The No. 11 Georgia Gwinnett softball team split its Tuesday doubleheader with host Truett-McConnell, taking game one 7-1 while falling 3-2 in game two after a seventh inning rally fell short.
The Grizzlies (31-13) had an offensive explosion in game one as they connected for seven runs on eight hits.
Chelsi Palazzo (5-0) picked up the win for the Grizzlies going three and one-third innings. The Woodstock native surrendered one run on two hits while striking out three. Reliever Katie Lange assisted in the victory as the right-handed hurler struck out four batters while surrendering just one hit in her three and two-thirds innings of work.
Georgia Gwinnett took an immediate lead in game one, going up 3-0 on the Bears in the first inning. A two-run RBI bunt single by designated hitter Brashante Dareus started the scoring run for the Grizzlies. Moments later, Dareus would score on a throwing error by the TMC shortstop.
In the top of the third, the Grizzlies widened their advantage to 4-0 on an RBI-single by second baseman Haley Thompson. In the bottom frame, TMC scored its lone run of the game on a solo home run by Milly Martinet, cutting the GGC lead to 4-1.
A three-run sixth inning, in favor of the Grizzlies, would seal GGC's 7-1 victory. Catcher Alycia Fields launched an RBI-double to the left-center gap to make it 5-1 while right fielder Mary Burk's RBI-single to center pushed the lead to 6-1. Left fielder Alyssa Hathcoat drove in the final Grizzly run of game one with a chopper to the pitching circle.
In game two of the twin bill, the Grizzlies fell short of a comeback rally in the top of the seventh to fall to the Bears 3-2.
Georgia Gwinnett took the 1-0 lead in the top of the third. After Burk reached on a single to left, center fielder Tori Heinemann moved her to second with a sacrifice bunt. Moments later, a fielding error by the TMC third baseman allowed Burk to score the first run of the game.
Truett-McConnell regained a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth with RBI-singles by Alexis Austin and Brianna Crawford. An inning later, the Bears pushed an insurance run across the plate on a grounder by Jennifer Bagby.
GGC attempted late-inning heroics as the Grizzlies garnered a rally in the top of the seventh. Thompson led the inning off with a double to left. Pinch runner Sam Leach, who came on for Thompson, would score on back-to-back wild pitches, cutting the TMC lead to 3-2. The rally, however, was cut short as the final two Grizzlies struck out swinging.
The Grizzlies now travel to the Midwest as they will compete in the Ashford University Breast Cancer Awareness Softball Jamboree at the Morrison Sports Complex in Morrison, Ill. There, the Grizzlies will face Saint Francis (Ill.) and A.I.I. members Clarke (Iowa), Ashford (Iowa) and Mount Mercy (Iowa). The tournament runs from April 1-3.
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