By: Bailey Clark, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga.- Georgia College & State University Softball (4-2) took a top of the seventh-inning 2-1 loss and a five-inning 9-1 run-rule win against Albany State University (3-3), Wednesday. 

The Bobcat run production in the first contest was limited as they faced a solid Golden Rams pitcher. GCSU was only able to plate a single run which came in the bottom of the third inning. Lauren Sommerer (Loganville) nailed her first hit and stolen base of the day to get into scoring position. She moved to third on a ground out and came across to score on a good piece of hitting by MacKenzie Hoffman (Rocky Face). The Bobcats had no shortage of hits as they had six but couldn't string any together. 

Montana Ledbetter (Hanna City, Illinois) got her first start this season in the circle and threw a lights-out five innings. Ledbetter allowed zero runs as she nabbed seven strikeouts five of which were looking. Jana Shellhorse (Hampton) came in for two innings of relief and was credited with the loss. Shellhorse did nab three strikeouts in her outing.

The second contest was offense heavy for the Bobcats as they plated a whopping nine runs on seven hits. There were four different players with RBI. The GCSU offense did all of the damage in the third and fourth inning scoring three runs and six runs respectively. Haydn Bendall (Alpharetta) picked up her first start of the season and kicked off the run production by forcing a Golden Rams error. Bendall reached on an error by the third baseman to push Sommerer and Hoffman across. Emily Hobbs (Thomasville) knocked her first hit of the season into center field to score Bendall from second. There was a lot of action in the fourth inning for GCSU with the first run coming on a squeeze bunt from Sommerer who would also come around to score on an error by the shortstop. Once again Bendall uses her speed to force an error to push two more runs across. Kam Caldwell (Athens) knocked in the final two runs of the ball game on a solid single to left field. 

Shelby Jones (Kissimmee, Florida) got the start and the win in the circle for GCSU. She picked up six strikeouts allowing zero earned runs in five innings of work. 

The Bobcats are back in action Sunday, Feb. 12 on the road at Coker University for the first road doubleheader of the year. The first pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. with game two to follow with live stats and broadcast links 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.