LAKE WALES, Fla. — Emilia Clemons delivered another complete-game performance and the College of Coastal Georgia offense came alive in the middle innings to defeat Warner University 6-2 on Thursday afternoon, improving to 19-4 on the season. Played in hot and sunny Florida conditions, the Mariners used a three-run fourth and a two-run fifth to pull away from a Warner squad that kept things competitive into the late innings.
Clemons was steady throughout all seven innings, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out two and walking three. The sophomore right-hander improved to 6-1 on the season and now has multiple complete-game victories to her credit, cementing herself as a reliable option at the top of the rotation alongside Rylee Mills. Warner threatened in several innings but Clemons consistently made the pitches needed to strand runners, and her 86-pitch effort was a model of efficiency for a seven-inning complete game.
CCGA struck first in the opening inning when Mills doubled home Emma Jones, who had reached on a Warner error, to put the Mariners on the board. The score remained 1-0 until the fourth, when the Mariners broke the game open. Maddy Lee walked and Julianna Batts singled to set the table, and Kaitlyn Carolino delivered the key blow with a two-run double to left field. Jones followed immediately with an RBI double of her own to push the lead to 4-0 and chase Warner starter Elle Hernandez.
The fifth inning provided additional cushion when the Mariner offense took advantage of a shaky Warner bullpen. Southerland, Avery Callaway, and Emerson Askew drew three consecutive walks to load the bases, and Lee followed with a bases-loaded walk that forced in another run. Raeghan Harvey then delivered a sacrifice fly to right field to push the lead to 6-0 before Warner reliever Jaylin Pinedo settled in and ended the threat.
Warner got on the board in the fifth on a two-run single from Autumn Calcagno, but the Mariners' six-run advantage was never seriously in jeopardy. Clemons responded by retiring the next ten batters in order to close out the victory.
Carolino finished with a double and two RBI as the offensive catalyst, while Jones added a double and an RBI and Mills contributed a double and an RBI of his own. Lee had a productive afternoon with a double, two walks, an RBI, and a stolen base, and Andrews went 2-for-4 to provide consistent contact throughout the lineup. With the win, Coastal Georgia heads into the second game of the day's doubleheader with momentum and the confidence of yet another quality pitching performance from their bullpen.