The fifth-ranked Georgia Gwinnett softball team survives and moves on in the NAIA Softball Championship Opening Round Lawrenceville Bracket as the Grizzlies bounced back from a 3-2 loss to second-seeded Warner (Fla.) early on Tuesday to win the loser's bracket with a 5-4 victory against Williams Baptist (Ark.) in the night cap.
With their victory against Williams Baptist, the Grizzlies have reached the 50-wins mark for the first time in the program's short five-year history.
"We had a great come back in game two after getting edged by Warner in game one," said GGC head coach Kat Ihlenburg. "The team responded just as we needed to. We know Warner will be prepared and rested for tomorrow, and we must come out focused."
Georgia Gwinnett (50-8-1) faced a two-run deficit in the game one against Warner but battled back to tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI-triple by designated player Mark Burk and an RBI infield single by third baseman Elyssa Melton.
Game one went to extra innings as right-hander Taylor Hansis threw 170 pitches in the contest to hold the Royals at 2-2. In the top of the ninth, Warner would score the eventual game-winning run on a bases-loaded walk to designated player Savanna Rumore.
Warner's Chelsie Valentine picked up the victory in the 3-2 win, pitching a complete game where she allowed just two runs on three hits while striking out six. Hansis received the loss, surrendering three runs on 10 hits while striking out a game-high eight batters.
The Grizzlies bounced back in the nightcap to edge Williams Baptist 5-4 to reach the championship game of the Lawrenceville Bracket.
The Eagles (34-13) jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first two innings of action, but just like game one against Warner, Georgia Gwinnett would battle back to take a 4-2 lead, scoring one run in the third and three in the fourth. Shortstop Brashante Dareus plated GGC's first run of the day with a sacrifice fly to deep center, scoring center fielder Niki Cook to make it 2-1 in WBC's favor.
An inning later, the Grizzlies rallied for three runs to take a 4-2 lead. First, a two-run double to the right-center field gap by right fielder RaeQuinn Rossetti put the Grizzlies ahead 3-2. Five pitches later, Dareus drove in GGC's fourth run of the contest with an RBI-double down the left field line.
Williams Baptist capitalized on a Grizzly fielding error in the fifth to tie the game at 4-4.
In the bottom of the sixth, Rossetti provided Georgia Gwinnett's late-inning heroics with a chopper to short to score Burk for the 5-4 go-ahead lead and eventual win.
Senior Chelsi Palazzo (18-2) picked up her second win of the tournament, providing the Grizzlies with three innings of relief in the contest.
Georgia Gwinnett will now face second-seeded Warner (Fla.) in the championship game on Wednesday, May 17 at 12:00 p.m. For the Grizzlies to remain alive and within reach of an appearance in the program's first-ever potential visit to the NAIA Softball World Series in Clermont, they must defeat Warner in game one of the double elimination tournament to force the "if necessary" contest. The "if necessary" game of the tournament will take place immediately following game one on Thursday at approximately 2:30 p.m. at the Grizzly Softball Complex. Wednesday's victor will move on the NAIA Softball World Series May 26-June 1.
Both of day three's contests will be broadcast free of charge on the Grizzly Digital Network.
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