Softball picks up victory, several games postponed

Georgia College softball endured another test of strength after opening their planned weekend of games with two one run loses in Affney, SC at Limestone College on March 4. The Bobcats, 7-20 overall, fell to the Saints in eight innings in game one, 13-12. The biggest blow of the series was scoring a season-high 12 runs but on the defensive end, walking in the winning run in the eighth.

“We hit very well and hit to the opposite field,” Head Coach Jamie Grodecki said. “I’ve said it a million times. We just can’t get all three parts of the game going at once.”

The Saints jumped on the Bobcats bullpen and put up three quick runs. Trailing 3-1 entering the top of the third, junior utility infielder Corby Holmes earned a walk followed by back-to back Georgia College outs. Batting .400 thus far in the season, junior catcher Anna Parker dug into the batter’s box.

Two outs and down by a pair of runs, Parker saw her pitch and blasted a two-run, game-tying homer to right center. The Bobcats heart of the lineup continued to impress when PBC Player of the Week, junior Haley Burnett followed Parker’s blast with a shot of her own, sailing one over right field to put the ladies up by one.

“Anna and I are a really good duo,” Burnett said. “We do our own thing. Even if we’re down we try and keep everyone up.”

The score tied at four, freshman centerfielder Whitney Okvist roped a double down the left field line, earning two of her four RBI’s, a career high. Limestone answered in the fourth and fifth, gaining back four runs. It came down to the seventh inning with the scored tied at 12-12. Junior pitcher Caitin Duvall laid down a sacrifice bunt, advancing senior leftfielder Lauren Potts to third.

Junior third baseman Maggie Davis kept the inning going, providing a double up the middle to score Potts. Holmes found first and Okvist stole second after a wild throw from the Saints pitcher.

The Bobcats racked up four runs in their last at bat from four walks, a substantial lead heading into the last frame. Limestone, never quitting, rallied off five runs for a gut-wrenching win over the Bobcats, with the deciding run coming from a Georgia College bases loaded walk.

Game two was a different style of play, where both bullpens dominated. Junior Sabrina Chandler dominated on the mound, throwing a complete game, allowing only three runs in the second.

Chandler’s attitude towards approaching the mound is to, “keep throwing strikes, have to have strikes.” Limestone put up their winning number of three runs by the second inning. The bats were slow for the Bobcats until the fourth and six innings, when they managed to tack on two runs.

Shaking off the tough losses, the team traveled to Spartanburg, S.C. for the Mid-South Classic. Scheduled for four games in total, rain decided differently, as the team only played game one against Fairmont State, prevailing 8-5. Parker continued her barrage of hits from last game going 2-4 with 3 RBI, while Okvist coming off her 3-4 performance went 2-4. Finally recovered from a double wrist surgery last summer, sophomore Kelsea Martin found her groove easily with a perfect day at the plate going 3-for-3 with an RBI.

Chandler took her stellar pitching performance from her Limestone game to the non-conference tournament. Picking up the win, she threw another complete game while allowing seven hits.

“I try not to walk anyone or hit a batter, just try to get ground balls,” Chandler said. “If I can keep it on the ground my defense will get my back.”

The Bobcats doubleheader for March 9 against Lynn was rained out. They return to action March 11 at home versus Wingate beginning at 3 p.m.