TIFTON, Ga. — Facing a tied game heading into the eighth inning, the College of Coastal Georgia softball team erupted for four runs in the final frame to defeat Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College 8-4 on Friday afternoon, completing the doubleheader sweep in Tifton.
The Mariners jumped on the board early when Rily Andrews singled home Emma Jones in the first inning, but the lead was short-lived as the Stallions answered with a run in the third on an Adison Eidson RBI single. CCGA responded emphatically in the fourth, with the big blow coming from Brooke Perdue, whose two-run double scored Rylee Mills and Andrews — the latter's run coming on an Abraham Baldwin error — to push the lead to 4-1. Julianna Batts added an insurance run with a groundout RBI later in the frame to make it 4-1 heading into the middle innings.
Abraham Baldwin refused to go quietly, however, clawing back with a run in the fifth on a C. Gore double and then stunning the Mariners in the seventh, when K. Snider delivered a two-run double to tie the game at four and send it to an extra inning under international tiebreaker rules.
That's when CCGA showed its resolve. With Mackenzie Southerland placed on second to start the eighth, she immediately came through with an RBI double to give the Mariners the lead back. Freshman Emerson Askew, who entered as a pinch hitter, then delivered the biggest hit of the inning — a two-run double that put CCGA firmly in control. Kaitlyn Carolino capped the rally by reaching on an error that allowed two more runs to score, pushing the final margin to 8-4.
Andrews was the offensive engine throughout the contest, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI while scoring twice. Southerland finished with a hit, an RBI, and the go-ahead double in the eighth, while Perdue's two-run double in the fourth proved to be a critical swing of momentum. Askew made a lasting impression in limited at-bats, going 1-for-1 with a double and two RBI off the bench.
In the circle, McKenzie Collins grinded through 6.2 innings, allowing four runs on 11 hits but continuing to battle and keep the Mariners in the game. Emilia Clemons came on in relief with two outs in the seventh and slammed the door, retiring all five batters she faced — including two strikeouts — to earn the win and improve to 3-0 on the season. Clemons has now been nearly unhittable in her brief outings, cementing herself as a reliable weapon out of the bullpen.
With the doubleheader sweep, Coastal Georgia continued to demonstrate both offensive depth and a resilient team identity, rallying from a late tie to take both games on the road.
