MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga.- Georgia College & State University Softball took down Erskine College in both ends of a Wednesday afternoon doubleheader. The first game was a 4-3 walk-off, 10 inning win and the second game was a 10-2 five inning mercy rule victory.
The Bobcats improved to 5-4 on the season while the Flying Fleet fell to 1-7. Georgia College returns to action Friday, Feb. 16 on the road at Southern Wesleyan University for a doubleheader starting at 2:00 p.m.
GCSU struck first in the third inning with
Emily Hobbs, who reached via a walk, coming around to score on the
Jessica Owens single up the middle. Erskine evaded the one run shutout by plating two runs in the top half of the seventh inning. The Bobcats responded with a run of their own on the Owens' sacrifice fly to score
Kam Caldwell who reached on a single through the right side. The game was knotted at two until the top of the 10th inning where Erskine pushed a run across on a sacrifice fly. During the home half of the 10th the Bobcats would tie the game at three each on the
Mackenzie Martin sacrifice fly to score Caldwell.
Karlie Gutierrez nabbed her first career hit on a walk-off single to score pinch runner
Emily Hutcheson.
Hobbs, Caldwell, Owens, Zweifel and Gutierrez led the offense all having a hit to their name. Hobbs and Caldwell showed off their speed with Hobbs picking up two stolen bases and Caldwell snagging one. Owens had two RBI and Caldwell came around to score twice leading the offense in both categories.
Jana Shellhorse got the start in the circle for GCSU. Shellhorse (1-1) threw six and two thirds innings with only two runs coming around to score and picking up her season high of eight strikeouts in a single game.
Golden Thrower lived up to her name in her relief effort as she went three and a third innings. Thrower (1-0) got the win in the circle only allowing one hit and striking out two.
Game two of the day was a slug fest for Georgia College as 10 runs came around to score on 13 hits. The offense had a hot second inning plating seven runs on six hits.
Stephanie Condland led the inning off with a single and her pinch runner,
Riley Barsby, would be the first run to score on the RBI double from Martin.
Divina Checo followed the Condland single with a walk and was driven in on the
Maddie Todd groundout to the shortstop.
Samantha Wilson drove a single through the right side to Martin for run number three. Hobbs picked up an RBI single to score Wilson to make it a 4-0 ball game.
The bats stayed hot as Owens drove Hobbs in to extend the lead to 5-0. The Bobcats batted around as Condland, who led off the inning, returns to the plate and picked up an RBI infield single to plate Caldwell. The seventh run of the long second inning was brought in on a bases loaded walk to Martin.
GCSU plated two more runs in the fourth inning both coming around to score on the Wilson double to the left field fence.
The Flying Fleet evaded the run rule in the top of the fifth inning plating a run on a single up the middle. The Bobcats then countered with a bottom of the fifth run of their own coming on the Owen's RBI double.
Hobbs and Owen had outstanding performances in game two both going 3-for-4. Condland went 2-for-3 while Wilson went 2-for-2 to round out the multi-hitting Bobcats.
Shelby Jones got the start and the win in the circle for GCSU. Jones (2-1) only allowed two earned runs and two strikeouts in her five innings of work.
About GCSU Athletics
Owning the top Academic Success Rate among all public colleges and universities in Division II for three consecutive academic years, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won four consecutive Presidents' Awards for Academic Excellence, and are two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup and four-time winners of 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 or subscribe to the
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