nab the 5-2 victory. 

MacKenzie Hoffman (Rocky Face) got the run production started as she dropped a well-placed bunt right in front of home plate forcing the first SWU error and bringing Sydney Lancaster (Woodstock) around to score. Katelyn Hobbs (Thomasville) kept it going in the second inning as she reached base on an errant throw by the third baseman to bring around classmate Lauren Sommerer (Loganville). The bats went quiet until they awoke again in the bottom of the sixth bringing three runs across. Sommerer kicked the run-scoring off on a squeeze bunt play to bring pinch runner Mackenzie Martin (Dacula) in for the one-run lead. Kam Caldwell (Athens) blasted a bases-clearing triple to plate two more runs and solidify the GCSU win. 

Caldwell highlighted the offense as she went 2-for-2 on the day with two RBI to lead the team. Sommerer was also a large part of the victory as she reached base on a walk and a fielder's choice which brought her around to score twice and drove in a run. There were also three Bobcat hitters that added a hit and two more that added RBIs. 

Jana Shellhorse (McDonough) picked up the start and the win in the circle for Georgia College. She picked up nine strikeouts in seven innings of work while only allowing two earned runs on five hits. 

GCSU Softball will resume action Saturday, Feb. 18 at 11:00 a.m. for game two against Southern Wesleyan. Georgia College will also play at 4:00 p.m. against Converse University. Live stats and broadcast links for all Bobcat Battle contests are available at GCBobcats.com.

Owning the top Academic Success Rate among public schools in Division II, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won three-straight Presidents' Awards for Academic Excellence, and are two-time winners of both the PBC Commissioner's Cup and the PBC Institution of the Year Sportsmanship Award. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' continued appearances in postseason competition as well as high-level academic success and community-service involvement. Bobcat Athletics embodies the mantra of "Graduating Champions for Life." Sign up at @GCSUBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports.