Senior Jane Hoover lined a two-run double down the left field line in the fourth inning to propel the top-seeded Georgia Gwinnett College softball team to a 2-0 victory against No. 3 seed Florida National University on Friday afternoon at the 2025 Continental Athletic Conference Championship Tournament at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.

The Grizzlies (42-8, winners of 15 straight games) advance to the tournament's championship round, where they will face No. 4 seed Westcliff University (California) on Saturday, May 3, starting at 11 a.m. Westcliff, in its first year as a conference member, won two elimination games on Friday and will need to pick up two victories against GGC, ranked No. 6 nationally, on its home diamond. One more win will give the tournament hosts their eighth straight conference tournament title.

Following a two-hour lightning delay, the tournament hosts started fast when play resumed in a scoreless game heading into the bottom of the fourth inning.

The winning rally started with sophomore Sophie Sisk and junior Savannah Jenkins each collecting singles. They advanced into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from senior Makenna Talcott. That set up Hoover's productive at-bat, with a double bringing home both baserunners for a 2-0 advantage.

Meanwhile, senior pitcher Kailynn James was once again strong inside the pitching circle, scattering two hits and striking out five batters. The right hander tossed her seventh shutout of the season and improved her record to 15-3 on the season.

Freshman Casey Beaver and Jenkins each tallied two hits for the Grizzlies, which outhit the Conquistadors by an 8-2 margin.
 
Coach's Corner
"We knew what was on the line. We were getting into the middle innings, and we brought energy following the lightning delay. We were getting the pitching that we needed, so the players knew they just needed to provide offensive run support. Jane (Hoover) may have bunted it the (run-scoring) situation, but I also know that Sophie's speed could score if Jane hit a fly ball. Jane provided us with good offensive options," said Head Coach Kat Ihlenburg.
 
Turning Point
Following a two-hour lightning delay, the Grizzlies made the proper adjustments when play resumed to start the bottom of the fourth inning. Sophomore Sophie Sisk and junior Savannah Jenkins opened the frame with each hitting singles. Senior Makenna Talcott then executed a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners into scoring position (at third and second bases) to set up senior Jane Hoover's pivotal at-bat. She delivered a double inside the left field foul line to bring home the team's only two runs of the game.
 
Key Plays
Bottom of Fourth
Jane Hoover lined a double down the left field line to score two runs and give GGC a 2-0 lead
 
Inside The Numbers

• The Grizzlies outhit Florida National by an 8-2 margin
• Junior Savannah Jenkins and freshman Casey Beaver each tallied two hits in the victory
• Senior pitcher Kailynn James recorded her 15th win of the season on Friday
• Senior Makenna Talcott had three putouts from her left field defensive position

News & Notes

• GGC improves to 42-8 in 2025; Florida National's season later ended with a 23-27 record
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 6 in the final regular season NAIA Top 25 poll
• The team is the top seed in the four-team tournament field; Florida National was the No. 3 seed
• Georgia Gwinnett College has won 15 consecutive games

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to play No. 4 seed Westcliff University (California) in the championship round of the 2025 Continental Athletic Conference Softball Championship Tournament on Saturday, May 3, at the Grizzly Softball Complex, starting at 11 a.m.