WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. - The Coastal Georgia softball team staved off elimination one more game as they used a seven run second inning to propel them to their 37th win of the season and first of the 2024 NAIA National Tournament with a 7-1 victory over the Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs on Tuesday morning. 

The Bulldogs (27-15) went right to work and looked to end the Mariners (37-13) 2024 NAIA National Tournament run early as they jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. A leadoff walk to Chastain worked its way around to third on a sac bunt and a groundout, and eventually came around to score on a single from Sneed.

The Mariners wasted no time putting the pressure right back on the Bulldogs as Sarah Thinger led the bottom half off with a walk, Bryce Peacock walked, and Rily Andrews walked to load the bases with just one out. Just as things were looking promising, a 6-4-3 double play ended the inning and the Bulldogs led 1-0 into the second inning. 

The Bulldogs did get one on in the top of the second on an error, but it did not hurt the Mariners as they came to bat in the second still trailing 1-0. 

In the bottom of the second, the Mariners exploded for seven runs on six hits in the inning. Rylee Mills started the inning with a leadoff single and advanced to second on an error, and moved to third on a single from Alyssa Haggerty. Haggerty stole second to put a pair of runners in scoring position for Julianna Batts who singled through the left side to tie the game. One batter later, Emma Jones singled to left to score Haggerty and gave the Mariners a 2-1 lead. With Batts at third and Jones at second thanks to a stolen base, Thinger walked to load the bases. A fielder's choice from Rori Rhodes shuffled the runners on the bases, and Peacock followed with a three RBI triple into right center to break the game wide open and give the Mariners a 5-1 lead. Andrews then walked, and while stealing second, the throw from the Bulldogs catcher went into center field allowing Peacock to score and Andrews to advance to third. Mackenzie Southerland wasn't done adding runs for the Mariners as she sent a deep fly ball into right for a sac fly to score Andrews and complete the seven run inning. 

In the top of the third, Mills allowed a leadoff single but got the next three batters in order to send her red hot offense right back to the plate to add more runs. 

Back-to-back singles from Jones and Thinger had the Mariners in business once again with just one out, but a lineout from Rhodes which turned into a double play ended the inning just as quickly as it began, as the Mariners took their 7-1 lead into the fourth. 

The Bulldogs got a pair on in the fourth thanks to a walk to Massengal and a single from Bradley, but could not cut into the CCGA lead.  In the bottom half, Peacock led the inning off with a bunt single and made it all the way to third but could not find her way in to score as CCGA led 7-1 into the fifth. 

Both sides went down in order in the fifth and traded singles in the sixth, sending the game to the seventh with the Mariners needing just three outs to keep their season alive. 

In the top of the seventh, Mills completed another 1-2-3 inning to shut down the Bulldogs and secure the 7-1 victory for the Mariners. 

Mills, Peacock, and Jones all finished with two hits a piece, with Peacock leading the way with her three RBI's. In the circle, Mills pitched a complete game allowing just four hits and one run with two walks and three strikeouts. 

The Mariners will now face the number five seeded St. Francis in their second elimination game of the day. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.