BRUNSWICK, Ga. - Needing momentum into the weekend, the College of Coastal Georgia softball team got a much needed boost, sweeping their Tuesday non-conference double header with the ABAC Fillies.
GAME ONE: CCGA 3, ABAC 2
Both teams combined for three singles in the first inning, but neither side could get much from those hits, but the Mariners (26-12, 7-8 SUN) kept the pace and made some noise on the scoreboard in the second. After starting pitcher McKenzie Collins stranded another Fillies (9-21, 6-12 SSAC) base runner, the Mariners struck. Brooke Perdue started the inning with a single and moved to second on a sac bunt from Avery Callaway. Two batters later, Maddy Lee stepped up with a single to score Perdue and make the score 1-0 going into the third.
ABAC responded right away with a run of their own in the third, moving a leadoff walk over to second with a sac bunt that came around to score two singles later. After Collins stranded a pair to keep the score tied, CCGA retook the lead in the bottom half. With one out in the inning, Rylie Smith continued her blazing pace of home runs, this time a solo shot for her eighth of the season, giving CCGA a 2-1 lead into the fourth.
After both sides went quiet in the fourth, the Fillies tied the game once again in the fifth. An error and a single put two runners on as both moved to third with a sac bunt. Eidson sent a sac fly into right field to score Metts and tie the game at two a piece. Once again the Mariners wasted no time responding, getting that run right back in the bottom half. Emma Jones singled with one out in the inning to get things started, but after Smith struck out one batter later, CCGA had two out in the inning with just a runner on first. Rylee Mills followed with a double off the right center fence allowing Jones to score from first and give the Mariners a 3-2 lead going into the sixth.
Mills, now pitching in the circle, allowed a leadoff single to her first batter, but retired the next six Fillies in order to secure the game one victory for CCGA by a final of 3-2.
Mills finished 3-3 from the plate driving in a run while Jones went 2-3 and scored the winning run. Collins picked up her eighth win of the season in the circle, going five innings allowing six hits, two runs, one earned, one walk, and no strikeouts. Mills picked up save number three on the season with her two innings of one hit relief.
GAME TWO: CCGA 10, ABAC 0 (5 Inn.)
After grinding out a game one win, the Mariners dominated the second game of the double header, scoring 10 runs in five innings on eight hits to end the game early. CCGA scored one run in the second and nine runs in the third inning to give them win number 26 on the season.
Emilia Clemons made her first start in weeks in the circle in game two, pitching four innings allowing just one hit and no runs with one walk and five strikeouts. Perdue pitched the fifth and final inning, allowing no hits and one walk with a strikeout.
In the second inning, Rily Andrews walked and stole second to start the inning while Callaway singled to move her to third with no outs. Alyssa Haggerty drove in the run on a fielder's choice to give CCGA a 1-0 lead.
The third inning was fruitful for the Mariners as they scored nine runs on six hits and took advantage of one error from the Fillies in the inning. Kaitlyn Carolino, Jones, Andrews, Mackenzie Southerland, and Smith all had hits in the inning, with Smith having the big blow of the inning being a three RBI double to make the score 10-0 after three innings.
After the third inning, just one Fillie reached base in the last two innings, coming on a walk in the fifth, as CCGA dominated the back end of the series winning game two by a final of 10-0 in five innings.
This time it was Jones going 3-3 from the plate and scoring a pair of runs in the process while Smith went 1-3 with three RBI's.
CCGA returns this weekend as they host Warner for another Sun Conference series on Friday and Saturday in Brunswick.
