BRUNSWICK, Ga. - For the second season in a row, the College of Coastal Georgia softball team has dropped their season series to the Keiser Seahawks as they were defeated on both sides of their Friday doubleheader on their own field.
The Mariners (22-10, 5-6 SUN) played a pair of close games with the Seahawks (27-11, 10-4 SUN), but could not come up with a timely hit or stop on defense as they ultimately dropped their third and fourth straight game to Keiser.
GAME ONE: CCGA 3, Keiser 5
Keiser wasted no time introducing themselves to the Mariner fans as they struck for two runs in the very first inning off of veteran starter Rylee Mills. A leadoff error allowed the first base runner of the day, and Iglesias followed two batters later to score the game's first run. Two more batters later, DiPietra followed with a double of her own to score the second run of the inning and give the Seahawks a 2-0 lead before the Mariners even had a chance to swing the bats.
After going down in order in the bottom of the first, Rylie Smith gave CCGA their first hit and baserunner of the afternoon with a one out single, but even though she made it to third on an error later in the inning, a pair of strikeouts by the bottom of the order ended the threat and kept Keiser's 2-0 lead in tact.
In the bottom of the third, Coastal finally found their offense and found a way to tie the game back up. Back-to-back singles from Alyssa Haggerty and Kaitlyn Carolino started the inning off while Emma Jones followed with a sac bunt to put two runners in scoring position with just one out. Rily Andrews singled home the game's first run, and Rylee Mills followed with an RBI groundout to score another run as CCGA tied the game at two a piece going into the fourth.
The fourth and fifth went without a peep for both sides, but in the sixth inning, Keiser retook the lead. Campos started the inning with a single and immediately stole second and third to set up the Seahawks offense with no outs. Iglesias made herself known once again with another RBI, this time a double, to push Keiser out in front. KU wasn't done as back to back fly balls into the outfield scored Iglesias to give the Seahawks a two run lead into the bottom of the sixth. In the seventh, two singles and back-to-back ground balls scored another run for Keiser as they took a 5-2 lead into the final half of the seventh.
In the seventh, the Mariners did not go quietly and made the game interesting late. A fielder's choice by Haggerty made the second out but left a runner on first. Carolino walked to move her over 60 feet, and Jones followed right behind with a single to score Haggerty and make the score 5-3. With the tying run on first and the winning run at the plate, Andrews grounded out to short to end the game and give Keiser the game one victory.
Smith finished 2-3 from the plate while Jones, Andrews, and Mills all finished with an RBI. The Mariners offense was stifled by the Keiser starter Miller who pitched all seven innings allowing just seven hits and 11 strikeouts. Mills, on the other hand, also threw a complete game allowing eight hits, five runs, four earned, no walks, and one strikeout.
GAME TWO: CCGA 7, Keiser 8
Keiser once again came out of the gates swinging in game two, this time off of starter McKenzie Collins. The Seahawks struck for a combined five runs over the first three innings compared to just two for CCGA which came via a two run home run for Smith.
With the Mariners trailing 5-2 once again in the bottom of the fourth, CCGA found a way to tie the game once again with a three run inning. Jones started the inning reaching on an error while Avery Callaway followed with a single. Mackenzie Southerland sac bunted both runners over 60 feet, and Carolino came through with a two RBI double to score Jones and Callaway making the score 5-4. Two batters later, Mills doubled home Carolino to tie the game at five a piece going into the fifth.
Keiser responded with a three spot of their own in the top of the fifth using four hits and a walk to put an eight spot on the scoreboard with just three innings to play and the Mariners once again trailing by three.
Once again it was a quick answer for CCGA as Carolino once again came through with a two RBI double in the bottom half of the inning to put the Mariners right back in the game as the score read 8-7 going into the sixth.
Whatever magic the Mariners had found in the batters box over the past two innings had been used up as CCGA went six up and six down over the last two innings to drop the second game of the doubleheader and the series to the Seahawks by a final of 8-7.
Carolino, Mills, and Jones all finished with two hits on the game while Carolino drove in four of the seven runs for CCGA. Collins picked up the loss in the circle, throwing 4.2 innings allowing 10 hits, eight runs, two walks, and one strikeout.
The Mariners return to try and salvage game three of the series tomorrow at noon.
