BRUNSWICK, Ga. - The Coastal Georgia softball team kicked off conference play in grand fashion, winning both sides of a Saturday double header with the Ave Maria Gyrenes, winning game one 12-1 in five innings before grinding out a 3-1 victory in game two.
Game One: CCGA 12, Ave Maria 1
Game one of the double header started out as well as the Mariners (17-3, 2-0 TSC) could have asked for. After shutting down the Gyrenes (21-10, 0-2 TSC) in the top of the first inning, the Mariners offense went to work, scoring 10 runs on five hits while taking advantage of three Ave Maria errors to make a statement in the conference opener.
The inning began with the first four hitters of the game reaching, with
Sarah Thinger and
Bryce Peacock adding singles, loading the bases for
Rylee Mills who cleared the bases with a two RBI double, giving the Mariners an early 2-0 lead. After a pop out,
Alyssa Haggerty and Mackenzie Kagee both reached on errors, followed by a fielders choice from
Julianna Batts. With the bases loaded, Thinger walked,
Rori Rhodes was hit by pitch, and Peacock and Mills both doubled, ending the scoring and sending us to the second with a 10-0 lead for the Mariners.
With Peacock dominating on the mound, the Mariners added another run in the third inning. Rhodes started the inning with a single and promptly stole second before moving to third on a wild pitch. She would later come in to score on an RBI groundout from Mills to make the score 11-0 going into the fourth.
In the fourth,
Elizabeth McGovern took over for Peacock in the circle and worked a flawless inning, turning it over to her offense to add on once again.
In the bottom half, the Mariners did get another run in the inning. Haggerty drew a leadoff walk, advancing to second on a wild pitch.
Mackenzie Southerland later drive her in with a double off the wall to extend the lead to 12-0.
In the top of the fifth,
Jordyn Krieg came in to close the game out, but could not keep teh shutout in tact as Ave Maria scored their one and only run of the game on a groundout to the pitcher. Two more groundouts by Krieg and the Mariners took game one by a 12-1 final.
Mills and Peacock led the way in the box, both tacking on two hits a piece with Peacock adding three RBI's. Southerland and Mills added two RBI's of their own.
In the circle, Peacock went three innings allowing just two hits while striking out three.
Game Two: CCGA 3, Ave Maria 1
Mills started game two in the circle for the Mariners, and after retiring the side in order to begin the game, the Mariners wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in game two. In the bottom of the first, Peacock drew a two out walk, and Mills followed right behind with an RBI double, her third extra base hit of the afternoon, giving the Mariners a 1-0 lead going to the second inning.
Ave Maria finally got their bats going in the third inning, using three singles, the latter being an RBI single from Saulter, to score their first run of the game and tie the game at one a piece. The Mariners threatened in the bottom half, getting Rhodes to third, but could not push a run across as the game was tied going into the fourth.
In the fourth, the Mariners took the lead back in the bottom half, as Haggerty reached to lead off the inning via the hit by pitch, stole second, advanced to third on a
Rily Andrews groundout, and scored on a
Julianna Batts groundout to the pitcher. Thinger grounded out to end the inning, and CCGA took a 2-1 lead into the fifth.
Neither side could get any momentum in the sixth, and in the seventh, Mills did allow two hits, but kept the Gyrenes off the scoreboard and secured the double header sweep for the Mariners.
Mills finished the second game 2-2 at the plate with an RBI and a walk, with Rhodes adding a pair of hits as well. On the mound, Mills went the full seven innings, allowing just six hits and one earned run, securing win number seven on the season.
The Mariners and Gyrenes will finish the three game series on Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m.
