When the going got tough, the top-seed Georgia Gwinnett College softball team put together one of this season's strongest performances to capture the 2023 Continental Athletic Conference Softball championship with a 6-1 victory over USC Beaufort on Saturday afternoon at the Grizzly Softball Complex.

The Grizzlies (40-10; ranked No. 8 nationally) were playing their third game in the tournament against the No. 4-seeded Sand Sharks, and seventh meeting between the teams since April 4. The final showdown was necessary after the South Carolina visitors opened Saturday with an 8-6 extra-winning win.

The championship triumph – GGC's sixth straight conference tournament title – was a typical total-team performance as GGC senior pitcher Alexa Good and USC Beaufort senior pitcher Caitlin Toole were locked in a pitchers' duel over the first four innings.

Freshman Madison Rodgers led off the top of the fifth inning with her first collegiate home run, a blast over the left field fence, to give the hosts a 1-0 lead. That ignited the team's offense in the pivotal frame.

A few batters later, sophomore Lindzie Owen hit a single to center field that allowed junior Josie Haulk to score after an umpire's obstruction call as the throw came to home plate. Senior Lea McFadden followed with an RBI single to right-center field to cap a decisive three-run fifth inning.

USC Beaufort (14-43) would get a run back in the bottom half of the frame on an RBI ground out by Mackenzie Freeman.

However, GGC had an answer of its own with a two-run sixth inning to pull away for the victory. Rodgers lined a run-scoring double to right field before an infield single by senior Sydney Pelaez brought home Rodgers.
GGC capped its strong finish with junior Kloey Goins' run-scoring sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning.

Meanwhile, Good struck out four batters and scattered five hits across five strong innings to pick up the victory – her second of the tournament. The right hander earned the CAC Softball Championship Most Outstanding Player for the second consecutive season.

Sophomore Annalise Wood retired all six batters she faced in her second standout relief effort that secured a GGC victory. She was named to the all-tournament team, along with Pelaez, Rogers and Good.

 

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: @GGCAthletics wins the 2023 CAC Softball Championship over @USCBAthletics. Video courtesy of @GDN_Production.#CACSoftball pic.twitter.com/XCoJKVqlxW

— Continental Athletics (@CAC_SportsNAIA) May 6, 2023

Earlier in the day, USC Beaufort jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the opening frame. Addie Reynolds drew a bases-loaded walk before Amber Locasto hit a sacrifice fly to center field to produce the Sand Sharks' early scoring.

The Grizzlies chipped away at the deficit as McFadden led off the second inning with her first home run of the 2023 season. Pelaez then lined a two-run double to start a four-run third inning and junior Logan Oller hit an infield RBI single to score sophomore Emerson Hall for a 5-4 lead.

That advantage was short-lived as Chloe Turner's RBI single tied the game, 5-5, in the fifth inning. The team then took the lead, 6-5, on Daryn Miller's sacrifice fly to right field.

The back-and-forth game continued when GGC tied the game in the sixth frame on Rodgers' successful steal of home after freshman Enna Lackey swiped second base.

In extra innings, Miller and Ashlyn Alte tallied back-to-back run-scoring singles to give the Sand Sharks the victory.


  "Winning isn't easy. You never just want to expect something to happen. To fight and battle have been a hallmark of what our program has been about for a long time. I'm proud of their effort and performance today and throughout the tournament. Alexa (Good) was gritty today. Playing with grit has been something we have talked about as a team. We want to play gritty,  not pretty," said Head Coach Kat Ihlenburg.
  The fifth inning proved critical after a pitchers' duel for the first four innings of the championship game. Freshman Madison Rodgers led off the frame with her first collegiate home run. A few batters later, sophomore Lindzie Owen hit a single to center field. During that play, junior Josie Haulk was ruled to score a run via an umpire's obstruction call on the throw to home plate. Senior Lea McFadden followed with an RBI single to right-center field. That capped a three-run fifth inning that gave the Grizzlies the decisive advantage.
  First Championship Round Game
Top of First
Mackenzie Freeman hit an RBI single that gave the Sand Sharks a 2-0 lead
Amber Locasto added a sacrifice fly to provide the team's fourth run of the inning
 
Bottom of Second
Lea McFadden led off the frame with a home run to left field
 
Bottom of Third
Sydney Pelaez lined a two-run double to right-center field that brought the Grizzlies within a run, 4-3
Lea McFadden tied the game, 4-4, with an RBI single up the middle
Logan Oller hit an infield single that allowed Emerson Hall to score for a 5-4 GGC lead
 
Top of Sixth
Daryn Miller hit a sacrifice fly to right field as the Sand Sharks regained the lead, 6-5
 
Bottom of Sixth
Madison Rodgers successfully stole home after Enna Lackey swiped second base
 
Top of Eighth
Daryn Miller hit a run-scoring single to left-center field that brought home the go-ahead run
Ashlyn Alte followed with an RBI single to score an insurance run
 
Second Championship Round Game
Top of Fifth
Madison Rodgers led off the frame with her first collegiate home run, giving GGC a 1-0 lead
Lindzie Owen hit a single to center field and an obstruction call at home plate allowed Josie Haulk to add another run
Lea McFadden lined a run-scoring single
 
Top of Sixth
Madison Rodgers lined an RBI double that scored Logan Oller
Sydney Pelaez's single gave the Grizzlies a 5-1 lead

Top of the Seventh
Kloey Goins sacrifice fly to center field allowed Lindzie Owen to score another insurance run
 

• The Grizzlies outhit USC Beaufort 12-5 in the championship game
• Senior pitcher Alexa Good recorded her 11th win of the season inside the circle and second of the CAC tournament
• Senior Sydney Palaez and freshman Madison Rodgers each had three hits to lead the offense in the championship game; Seven players had at least one hit in the game
• Freshman Madison Rodgers scored GGC's first run of the championship game with her first collegiate home run; senior Lea McFadden had earlier hit her first home run of the season in the first game of the championship round 

• GGC is 40-10 in 2023, while USC Beaufort stands 14-43 on the season
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 8 in the final NAIA Top 25 poll
• GGC was the No. 1 seed in the 2023 Continental Athletic Conference Softball Championship; USC Beaufort stood as the No. 4 seed
• GGC and USC Beaufort were playing for the third time in the CAC tournament and seventh time since April 4; the Grizzlies went 5-2 against the Sand Sharks this season
• GGC has won nine of its last 10 games this season
• The team has won the last six conference tournament titles

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host the 2023 NAIA Opening Round Lawrenceville Bracket, with play beginning at the Grizzly Softball Complex, starting on Monday, May 15. The tournament bracket will be announced by the NAIA national office later next week.