USC Aiken Knocks Off No. 2 North Georgia
DAHLONEGA, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken softball team smashed the school record for home runs in a season en route to a 5-3 victory over nationally-ranked (No. 2) and second-seeded North Georgia in opening game of the PBC Tournament.
The Pacers are now 19-31 on the season, while the Nighthawks fall to 48-6 on the season.
Head coach Jaclin Poole's team jumped on top with a three-run first inning. With one down, Shi Cain crushed a solo home run. Emily Ayers followed it up with a base hit through the right side. Moments later Mallory Shaver uncorked a long ball for a 3-0 lead.
The score remained the same until the fourth. With one away, Jessica Stanley singled to the shortstop. She was able to take her time around the base paths when Cain was able to launch her second round-tripper of the day. The home run was the team's 42nd on the season; establishing a new school record.
After UNG managed to plate three runs in the fifth, Poole's team shut down the home team the rest of the way.
Lakyn Phillips worked the final 2.2 innings of work without allowing the Nighthawks to get any closer. UNG left two runners on in the sixth and threatened in the seventh. However, Phillips forced a fielder's choice for the first out. The ensuing batter hit into a double play for the final two outs of the game. With Taylor Butts playing second base, UNG hit a blooper that was destined to hit the ground for a base hit. Butts raced into the outfield, snagged the ball and whirled around before firing the ball to first base for the victory.
Cain led the way with two round-trippers and three RBI. Butts registered a pair of hits while Mallory Shaver recorded a two-run shot. Stanley, Ayers and Skylar Morley each tallied base knocks.
Payton Baker tossed 4.1 innings and had four strikeouts to pick up the victory. Lakyn Phillips closed the game with the final 2.2 frames and did not allow a run en route to garnering the save.
CSU Softball Advances in PBC Tournament
COLUMBUS - The No. 21 and first-seeded Columbus State University softball team advances in the 2023 Peach Belt Conference Tournament after defeating eighth-seeded Young Harris College 9-0 in six innings on Friday, April 28 at Cougar Field in Columbus, Ga. The Cougars improve to 42-12 and the Mountain Lions fall into the losers bracket of the tournament.
Columbus State hit five home runs in the victory, with senior Hannah Rose Corbin leading the way with two bombs. She now has 20 homers on the season.
CSU got on board in the bottom of the first inning thanks to an Elyse Ambrose sacrifice fly to right field, plating Caitlyn Canady. In the second and third innings, Brooke Miller and Corbin each hit solo home runs to extend the Cougars' lead to 3-0.
In the fourth, Grace Kiser ripped a ball through the left side to score Laura Harris, making it 4-0. Corbin hit her second bomb of the game in the fifth, this one being a two-run shot, and Ambrose cranked a ball out right after to make it 7-0.
Madeline Parker hit a run-rule, walk-off, two-run homer in the sixth to end the game with a score of 9-0.
Corbin earned her 21st win on the mound after shutting out the Mountain Lions with five strikeouts and allowing two hits and one walk.
Bearcats hold off late rally to take down Saints 3-2
COLUMBUS, Ga. - Fourth-seeded Lander held on to defeat fifth-seeded Flagler 3-2 in the opening round of the Peach Belt Championship. With the win, the Bearcats advance to take on top-seeded Columbus State tomorrow at noon.
After a scoreless first inning, Logan Coward belted a solo home run in the bottom of the second to give Lander a 1-0 lead. With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Saje Jones singled to right field, and Gracie Derrick drew a walk. Abbie Behe followed with a single up the middle to load the bases. Barbara Cook then singled to center field to score Jones and Derrick and make it a three-run game.
The Saints answered with a two-run home run in the sixth to make it a one-run game, but Bailey Pattison came into the circle and shut Flagler down to record the save.
Behe finished the game 3-3, while Cook was 1-3 with two runs driven in, and Coward had the home run to lead Lander at the plate. Kamryn Akins (4-3) got the win allowing two runs on six hits and striking out two in five innings of work.
Georgia Southwestern Wins Slugfest over Georgia College & State University 14-10
DAHLONEGA, GA -- PBC Player of the Year Zoe Willis launched two home runs and drove in five as the third-seeded Georgia Southwestern Hurricanes won a slugfest over #6 Georgia College & State University in the opening round of the PBC Tournament on Friday. With the win, the Hurricanes advance in the winners bracket and will face seventh-seeded USC Aiken on Saturday at noon. The winner of that will advance to the final game of the opening weekend on Sunday with the opportunity to advance to the best-of-three next weekend that will decide the tournament winner.
GSW jumped on the scoreboard early, plating three runs in the bottom of the first. After Kimmy Singer walked to start the game, Willis blasted her first homer of the game for a 2-0 lead. An error later in the inning allowed Katelyn Wood to score for a 3-0 margin.
The Bobcats answered in the top of the second, taking a lead with four runs, helped a great deal by two Hurricane errors. With two out and a runner on second, Ashley Schell singled home MacKenzie Hoffman. Another walk was followed by an error that loaded the bases. Emily Hobbs then squibbed a single in the infield, compounded by another GSW error that allowed three more runs to score.
The Hurricanes answered with eight runs in the bottom of the second. GSW got the first two on a bases-loaded walk followed by a wild pitch. Ansley Duffey, Natalia Herrera and Morgan Mullin then each had RBI singles followed by another bases-loaded walk to Lacey Rutledge. Willis capped the inning with and RBI single and an 11-4 Hurricane lead.
GCSU cut the lead to two with five in the top of the fourth. Emily Hobbs drove in the first with a double followed by a two-run single from Jessica Owens. Katelyn Hobbs then provided the big blow with a two-run home run.
Willis answered in the bottom of the fourth with her second homer of the game; a two-run blast over the left-field fence. The 'Canes added another in the bottom of the fifth on a Mullin RBI bunt single.
Savana Bradford picked up her 18th win for GSW, but got roughed up with seven earned runs on eight hits, two walks and three strikeouts. Hannah Holloway picked up her first save with 3.2 innings of relief, allowing one earned run and striking out two. Jana Shellhorse took the loss for the Bobcats.