CENTRAL, S.C.- Georgia College & State University Softball picked up their first road sweep of the season at Southern Wesleyan University. Game one was in favor of the Bobcats 7-4 with game two coming at a slim 9-8 margin.
GCSU improved to 7-4 on the season while the Warriors fell to 9-8. Georgia College returns to action Wednesday, Feb. 21 at the Peeler Complex for a doubleheader with Shorter University starting at 2:00 p.m.
Two, three run innings helped lead the Bobcats to a 7-4 game one win over SWU. The first big inning was the third inning where three runs scored on three hits.
Jessica Owens kick started the offense with a double as
Mackenzie Martin drove her in on a double of her own to the left centerfield fence.
Karlie Gutierrez opened up her stellar day with a two RBI triple to plate
Divina Checo and Martin for a 3-1 lead. Come the sixth inning Gutierrez picked up her third RBI of the game on her career first moonshot over the left centerfield fence to knot the game at four apiece. GCSU closed the contest with a three run seventh inning.
Kam Caldwell started the inning with a double to the fence and would later come around to score on a fielding miscue by Southern Wesleyan.
Maddie Todd pushed the final two runs around on a two RBI single through the right side.
Gutierrez had a career day going 3-for-4 with a home run, a triple, three RBI and a run scored. Owens had a superb day on offense having a 2-for-3 performance with both hits being two base knocks.
Emily Hobbs went 2-for-4 with a stolen base to add to the Bobcats offensive success.
Jana Shellhorse got the start in the circle for the Bobcats. Shellhorse (1-1) threw 4.1 innings with four runs coming around to score while picking up six strikeouts.
Tiffany Caban closed the contest in her season best performance. Caban (2-1) fanned her career high of six batters and give up zero runs on zero hits to get the win.
Game two was a nail biter as Georgia College trailed until the top of the seventh inning where the long ball got the best of the Warriors. The offense chipped away at the SWU lead putting up a single run in the second, third and fifth innings. Gutierrez kicked it off with a single that would ultimately lead to her becoming the first run as she came around on a SWU error. Caldwell was the first Bobcat base runner in the third inning reaching on a single. Gutierrez kept swinging the hot stick scoring Caldwell on a single of her own to make it a 3-2 ball game. Caldwell would go to pick up yet another single in the fifth inning to push Hobbs around to score as the score sat at 4-3. The top of the seventh inning was a slug fest for the Bobcats with six runs scoring on five hits. A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases for the big bat of Owens. She launched a grandslam for her first round tripper of the season giving GCSU their first lead of the game, 7-5. Two more runs scored on a shot launched by Checo for her first home run of the season.
Checo had a fantastic game two on her 3-for-4 day at the plate including a homer and a stolen base. Caldwell and Gutierrez both had 2-for-3 days with an RBI each as well. Both Hobbs and Owens had a 2-for-4 performance at the plate with Owens also having four RBI.
Shelby Jones got the start in the circle for game two throwing four innings with three earned runs coming around to score on seven hits.
Kelsey Parlor came in as the first reliever and snagged her first win of the season. Parlor (1-1) went two innings with four earned runs scoring on three hits and she picked up her career high of four strikeouts.
Golden Thrower nabbed her first save of the season going one inning and picking up a strikeout while allowing no runs.
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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