NEWBERRY, S.C. | Stephanie Condland, Divina Checo, and Maddie Todd all hit home runs as Georgia College & State University split a Valentine's Day doubleheader against Newberry College Friday (Feb. 14) night at the Smith Road Complex.
Newberry rallied to win game one 8-6 before GCSU won the nightcap in five innings 12-3.
The Bobcats have won four of their last five games as they improved to 5-5, while the Wolves fell to 4-10. GCSU was to have face Lenoir-Rhyne University and Carson-Newman University Saturday (Feb. 15) in a tournament in Greenwood, South Carolina, but those games were canceled due to expected wet weather. The Bobcats return to the Bobcat Softball Field next Friday (Feb. 21) when they host Saginaw Valley State University in a 3 p.m. doubleheader.
The Bobcats struck first as Kam Caldwell and Checo had back-to-back doubles for the first run before Condland smacked a two-run homer to open a 3-0 lead. However, the Wolves answered back with three runs off GCSU starter Shelby Jones (1-3) to tie the game at 3.
Caroline Pollock gave the Bobcats the lead back on a sacrifice fly in the the top of the third , but Leah Evans tied things back up on a fielder's choice an inning later. Newberry took its first lead of the day at 5-4 on a fifth-inning double by Bethany Pigg to plate a run.
Caldwell tied the game at 5 on a RBI single, and Sydney Lancaster, who reached on a walk, stole home as part of a double steal to give the Bobcats a 6-5 lead.
Newberry rallied in the sixth for three runs to take the late lead, formed by a trio of singles to open the inning and a duo of sacrifice flies, followed by a single to take an 8-6 lead.
Checo led the 10-hit attack for the Bobcats with three, while Condland, Caldwell and Lancaster had two apiece.
Game two opened similarly as the Bobcats grabbed a four-run lead on a Pollock RBI single and Todd's three-run home run, while the Wolves drove in a pair in the bottom of the inning; however, the fifth inning changed things.
GCSU knocked around pitcher Samantha Minick, tallying four hits and two walks in her two-thirds innings of work to put together a seven-run fifth inning to have the game end early. Pollock and Todd each drove in a run with a hit, while Emily Hutcheson laced a two-run double and Checo capped off the frame with a three-run homer - her third of the season.
The Bobcats collected nine hits with Pollock, Hutcheson and Todd accounting for two each.
Tiffany Caban (3-1) picked up the win through her five quality innings, giving up only three runs and striking out six.
About GCSU Athletics
Owning the top Academic Success Rate among all public colleges and universities in Division II for four consecutive academic years, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won five 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 GSCU Athletics e-newsletter to receive the latest news, schedule updates and to interact with GCSU Athletics.
