The Georgia Gwinnett College softball team will play for the Association of Independent Institutions 2021 softball championship after defeating Edward Waters College (Florida) 7-3 Friday evening at the Grizzly Softball Complex.

That came after the top-seeded Grizzlies fell to No. 2 seed Cottey College (Missouri) 6-3 in Friday's winner's bracket contest. Now, the team must defeat the Comets twice on Saturday, May 8, to capture the tournament title. The championship round begins at noon.

GGC (30-11) scored five runs in the second inning to build a 7-0 advantage against Edward Waters. Junior Piper Wagner opened the scoring with an infield RBI single in the first inning. Junior Holly Janco added a run-scoring single to right field for a 2-0 lead.

Then, junior Lea McFadden, freshman Kloey Goins, Wagner, and Janco each collected run-scoring base hits in the decisive second inning, when five additional runs were added to the scoreboard.

The Grizzlies tallied 12 hits in the must-win situation.

In the first game of the day, Cottey (27-9) used a fast start of its own, plating five runs over the first two inning, to get on top of the tournament hosts. Lauren Johnson connected on a three-run home run in the opening frame. Then, she hit a two-run double an inning later to give the Comets a 5-0 advantage.

GGC attempted a rally of its own late in the game, pushing across three runs in the sixth inning. Sophomore Sydney Pelaez lined an RBI single to bring home the first run. A fielding error on the same play would allow an additional run to touch home plate. Junior Holly Janco followed with an RBI fielder's choice to trim the deficit to 6-3.

However, the team could get no closer over the course of the seven-inning contest.

 

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: @GGCAthletics punched its ticket to the championship round with a victory over @EWCAthletics. Video provided by the Grizzly Digital Network. pic.twitter.com/0avUGtG6gJ

— A.I.I. Sports (@AII_Sports) May 8, 2021

  After falling behind 3-0 in the first inning, Cottey added two more runs to grab a commanding 5-0 lead in the second inning. Lauren Johnson produced the Comets' early scoring with a three-run home run in the first inning before lining a two-run double in the second frame.
  Cottey Game
Bottom of First
Lauren Johnson hit a three-run home run over the right field fence
 
Bottom of Second
Lauren Johnson lined a two-run double to give the Comets a 5-0 lead
 
Top of Sixth
Sydney Pelaez hit a run-scoring single for GGC and Kloey Goins later scored following a fielding error on the same play
Holly Janco added a fielder's choice to cut the deficit to 6-3
 
Edward Waters Game
Bottom of First
Piper Wagner opened the scoring with an infield RBI single
Holly Janco lined a run-scoring single to right field
 
Bottom of Second
Kloey Goins hit an RBI single to give the Grizzlies a 4-0 advantage
Piper Wagner added a base hit to bring home Kloey Goins
Holly Janco capped GGC's five-run inning with a triple
 

• The Grizzlies collected 17 hits across the two games, highlighted by 12 hits against Edward Waters
• Sophomore Lea McFadden went 3-for-7 and scored three runs Friday
• GGC recorded three stolen bases

• GGC stands 30-11 for the season; Cottey improves to 27-9 this spring; Edward Waters ends the 2021 season with a 19-11 record
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 8 in the final regular-season NAIA Top 25 poll; Cottey was receiving votes in the same poll
• GGC is the No. 1 seed in the A.I.I. 2021 Softball Championship; Cottey stood as the No. 2 seed in the double-elimination tournament; Edward Waters was the No. 3 seed
• As the remaining finalists in the A.I.I. tournament, GGC and Cottey will represent the conference in the NAIA Opening Round of the 2021 national tournament; one will go as the A.I.I. champion

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to face No. 2 seed Cottey College (Missouri) in the championship round of the Association of Independent Institutions 2021 Softball Championship Tournament on Saturday, May 8, at noon from the Grizzly Softball Complex. The Grizzlies must defeat Cottey twice to earn the title.