Coastal Georgia wasted no time making a statement Friday afternoon, mercy-ruling Ave Maria 9-0 in the opening game of their series to improve to 27-5 on the season. The Mariners were explosive from the jump, getting home run contributions from Kaitlyn Carolino and Maddy Lee while Rylee Mills was efficient and dominant in the circle.
Carolino set the tone immediately, leading off the bottom of the first with a solo home run to put Coastal Georgia on the board before Ave Maria even had a chance to settle in. That early punch proved to be a sign of things to come.
The Mariners put the game away in the second inning with a six-run explosion that sent nine batters to the plate and chased Ave Maria starter Kaedyn Sutton after just 1.2 innings of work. Lee delivered the big blow of the frame, launching a three-run home run to make it 4-0 after Mackenzie Southerland and Brooke Perdue had reached base. Carolino added a double and scored on an RBI single by Emma Jones, and Rily Andrews followed with a two-run single to cap the inning and push the lead to 7-0.
Coastal Georgia tacked on two more in the third to make the final margin emphatic. Lee drew a walk and Julianna Batts singled before Carolino drove in a run on a groundout. Jones then delivered a sacrifice fly to bring home Batts and set the final score at 9-0.
Mills was sharp in the circle, tossing 3.2 hitless innings while allowing no runs and striking out one on just 44 pitches before giving way to Brooke Perdue and Kate Owens, who each finished out the game without allowing a run.
Carolino led the offensive effort, going 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, two RBI, and two runs scored. Lee was equally impactful despite limited at-bats, finishing 1-for-1 with a home run, three RBI, a walk, and two runs scored. Andrews added a 1-for-3 day with two RBI, Jones went 1-for-2 with two RBI, and Batts and Askew each contributed hits to keep the lineup churning throughout the afternoon.
The Mariners will look to keep the momentum going as the series with Ave Maria continues.
