Lady Bobcats face off with PBC rivals

The Lady Bobcat softball team, currently ranked 13th in the nation, faced tough competition over the last week, playing six games- all of which were against Peach Belt Conference (PBC) teams.

Before the beginning of the week the team was 4-2 in PBC play and had been on the road for 23 games straight. Head Coach Ginger Miller said that all of their wins so far have truly been team efforts and that the team was really excited to get back to their home field and play these critical PBC games.

“We’ve been playing really good ball lately,” Miller said. “Obviously we want to be 6-0 after the next six games and if we play well we’ll do that.”

Miller said that in preparation for the games, the team did not make any drastic changes. Each pitcher was different so it was crucial to adjust at the plate, but other than that the team was just hoping to have outstanding pitching and come up with big hits in scoring situations.

On Tuesday, March 23 the Lady Bobcats played the University of North Carolina (UNC) Pembroke at home and were able to give Miller her 50th career win.

Libby Kidd pitched the first game, which the Bobcats won as pinch runner Ashley Payne beat the throw at home to come up with a 3-2 victory in the bottom of the 7th inning. Deidra Baitey and Diana Baruffa were key offensive players in the first game, leading GCSU at the plate.

Mandy Chandler got the win for GCSU after the second game, which only went six innings with a final score of 8-0.

UNC Pembroke is currently 2-10 in PBC play.

The double header against Francis Marion on Saturday, March 25 provided better competition, as GCSU dominated the first game 9-3 but had to rally back in the second game to come up with the win.

Nikki Smith unleashed a two-run homerun over the left-field wall in the first game, stretching the Bobcat’s lead. Kidd got the win for the Bobcats on the mound and Heather Jones and Brianna Hope lead the team offensively at the plate.

The second game displayed a tougher challenge, as Francis Marion jumped on the score board early on with a 4-0 lead.

Soon after, GCSU’s Deidra Baitey belted a three-run homerun over the right field fence to get the Bobcats going in the 4th inning. Then, Chelsea Wilson had a solo homerun in the 5th inning that followed to tie up the game 4-4.

By the 7th inning the score was still even and Baruffa was ready to settle the game. With a runner on second, Baruffa shot a line drive past the opposing first baseman to drive in the winning run. Kidd picked up the win, as she came in as relief in the 4th inning.

Sophomore catcher Shelbie Lindsey commented on the team’s play after the game.

“Our second game against Francis Marion was really close,” said Lindsey. “They scored four runs on us but luckily the homeruns got us back in the game.”

The Bobcats swept Francis Marion with a score of 9-3 after the first game and a score of 5-4 after the second. Francis Marion is currently 4-6 in PBC play.

The Lady Bobcats split a PBC doubleheader with first place Columbus State on Wednesday, losing the first game 2-1 in eight innings, and winning the second game 5-4. The team is scheduled to face Albany State at home on Saturday, April 1 at 2 p.m.

Senior left fielder Aundrea Baker said she is proud to be a part of the team and that the team’s chemistry helps the Lady Bobcats continue to rack up the wins.

“I love playing with this team,” Baker said. “We never give up, we always fight, and we’re scrappy. Everybody plays full heart, every second of every game.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Mar 31 2006. 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