MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga | Emily Hobbs played the hero in the nightcap as Georgia College & State University split the season-opening doubleheader with Young Harris College in a non-conference softball contest Friday (Jan. 30) at the Bobcat Softball Field.
The Bobcats dropped their season opener 8-6; however, a 3-2 walk-off victory ended the night for GCSU. GCSU and the Mountain Lions both ended their first day of the season with a 1-1 record. The Bobcats return to action with a doubleheader against No. 10 Francis Marion University Wednesday (Feb. 4), beginning at 3 p.m. in Florence, South Carolina.
The Mountain Lions struck first in the opener as Bobcat starter Tiffany Caban worked into a bases-loaded jam, leading to a hit-by-pitch against Shayla Pennington to drive in the first run.
GCSU battled back in the bottom of the first, as Emily Hutcheson beat out a fielder's choice to let Kimber Kent score, and Maddie Todd later plated Hutcheson and Sydney Lancaster on a double to right-center.
The Bobcats' lead ballooned to four in the third inning, with Reina Checo plating Todd and Hutcheson on a double over the center fielder's head, making it 6-2. However, the Mountain Lions didn't cower, striking for six in the fifth inning, playing small ball, with four of the runs coming from walks or singles.
GCSU couldn't come back in the first contest, with Young Harris' Julia Moore (1-0) twirling 4.1 innings of shutout softball out of the bullpen to close the door.
Todd and Checo's RBI-doubles were the only extra-base hits for the squad, with Kent and Hutcheson having the only multi-hit performance.
Bobcats' coach Brittany Johnson sent out Sydney Garrett for the nightcap against the Mountain Lions after she pitched 2.1 scoreless innings to end the opener.
Young Harris finally put up a run against Garrett in the second inning as Maddy Brady scored Isa Pecorilli; however, the Bobcats scored a pair in the third as Hobbs doubled in pinch-runner Emma Sundermeyer and Kent doubled in Hobbs.
Young Harris knotted things at two, as Haley Cummings drove in Shelby Duncan, yet neither team was able to get things going throughout the rest of the contest.
Freshman Lily Jones for Young Harris collected the first out of the bottom of the seventh, but after Kacie Wiggins ' single, Mountain Lions' coach Jessie Homesley looked to another freshman in Natalie Paolino to push the contest to extras. After Wiggins advanced on a wild pitch, Hobbs got her pitch and sent it into left-center for a walk-off double, scoring Wiggins.
Garrett (1-0) pitched seven quality innings alongside her 2.1 innings in the opener, collecting seven strikeouts on the day in total.
Hobbs' two doubles led the team in extra-base hits, with Kent having the sole other one. Hobbs was the only one with two hits in the contest.
About GCSU Athletics
Owning the top Academic Success Rate among all public colleges and universities in Division II for five consecutive academic years, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won six 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.
