The Georgia Southwestern softball team took the first two games of a four-game weekend set with Emmanuel College on Friday evening at Lady ‘Canes Field. The Lady Hurricanes held EC to a single hit while cruising to an 8-0 win. In the nightcap, GSW rallied from an 8-1 deficit to pull out an 11-10 thriller.
GSW (4-8) picked up three RBI from Jessica Martin, who led Southwestern hitters on the evening going 4-for-8 at the plate with two runs scored. Heather Hodge added three hits (3-for-5) with a solo home run. Katie Wooten belted her second home run of the season to finish 3-for-6 with three RBI and three runs scored.
The two teams meet again on Saturday for the final two games of the series beginning at noon.
GAME 1: GSW 8, Emmanuel 0 (6 Inn.)
GSW jumped out to a quick lead against the Lady Lions when Wooten singled to right field to drive in Hodge, who had been hit by a pitch earlier in the inning, putting the Lady ‘Canes up 1-0 after one.
RBI singles from Martin and Megan Wilkinson in the third gave GSW a 3-0 advantage.
Southwestern added two more runs in the fourth inning on a Lyndi Duff single after the Lady Canes started the frame with a pair of outs.
The game was called after the sixth when GSW pushed across three more runs behind three walks and three singles.
A leadoff single from Samantha Rao in the fifth was all that kept GSW starting pitcher Mariko Nomura from tossing a no-hitter. Nomura improved her record to 2-4.
Brittany Jones took the loss for Emmanuel, surrendering 10 hits and eight walks in the contest.
GAME 2: GSW 11, Emmanuel 10
It would be the Lady Lions who would jump out to an early lead in game two against GSW, scoring two off a Nancy Johnson double to center in the first. The Lady ‘Canes would answer with a run in the bottom half of the frame with Hodge's solo shot to left.
In the top of the second the Emmanuel bats would come alive, scoring six runs in the frame highlighted by two-run double from Justine Kroner and a three-run double from Laura Certain. GSW answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning when Wooten and Anna Oswald (both reaching on walks) reached home off an errant throw from the pitcher on an attempted force play at third base. With two innings in the books, Emmanuel held an 8-3 lead.
After a scoreless third inning, GSW put two more runs on the board led by an Anna Dankewich RBI double. Dankewich eventually scored on a wild pitch.
Emmanuel scored a run in the top of the fourth, before the Lady Hurricanes exploded for four runs in the bottom half of the inning. A pair of batters reached base after being hit by a pitch, one was walked, two wild pitches were thrown and the GSW slapped three singles.
Tiffany Milstid retired Emmanuel in order in the sixth.
Wooten smashed her solo home run in the sixth and Brooke McLemore, who doubled after Wooten, eventually scored on a throwing error to give GSW a two-run lead.
After Emmanuel put runners on second and third to start the seventh inning, Katie Muller got Elise Fowler to line out to short and Duff caught Certain leaning off third for the double play. EC managed to push a run across before Muller recorded the final out on a roller back to the circle.
Milstid picked up the win for GSW - her first of the season - throwing 4.2 innings of relief. Mueller recorded the save.
Jones took the loss for Emmanuel (0-2), allowing two runs (one earned) in her inning of work.