Georgia Gwinnett College junior Lea McFadden tied two single-game program records as the Grizzlies swept a road softball doubleheader Tuesday afternoon against USC Beaufort (South Carolina) by 13-10 and 5-3 scores.

McFadden collected five hits and reached base six times in the extra-inning thriller first game. She became the sixth player to record five hits in a game and first since the 2015 season. McFadden also tied the program record with three doubles in the contest.

GGC (28-14) scored in seven of its eight offensive innings and led 7-3 after a two-run fifth inning. USC Beaufort (18-20) rebounded to grab an 8-7 lead behind a five-run bottom of the fifth frame.

The visitors quickly answered with junior Sydney Pelaez tying the contest, 8-8, with an RBI single in the top of the sixth inning. Then, McFadden delivered a two-run single to right field to gain a 10-8 lead.

USC Beaufort got a pair of run-scoring singles in the bottom of the seventh inning to send the game into extra innings.

That's when McFadden came up clutch again for the Grizzlies. She drove in a pair of runs with her third double of the contest and later scored on a sacrifice fly from junior Brooke Parker.

The Grizzlies tallied a season-high 19 hits as the teams combined for 36 hits in the thrilling back-and-forth game.

In the second outing, a throwing error following a base hit from McFadden scored two runs in the opening inning. Sophomore Lani Trent hit a sacrifice fly to bring home senior Piper Wagner in the third inning. Wagner added a run-scoring single in the fourth inning before concluding her strong offensive day with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.

For the day, McFadden went 7-for-9 with five RBI and three runs scored to lead GGC's  26-hit offensive attack. Wagner recorded four hits and Pelaez tallied three hits in the opener.
 
Coach's Corner
"We responded when needed. We were aggressive on the bases and at the plate in picking up two wins. Lea was dialed in today and hit the ball really hard each time she was at the plate. It was fun to watch. Usually the winning team outslugs the opponent and that's what happened as we got three runs in the eighth. Then, we played good defense in the second game," said Head Coach Kat Ihlenburg.
 
Turning Point
The first game of the doubleheader featured a back-and-forth affair and lots of offense. GGC scored in seven of its eight offensive innings and tallied 19 hits. With the game tied at 10-10 in the eighth inning, junior Lea McFadden delivered the go-ahead hit – her fifth of the contest – with a two-run double. She later scored on a sacrifice fly from junior Brooke Parker as the Grizzlies scored three runs in extra innings to win the opener.
 
Key Plays
First Game
Top of First
Sydney Pelaez scored following a wild pitch on a walk to Piper Wagner
 
Top of Second
Sydney Pelaez hit a run-scoring single to right field to give the Grizzlies a 2-1 lead
 
Top of Third
Lea McFadden lined an RBI double to score Piper Wagner
Logan Oller added a run-scoring single
 
Top of Fourth
Lani Trent gave the Grizzlies a 5-3 advantage with a run-scoring single with two outs
 
Bottom of Fifth
Jaci Coleman hit a run-scoring single to third base to bring the Sand Sharks within one run, 7-6
Ashlyn Alte hit an infield single to give the team an 8-7 advantage
 
Top of Sixth
Sydney Pelaez hit an RBI single to bring home Nikki Lajara and tie the contest at 8-8
Lea McFadden collected a two-run single to bring home a pair of runs
 
Bottom of Seventh
Addie Reynolds cut the deficit to 10-9 with an RBI single
Alyssa Smith forced extra innings with a run-scoring single
 
Top of Eighth
Lea McFadden gave the Grizzlies a 12-10 lead with a two-run double for her fifth hit of the game
Brooke Parker hit a sacrifice fly to score Lea McFadden
 
Second Game
Top of First
A throwing error following a base hit from Lea McFadden gave the Grizzlies a 2-0 lead
 
Top of Third
Lani Trent hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Piper Wagner
 
Bottom of Third
Addie Reynolds brought the Sand Sharks within a run, 3-2, with a sacrifice fly
 
Top of Sixth
Piper Wagner added a sacrifice fly to bring home Josie Haulk to give GGC a 5-3 lead
 
Inside The Numbers

• GGC recorded a season-high 19 hits to win the opener; the Grizzlies tallied 26 across the doubleheader sweep
• Junior Lea McFadden tied the program's single-game program record with five hits and three doubles in the first game
• Sixteen players appeared in the extra-inning contest

News & Notes

• GGC improves to 28-14 this spring; USC Beaufort falls to 18-20 on the season
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 14 in the latest 2022 NAIA Top 25 poll
• GGC leads the all-time series 13-7 with the Sand Sharks

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to travel to No. 10-ranked College of Coastal Georgia on Wednesday, April 13, from Brunswick, Georgia, starting at 2 p.m.