Georgia Gwinnett College Athletics

Timely hitting, effective pitching and stingy defense paved the way as Georgia Gwinnett College captured the 2026 Continental Athletic Conference Softball Championship with a hard-fought 4-3 victory Friday afternoon against Florida National University at the Grizzly Softball Complex.

The top-seeded Grizzlies (29-22), which are receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25 poll, will now represent the conference in the Opening Round of the NAIA national tournament, starting May 11. They will be assigned to play in one of the 10 Opening Round sites. That postseason assignment along with the entire 48-team national championship field will be announced Wednesday, May 6 at 6 p.m.

GGC won its fifth consecutive CAC championship and ninth straight conference title (CAC and Association of Independent Institutions).

"This championship has been one of our team goals throughout the season. It hasn't been easy. That's what makes this title so satisfying for this team and our players. They worked hard and came together to earn this championship, and they really earned it on the field for three straight games," said Head Coach Kat Ihlenburg,   

A key double by senior second baseman Sara Roussel in the bottom of the fifth inning set the pace for the team third straight conference tournament triumph. It brought home junior right fielder Sophie Sisk to break a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the fifth inning. Sisk had put herself in scoring position with a triple to right-center field.

That's when Georgia Gwinnett turned to senior right-handed pitcher Kailyn Berry to hold the Conquistadors (26-17) at bay for the rest of the game. But it wasn't an easy task as Isabella Silva opened the top of the sixth inning with a double to left field. However, the tournament host's defense came to the rescue, getting three straight ground outs. With Silva perched at third base anxious to score the tying run, a line drive to third base glanced off junior Morgan McQuagge's glove to freshman shortstop Reesie Burch, who proceeded to throw onto senior first baseman Savannah Jenkins for the second out of the inning. Then senior second baseman Sara Roussel scooped up a grounder by the next batter and threw to first base to get out of the frame.

Berry proceeded to get out three straight FNU hitters in the top of the seventh inning to seal the victory. She was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after tossing two complete games in the tournament.

"Believing in ourselves gives us the confidence to go out and meet any challenge that's put in front of us. It feels so good to do something like this together as a team," said Berry. "I wanted to give it everything that I could do to help my teammates win."

Ihlenburg added, "Kailyn has earned everything that she achieved. She pitched so well throughout this tournament. That's what we expect from her. More importantly, that's what Kailyn expects from herself."

GGC enjoyed a 3-0 lead through the first three innings on a sacrifice fly by freshman designated player Molly Kemp and singles by Burch and Jenkins.

However, FNU battled back by scoring three runs in the top of the fifth inning. Alissia Vega had the big hit with a two-run single down the left field line.

Jenkins and Burch each had two hits to lead the Grizzlies' nine-hit offensive attack. Sisk had the key winning run-producing triple and Roussel had a double.

"This team had so much to prove. I'm so proud of everyone and what it took for us to win this championship," said Roussel.


 
Coach's Corner
"Our program has high standards, and this team rose to those high standards throughout the tournament. We had strong complete-game pitching performances from Kailyn (Berry) and Tatum (Helsom), clutch hitting throughout the lineup, and key defensive plays. All the hard work in practice was applied on the field during this tournament. Now, we have to get ready for more challenges (in the NAIA Opening Round)," said Head Coach Kat Ihlenburg.
 
Turning Point
With the Grizzlies clinging to a 4-3 lead in the top of the sixth inning, Florida National had the game-tying run at third base with one out. The next hitter smashed a line drive to the left of third baseman Morgan McQuagge. She managed to get a glove on the ball, deflecting it to freshman shortstop Reesie Burch, who proceeded to throw onto senior first baseman Savannah Jenkins for the second out of the inning. The team got out of the challenging situation as senior second baseman Sara Roussel scooped up the next batter's grounder and threw to first base for the third out of the frame.
 
Key Plays
Bottom of Second
A sacrifice fly by Molly Kemp brought home Savannah Jenkins with the team's first run of the game
Reesie Burch followed with a single to center field that scored Enna Lackey for a 2-0 lead
 
Bottom of Third
Savannah Jenkins singled to third base, scoring Kaitlyn Crumley for a 3-0 advantage
 
Top of Fifth
Elizabeth Owen singled up the middle and Ciara Santiago scored the team's first run of the game
Alissia Vega singled down the left field line, scoring Annissa Quinonez and Lainie Schroeder to tie the game at 3-3
 
Bottom of Fifth
A double by Sara Roussel through the right side of the infield scored Sophie Sisk for a 4-3 GGC lead
 
Inside The Numbers

• GGC's nine hits were spread across seven of the nine players in the batting order; senior first baseman Savannah Jenkins and freshman shortstop Reesie Burch had two hits apiece
• Most Outstanding Player Kailyn Berry allowed only four hits and no earned run in seven strong innings inside the pitching circle for the Grizzlies; She won her 15th game of the season
• GGC won two one-run games, both by 4-3 scores, among its three CAC tournament victories; the team outscored its three opponents by a combined 12-6 margin
• The Grizzlies left seven baserunners on the basepaths in the game; FNU left one, but it was a potential game-tying run in the sixth inning

News & Notes

• GGC improves to 29-22 on the season; Florida National ended the season with a 26-17 record
• The Grizzlies continue to receive votes in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll, released April 29 by the NAIA national office
• Besides senior Kailyn Berry earning CAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors, senior Sara Roussel and junior Sophie Sisk were named to the All-Tournament Team
• Georgia Gwinnett College has now won its last 10 CAC tournament games

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College will now represent the CAC in the Opening Round of this year's NAIA national tournament, beginning May 11. They will be assigned to play in one of the 10 Opening Round sites. That postseason assignment along with the entire 48-team national championship field will be announced May 6 at 6 p.m.