A pair of one-run victories paved the way for the No. 4-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College softball team to sweep a midweek doubleheader against No. 24 Saint Xavier University (Illinois) on Tuesday afternoon at the Grizzly Softball Complex.

Junior Haley Robinson lined a walk-off single to center field in the eighth inning as GGC rallied from two deficits to win the opener 4-3. Three of the four runs scored were unearned.

Then, the hosts plated the lone run of the second contest, a 1-0 triumph, on an RBI single from senior Kloey Goins into shallow left field that brought home junior Lindzie Owen in the fifth inning.

The Grizzlies improved to 16-2 on the season, have posted six straight victories and won seven of the eight games in the recent home stand.

The team's first game late-inning rally began with junior Jane Hoover leading off the sixth frame with an 11-pitch at-bat that ended with a sharp line drive double. She would later score the tying run, at 3-3, on an RBI ground out to second base by junior Angelica Gallegos.

"My mentality all day long was not letting the pitcher win the matchup. I was up there battling and then got a pitch for my perfect hit. I wanted to barrel up (hit) as many balls as I could today," said Hoover about her important sixth-inning at-bat.

Earlier, a safety squeeze bunt by Robinson pushed across Hoover for GGC's first run of the game, closing an early deficit to 2-1. The team responded again in the fifth inning with an RBI single by Goins making the score 3-2.

Junior pitcher Annalise Jarvis came in relief to keep the Cougars (10-6) off the scoreboard in the top of the seventh inning. With the game tied 3-3, Saint Xavier right fielder Maddi Stahulak threw out a potential game-winning run at the plate following a line drive single by junior Kailynn James with two outs in the bottom half of the seventh inning.

The roles were reversed in the top of the eighth inning. Robinson threw out Saint Xavier's Kyla Kissee at the plate from her shortstop position. Jarvis then got Taylor Becker to fly out to Goins in center field to keep the score deadlocked at 3-3.

In the bottom half of the frame, Hoover advanced senior pinch runner Kendall Parks to third base with a sacrifice bunt. That set up Robinson's game-winning at-bat as she lined a single to center field off Saint Xavier pitcher Laila Summers. Summers had entered the inning after throwing 125 pitches in the contest.

"We know that once we get one hit that our lineup becomes electric. One player passes the bat to the next player in the lineup," noted Hoover.

In the nightcap, Jarvis struck out eight opposing batters and scattered four hits in tossing the shutout inside the pitching circle. She picked up wins in both games to stand 8-0 for the 2024 campaign.

Hoover paced GGC's offensive attack by going 3-for-3 at the plate in the first game. Goins extended her hitting streak to nine games after going 3-for-6, with two RBI, in Tuesday's action. Freshman Sophie Sisk tallied two hits in the opener.


  "To come out and play composed defense, pitching and situational offense makes for two nice wins. Jane (Hoover) has been really gritty for us this season. She is determined and focused during her junior year. It's exciting to have someone that you can move around the lineup and on the field and know that she will produce for the team," said Head Coach Kat Ihlenburg.
  Junior Jane Hoover hit a double to left field to conclude an 11-pitch at-bat to open the sixth inning of the first game. GGC was trailing by one run, at 3-2, and tied the contest on an RBI ground out to second base from junior Angelica Gallegos. The Grizzlies eventually won that contest following a walk-off single by junior Haley Robinson in the eighth inning.
  First Game
Bottom of Second
Haley Robinson laid down a safety squeeze bunt to put the Grizzlies on the scoreboard, 2-1
 
Bottom of Fifth
Kloey Goins hit a run-scoring single to trim the deficit to 3-2
 
Bottom of Sixth
Angelica Gallegos hit an RBI ground out to second base to tie the contest, 3-3
 
Bottom of Eighth
Haley Robinson lined a walk-off RBI single to center field that scored Kendall Parks for the game-winning run
 
Second Game
Bottom of Fifth
Kloey Goins hit a single to shallow left field that brought home Lindzie Owen for the only run of the game
 

• The Grizzlies recorded 14 hits across the doubleheader, led by 10 hits in the opener
• Junior Annalise Jarvis picked up the wins in both games, improving to 8-0 inside the pitching circle
• Junior Jane Hoover went 3-for-3 and scored two runs in Tuesday's first contest
• Senior Kloey Goins made four putouts from center field in the first game

• GGC improves to 16-2 on the season; Saint Xavier drops to 10-6 in 2024
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 4 in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 poll; Saint Xavier stood No. 24 in the same poll
• Five of the nine all-time meetings between the two programs have come in NAIA postseason play
• Georgia Gwinnett College went 7-1 during its eight-game home stand

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to travel to No. 3 University of the Cumberlands (Kentucky) for a doubleheader on Friday, March 8, at Williamsburg, Kentucky, starting at 2 p.m.