The Coastal Georgia softball team turned a tightly contested game into a dominant statement on Tuesday afternoon, erupting for ten runs over the final two innings to defeat New College of Florida 11-3 at home. The win moves the Mariners to an impressive 23-5 on the season.
Coastal Georgia found itself trailing 2-0 after New College of Florida's Tori Goodell cracked a two-run double in the second inning. But the Mariners answered immediately, getting a run back in the bottom half on an RBI single by Emma Jones to cut the deficit to 2-1.
The Navigators extended their lead to 3-1 on an error in the fourth inning, but Coastal Georgia responded in a big way. Jones reached on an error to score two runs, Rylee Mills added a sacrifice fly, and Rily Andrews drove in another to give the Mariners a 5-3 advantage they would never relinquish.
The floodgates opened in the fifth. Coastal Georgia sent ten batters to the plate and scored six runs on four hits to put the game away. Brooke Perdue sparked the frame with a triple, Mills delivered a clutch two-run double, and Emerson Askew capped the rally with a two-run double of her own as the Mariners rolled to an 11-3 final.
Pitcher Rylee Mills was outstanding in the circle, going all five innings to earn her first win of the season (1-0). The right-hander surrendered just four hits and three earned runs while striking out three batters on 77 pitches. Mills did not issue a single walk, relying on efficient, contact-inducing pitching to work through New College of Florida's lineup throughout the afternoon. She was equally valuable at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a double, a sacrifice fly, three RBI, and a walk — a true two-way performance.
Julianna Batts led the Mariner offense with a 3-for-3 effort and two runs scored. Emma Jones went 1-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored, and three RBI. Kaitlyn Carolino added a 2-for-4 day at the top of the lineup, and Brooke Perdue went 2-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored. Emerson Askew chipped in 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI, while Andrews contributed a double, an RBI, and a walk.
