Coastal Georgia put together one of its most explosive innings of the season Saturday morning, erupting for nine runs in the bottom of the first to effectively end the game before Ave Maria ever got started. The Mariners cruised from there to an 11-3 victory, completing the series sweep of the Gyrenes and improving to 29-5 on the season.
The first inning was a masterclass in relentless offense. Kaitlyn Carolino drew a leadoff walk and stole second, and after Emma Jones walked, Rylee Mills singled to load the bases. Rily Andrews then delivered a two-run single, and Brooke Perdue followed with a go-ahead three-run triple to make it 3-0. A wild pitch scored Perdue, McKenzie Collins drew a walk, and Julianna Batts delivered a crushing two-run single to push the lead to 6-0. The Mariners kept right on coming — Jones reached on an error to score another run, and Mills capped the inning with a two-run double to put Coastal Georgia ahead 9-0 before Ave Maria recorded an out in the bottom of the first.
The Gyrenes chipped away with single runs in the third and fifth innings and two more in the fifth to make it 9-3, but the outcome was never in serious doubt. Coastal Georgia answered with two more in the sixth to set the final margin at 11-3. Addison Knight delivered an RBI single in the frame, and Emilia Clemons put an exclamation point on the afternoon with a two-run double to close out the scoring.
Rylee Mills started in the circle and was dominant in her one inning of work, retiring all three batters she faced on just 14 pitches to earn the win and improve to 14-1 on the season. Brooke Perdue, McKenzie Collins, Kate Owens, and Clemons each took turns in relief, combining to allow just three runs over the final five innings.
Andrews was one of the offensive stars of the game, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Mills finished 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI, and Batts went 1-for-1 with two RBI in a strong pinch-hitting role. Carolino continued her outstanding weekend at the top of the lineup, reaching base twice and scoring twice. Clemons, Perdue, and Knight each added key hits in a balanced effort that saw eleven different Mariners reach base across the afternoon.
With the sweep complete, Coastal Georgia has now won six straight games and continues to build one of the most impressive records in program history at 29-5. The Mariners will look to keep the momentum going as the schedule rolls on.
