BRUNSWICK, Ga. – The Coastal Georgia softball team will officially begin their Sun Conference title defense this weekend when they welcome in the Ave Maria Gyrenes for their first conference series of the 2024 season.
SERIES OVERVIEW
Saturday, March 16 – DH beginning at 11 a.m.
Sunday, March 17 – single game beginning at 11 a.m.
The Mariners (15-3) come in winners of their last eight games, most recently sweeping a double header against Wesleyan on Tuesday. CCGA allowed just four hits in the two games while scoring 18 runs and mashing 23 hits in the winning effort. The double edged sword of
Rylee Mills and
Bryce Peacock continue to lead the Mariners, both in the box and the circle. Mills currently sits in second in the conference in batting average at .471, with Peacock not far behind at .451, which is seventh in the conference. Four more Mariners join the pair over .300 on the season, giving CCGA one of the most potent lineups in the conference.
In the circle, Mills has been a stud all season long, posting a team low ERA of 1.39 with opponents hitting just .222 against the freshman. In her last start against Wesleyan, Mills threw four innings allowing just two hits and no runs while striking out four. Peacock, the reigning Conference Player of the Year, has been just as outstanding pitching to the tune of a 3.13 ERA, leading the team in innings pitched with 44.2, and her 40 strikeouts are good for sixth in the conference.
The Gyrenes (21-8) have played more than any team in the conference, as they come in following a 4-3 showing at the USSSA Space Coast Games in Melbourne, Fla. Earlier in the season, the Gyrenes rattled off a nine-game winning streak, which spanned just over two weeks. Leading the charge offensively is senior infielder Ryanne Saulter. The Hughesville, MD native is coming off a 2023 season where she was named First Team All-Conference, and she has picked up right where she left off a season ago, currently hitting .410 with six doubles and 10 RBI's. The Gyrenes have five players with an average over .300, including Annabella Phillips who is hitting .352 with a team leading 10 doubles and 17 RBI's. In the circle, the Gyrenes have their own 1-2 punch consisting of Kaedyn Sutton and Gina Gallegos. Both come into the weekend with similar ERA's, with Sutton holding the slight edge sitting at 2.12 for the season. Sutton has pitched more innings at 59.1, but Gallegos leads in strikeouts with 32. Both pitchers do allow their fair share of hits, but can find outs when they need them and know how to keep opponents off the scoreboard.
First pitch is set for 11 a.m. from Brunswick High School.
