MACON, Ga. – Lights out pitching and timely offense propelled the Coastal Georgia softball team to their eighth straight win as they swept both sides of a double header with Wesleyan on Tuesday, winning game one by a final of 8-0 before winning game two even more convincingly by a 10-0 final.
 
The Mariners (15-3) held the Wolves (3-6) to just four hits across both games and did not allow a single run all day to propel them to the double header sweep.
 
Game One: CCGA 8, Wesleyan 0
 
The Mariners put pressure on right away in the very first inning getting Rori Rhodes over to third via a hit by pitch, stolen base, and a wild pitch, but a popout ended the threat in the first, sending Bryce Peacock out to work her first inning. The senior from Baxley struck out the first two batters she faced before walking the third hole hitter, but a lineout promply ended the inning.
 
CCGA struck for a pair in the second inning using a leadoff walk from Zoe Johnston-Hadaway and a single from Emma Jones to get the first two batters of the inning on base. A wild pitch moved both runners up 90 feet, and Mackenzie Southerland answered the call with a two RBI single into center scoring both runners and putting the Mariners on the board. Later in the inning with Southerland on third, Sarah Thinger added another run with an RBI groundout as the Mariners led 3-0 going into the bottom of the second.
 
Peacock got the next six batters out in order, and the Mariners struck once again, this time in the top of the fourth inning, scoring four runs. A leadoff walk followed by two singles had the bases loaded with nobody out. CCGA got their first run of the inning thanks to a Wolves error, and Thinger got her second RBI of the game later in the inning on another groundout. Rhodes singled in Julianna Batts and Rylee Mills got an RBI groundout as well, giving the Mariners a 7-0 lead into the bottom half.
 
Peacock did surrender one hit in the inning, but that was all the damage done as we went to the fifth needing just one run to end the game early.
 
Two walks and a single later and the Mariners were set up to add on when Thinger reached on a fielder's choice bringing home a run, giving her her third RBI of the game.
 
Jordyn Krieg came on to finish the game and despite giving up one hit in the inning got the third out, preserving the shutout and the game one victory for CCGA.
 
Southerland finished 2-2 from the plate in game one with two RBI's while Batts went 2-3 herself and scored a run. Thinger led the way with three of the seven RBI's for the Mariners.
 
Peacock threw four innings allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out five, picking up her sixth win of the season.
 
Game Two: CCGA 10, Wesleyan 0
 
The second game was almost a mirror image of game one, as the Mariners scored in every other inning until the fifth, ending the game early.
 
The first score of the game came in the second inning when Alyssa Haggerty lead off the inning with a single and promptly stole second and third. Thinger drove in another run on the day, this time with a single to give the Mariners the lead. Peacock walked, Mills singled, and Rily Andrews flew out, all driving in runs in the process, sending us to the bottom of the second with a 4-0 lead for the Mariners.
 
Rylee Mills dominated on the mound through four innings, setting the table for the Mariners offense once again. In the fourth, back-to-back doubles from Peacock and Mills scored a run, an error by the Wolves brought home another, Southerland sent a sac fly into center, and Thinger singled home her second run of the game, giving the Mariners an 8-0 lead.
 
In the fifth, the Mariners got a pair of insurance runs from Elizabeth McGovern who singled home a pair in a pinch hit opportunity, and we went to the bottom of the fifth with the Mariners needing just three outs for a sweep.
 
McGovern came on to pitch the bottom half, retiring the side in order, sending the Mariners home winners of two straight by a 10-0 final.
 
Five Mariners finished with multi hit games, including Thinger who went 3-4 and Mills who went 3-3. The pair also drove in two runs a piece, with McGovern adding a pair of RBI's as well.
 
Mills went four innings allowing just two hits while striking out four, picking up win number seven on the season.
 
The Mariners are back in action this weekend when they welcome in the Ave Maria Gyrenes for their first Sun Conference series of the 2024 season. First pitch is slated for 11 a.m. on Saturday morning.