HARDEEVILLE, S.C. | Kam Caldwell, Sydney Lancaster, and Divina Checo hit home runs as Georgia College & State University swept the University of South Carolina-Beaufort in a Peach Belt Conference softball doubleheader Saturday (March 8) afternoon at the Richard Gray Sports Complex.
The Bobcats won both games in comeback fashion, winning the opener 8-4 and the nightcap 4-3.
The Bobcats climbed to 10-12 and 4-2 in the PBC, while the Sand Sharks fell to 16-10 and 1-5. GCSU marches back home to play the University of South Carolina-Aiken Friday (March 14) at 3 p.m. at the Bobcat Softball Field.
Lancaster pushed the Bobcats out in front early with a two-run homer to left-center field; however, the Sand Sharks answered quickly, as Jaden Goodwin hit a three-run answer-back homer to dead center field.
It was a few innings before the GCSU bats awoke again, but they did damage at the bottom of the fifth. Lancaster struck again via an RBI double, and an error by the Sand Sharks gave the Bobcats enough life to plate three unearned runs.
Caldwell answered the call for insurance at the top of the seventh, blasting a two-run home run to the right center, giving Tiffany Caban more breathing room.
Caban (5-2) finished the job through and through, throwing seven innings of four-run softball, but struck out nine in the process.
USC Beaufort jumped ahead hastily in the early parts of the nightcap, as Addie Reynolds plated a run via the long ball in the third inning and another via the sacrifice fly in the fourth to give the Sand Sharks a two-run cushion.
GCSU tied things up in the fifth as Lancaster and Kacie Wiggins drove in runs on a double and single, respectively. Checo gave the Bobcats their first contest lead with a solo home run to left center, and Emily Hutcheson added an insurance run, driving in Karlie Gutierrez.
Shelby Jones (4-6) made her second appearance of the series, this time collecting the win on three innings of one-run softball out of the pen to shut the door on the Sand Sharks. She also stuck out a pair.
Seven Bobcats had multi-hit performances between the doubleheader, including Caldwell, Gutierrez, Lancaster, Checo, Hutcheson, Wiggins, and Maddie Todd.
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.
