McKenzie Collins delivered the decisive blow Friday afternoon, launching a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to lift Coastal Georgia to a 3-2 victory over Georgia Gwinnett and improve to 33-8 on the season. It was a grind-it-out win that required the Mariners to overcome a two-run deficit, and Collins provided the heroics when the team needed them most.

Georgia Gwinnett struck first in the third inning, taking advantage of a pair of opportunities to plate two runs. Sophie Sisk singled and stole second before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Savannah Jenkins, and Kaitlyn Crumley followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0. Coastal Georgia answered in the bottom half when Rily Andrews singled home Kaitlyn Carolino to cut the deficit to 2-1, but the Mariners could not fully break through against Grizzly pitcher Tatum Helsom, who was sharp throughout and kept Coastal Georgia off balance for much of the afternoon.

The Mariners finally cracked the code in the sixth. Emerson Askew reached on an error and Avery Callaway followed with a single to set the table. After Maddy Lee moved Callaway to second, Collins stepped up and launched a two-run home run to give Coastal Georgia a 3-2 lead it would not relinquish.

Rylee Mills was solid in the circle all afternoon, going all seven innings and allowing just two earned runs on seven hits while striking out three on an even 100 pitches. She worked through several jams and kept the Grizzlies from adding to their lead when it mattered most, giving the offense time to come through.

Collins was the clear offensive standout, finishing a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, a home run, and two RBI. Carolino was equally impressive at the top of the lineup, going 3-for-3 with a stolen base and a run scored. Andrews chipped in an RBI single, and Callaway came off the bench to deliver a key hit that helped set up the go-ahead blast.