GC&SU softball streak ends at 26

Two of the most dominant pitchers in the Peach Belt Conference matched up head-to-head Wednesday afternoon, as Armstrong Atlantic State University’s Katya Eronina survived Georgia College & State University’s Jennifer Joiner.

Unfortunately, for GC&SU, the Lady Pirates got two identical 1-0 victories in the PBC doubleheader at Pirate Field.

GC&SU’s first two losses of the season broke a record 26-game winning streak, the No. 2 ranked Lady Bobcats slip to 26-2 overall and 6-2 in the Peach Belt, while the No. 13 ranked Lady Pirates improve to 28-6 on the season and 5-3 in the PBC.

In game one, Joiner and Eronina battled on the mound matching each other strikeout for strikeout after five scoreless innings, until AASU’s Stacey Richardson, the NCAA Division II leader in home runs last year, hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth to score the eventual game winning run.

Eronina (16-2) earned the win after pitching a complete game in the three-hit shutout while striking out 14 batters for AASU.

With the shutout, Eronina adds to her recent NCAA Division II record breaking performance, after hurling her ninth consecutive shutout on March 22. Joiner (15-1) took her first loss of the season for GC&SU after allowing one run on two hits with 12 strikeouts. The Lady Bobcats had three hits in the game.

In the second game, the Lady Pirates struck early, scoring a run in the bottom of the first off an infield hit deflected by the pitcher’s glove, to plate Abby Hodge on second base.

The Lady Bobcats threatened to score in the sixth with the bases loaded and one out, until AASU’s Eronina struck out the next two batters in relief to end the inning.

Going into the top of the seventh, GC&SU again managed to put a runner on base with one out, yet failed to score the potential tying run.

Delaney Warrian (12-4) picked up the win after 5.1 innings of work, giving up only one hit in the game.

Eronina also earned her second save of the season after shutting down the GC&SU hitters in the final 1.2 innings. Senior Cathy Chandler (6-1) took the loss after allowing a run on two hits and walking three.

GC&SU hits the road again Saturday for a Peach Belt Conference
doubleheader at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 4 2003. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry