The No. 14-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College softball team collected 23 hits in sweeping a doubleheader from the University of Rio Grande (Ohio) by 6-3 and 8-4 scores Sunday afternoon at the Grizzly Softball Complex – coming away with three of the four games in the weekend series between the two teams.

GGC (13-4) scored four runs in the fourth inning to break a 2-2 deadlock in the opener. Then, the hosts pushed across three runs in the fifth inning to rally from a 4-3 deficit to capture the nightcap.

Freshman Enna Lackey hit a go-ahead RBI single to break the 2-2 tie in the opening contest. Senior Sydney Pelaez followed with a run-scoring single to bring home junior Logan Oller for a 4-2 lead. Senior Lea McFadden added a clutch two-run single during the four-run fourth inning.

Sophomore Kailyn Berry went the distance inside the pitching circle in the first game, scattering five hits and allowing one earned run to even her record to 2-2 for the season.

Oller paced the Grizzlies' 12-hit offensive attack in the game by going 3-for-3 and scoring twice. Sophomore Lindzie Owen added two hits in the victory.

In the second game, McFadden once again came through in a clutch situation. She lined a go-ahead two-run double to left field as part of a three-run fifth inning, and later scored on a base hit from Oller as the Grizzlies took a 6-4 lead.

Sophomore Angelica Gallegos gave the hosts a 3-0 lead in the opening frame with a two-run single.

Rio Grande (3-7) responded with two runs in the third inning and then took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fifth inning following a two-run home run by Peyton Young.

After GGC's big offensive frame, the team turned to sophomore right-handed pitcher Annalise Wood to secure the victory and series. She struck out three batters across two scoreless innings to collect her first save of the 2023 season.

Senior pitcher Alexa Good came in relief and had a pair of strikeouts to improve to 5-1 on the season.

The Grizzlies tallied 11 hits in the victory, led by three hits from Owen. Gallegos collected two hits in the second game.


  "We were focused on putting together quality at-bats and moving runners when necessary. We executed across the board offensively today. It was very encouraging to see the offense as productive as it was in the doubleheader," said Head Coach Kat Ihlenburg.
  Fifth-year senior Lea McFadden had only two hits among her eight at-bats on Sunday, but both came in crucial situations for the team. Her two-run single capped a four-run fourth inning of the opening game. Then, McFadden lined a go-ahead two-run double to left field as the Grizzlies took a 5-4 lead in the fifth inning of the second game. She later scored an insurance run on a base hit from junior Logan Oller, who tallied four hits in the doubleheader sweep.
  First Game
Bottom of Second
Sydney Pelaez hit a two-run double to center field to give the Grizzlies a 2-0 lead
 
Top of Fourth
Lexi Carnahan tied the game, 2-2, with a fielder's choice to shortstop
 
Bottom of Fourth
Enna Lackey hit a go-ahead RBI single to score Kayla Good
Sydney Pelaez added a run-scoring single through the right side of the infield to bring home Logan Oller
Lea McFadden hit a two-run single to give the Grizzlies a 6-2 lead
 
Second Game
Bottom of First
Lindzie Owen hit an RBI double to open the scoring
Angelica Gallegos followed with a two-run single
 
Top of Fifth
Peyton Young connected on a two-run home run to give Rio Grande a 4-3 lead
 
Bottom of Fifth
Lea McFadden lined a go-ahead two-run double to left field
Logan Oller hit an RBI single to bring home Lea McFadden
 
Bottom of Sixth
Sydney Pelaez hit a sacrifice fly to right field to bring home Claire Garney
Lindzie Owen added a run-scoring single
 

• The Grizzlies collected 23 hits across Sunday's doubleheader, with 12 coming in the first game
• Junior Logan Oller went 3-for-3 and scored two runs in the first contest
• Rio Grande stranded 10 runners on base during the second game
• GGC successfully stole four bases in the nightcap

• GGC improves to 13-4 on the season; Rio Grande is 3-7 this spring
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 14 in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 poll; Rio Grande received votes in the same poll
• Georgia Gwinnett College leads the series by a 16-5 margin, with 17 of the 21 meetings coming since 2019
• GGC is 11-4 at the Grizzly Softball Complex in 2023

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host No. 25 Saint Xavier University (Illinois) on Thursday, March 9, at the Grizzly Softball Complex, starting at 2 p.m.