Best Served Cold

Best Served Cold

AMERICUS, Ga. – The Georgia Southwestern Lady Hurricanes were extra motivated for their mid-week match-up versus Albany State University (16-19). GSW was looking for revenge after being swept by Albany State back on February 8th. One-run and two-run losses to the Golden Rams were avenged by GSW and then some.

GAME ONE: Georgia Southwestern-10  Albany State-2 (Six Innings)

It appeared as if the Golden Rams had the Lady 'Canes number in the early going. Their scoring began with a solo home run by their designated player, Banks, which helped give ASU the early 2-0 lead. Georgia Southwestern would answer with ten consecutive runs.

The Blue & Gold would tie the game in the third inning with back-to-back hits by Hayley Knight and Gabby Buck that each drove in a run. Knight would help the GSW offensive explosion in the next inning as she, Mason Moreland and Janna Anderson all recorded RBI's in the inning.

The piling on by the Lady 'Canes came in the six when they opened the flood gates with five more additional runs to end the game via the eight-run mercy rule. Lady Hurricanes got on base to open the inning by any means necessary which included hits, walks and ASU fielding errors. After loading the bases and scoring two runs, it was Avery Purser who delivered the final blow. Her double to right-center field would unload the bases and give GSW their eighth, ninth and tenth runs of the game.

Georgia Southwestern starting pitcher Katie Maddox would receive half of the ten GSW runs in run support for her four-inning start. The senior scattered three hits, gave up two earned runs while striking out six Lady Rams. The door was closed by Jessica Martin who earned her second save on the season. She entered the game with the 5-2 lead and pitched two scoreless innings while striking out three.

GAME TWO:  Georgia Southwestern-9  Albany State-1 (Five Innings)

Coach Ward and company didn't miss many opportunities to score as they made quick work of the Golden Rams, dispatching the visitors in five innings. The Lady Hurricanes scored a run in each of the five innings as six different GSW hitters tallied a RBI.

After conceding the only run of the game to the visitors in the first inning, the 'Canes tied the game in the home half of the first inning as Mason Moreland scored on a wild pitch. It was a wild kind of game on the mound for Albany State as GSW hitters walked nine times in the five-inning game.

The lead was taken by GSW in the second inning as Janna Anderson drove in Ashley Cavender with a ground ball to the left side of the infield. The one-run second inning was followed by a three-run outburst in the third, which saw Brittny Dennison drive in two runs with a double and Cavender drive in Dennison with a single to right field.

Gabby Buck drove in Janna Anderson with a fly ball in the fourth, and then the Lady Hurricanes again ended the game early with a multiple-RBI hit. After two walks and a fielding error allowed the first three batters to reach base, Mason Moreland walked with the bases loaded to score one run. Knight would then drove in the final two runs of the game with a double.

Georgia Southwestern scored 19 runs on 17 hits and drew eleven walks on the day. The hit parade for the home team was led by outfielder Hayley Knight. Knight finished the afternoon batting 5-8 with one double and four runs batted in.

The pair of non-conference wins pushes the overall record for the Lady Hurricanes to 16-22 (1-9 PBC). It will be back to the road for the Lady Hurricanes as they will travel to St. Augustine, Florida and Savannah this upcoming weekend for double headers at Flagler College and Armstrong Atlantic State University. The conference action will begin Saturday when the Lady 'Canes travel to the Sunshine State to take on the Lady Saints with the first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m.