The fifth-ranked Georgia Gwinnett softball team split its doubleheader action on Sunday afternoon as the Grizzlies were defeated in game one by Bethel (Tenn.) 10-5 but responded with a 3-2 walk-off victory in the nightcap to improve to 39-7-1 in 2017.
"Our defense faltered in game one, but we stay composed to get the win in game two," said GGC head coach Kat Ihlenburg. "The team is being tested big time right now, and it is the best thing for us as we prepare for the A.I.I. tournament in May."
In game one, Bethel (20-18) and Georgia Gwinnett traded runs over the first four innings of play to sit at a 3-3 tie heading into the fifth.
The Wildcats took their second lead of the day, 6-3, in the fifth, utilizing key hits with runners in scoring position that previously reached on two GGC fielding errors.
Designated player Brashante Dareus made it 6-4 with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning while third baseman Sydney Willhite drew the Grizzlies within one, 6-5, with an RBI-double to the right-center gap.
Bethel would go on to score four more runs in the sixth to pull out the 10-5 victory over the Grizzlies.
Senior Katie Jo Goodwin (11-1) suffered her first loss of the 2017 season, giving up 10 runs, five earned, on eight hits. Bethel's Madisen Adkins (5-0) received the win while Casey Wade picked up the save with three innings of relief work for the Wildcats.
In the nightcap, Georgia Gwinnett held a 2-0 advantage through the first five innings of play as starting pitcher Chelsi Palazzo carried a perfect game through the first four innings against the Wildcats. GGC scored its first two runs in the bottom of the third inning with an erred throw by third baseman Kayla Gutherie and an RBI-double by Dareus, scoring right fielder RaeQuinn Rossetti who reached third on the Bethel throwing error.
The Wildcats tied the game at 2-2 in the fifth, capitalizing on an RBI-double by designated player Dallas Weatherly and a wild pitch to the backstop by Palazzo.
Facing their final three outs of the contest in the seventh, the Grizzlies produced four hits in-a-row to pull out the 3-2 walk-off victory. Catcher Anya Vandersip reached with a leadoff double to the left field fence. Center fielder Niki Cook and Rossetti then combined for infield singles to load the bases. On an 0-1 count, Dareus laced a seeing-eye single to left, plating Vandersip for the 3-2 Grizzly victory.
Palazzo picked up the win in the complete-game effort, allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits while striking out six Wildcat batters. Bethel's Bailey Moore suffered the loss, surrendering three runs, two earned, on 14 hits in six innings of work.
The Grizzlies return to action on Tuesday, April 11 as GGC welcomes Faulkner (Ala.) to the Grizzly Softball Complex for doubleheader action beginning at 3:00 p.m. Both games of the mid-week twin bill will broadcasted live on the Grizzly Digital Network with pregame coverage beginning at 2:45 p.m.
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