ANDERSON, S.C. – After a heartbreaking pair of series that saw the Georgia Southwestern Lady Hurricanes lose four games including two walk-off losses, Coach Ward and company were out for revenge and to break some hearts of their own. The Blue & Gold were able to record a late-inning win in their split versus the Anderson University Lady Trojans (25-5).
GAME ONE: Georgia Southwestern-3 Anderson University (S.C.)-2
The first inning blues that had haunted the Lady 'Canes in their losses to Young Harris and USC Aiken reappeared in Tuesday's game at Anderson University. The Lady Trojans put up a pair of runs courtesy of a pair of RBI's from Danielle Swygert and Laura Jansky.
Georgia Southwestern starting pitcher Jessica Martin would settle down after the rocky first inning. She would not give up an additional run in her remaining six innings of work, but she would not give up another hit until the sixth inning. Martin would finish the complete game yielding five hits, walking three hitters and striking out five Lady Trojans.
The GSW bats would keep the fans on their toes for the first three innings before tying the game in the fourth inning. Mason Moreland would lead off inning with a single and be driven home two batters later by Gabby Buck's second home run of the season. The tie game would carry over into the seventh and final inning before the Lady Hurricanes were able take and protect a one-run lead for the win.
The seventh and decisive inning began with a single by Rachel McElroy. Two outs later, two more Lady Hurricanes (Avery Purser and Janna Anderson) would get aboard via a single and walk respectively. McElroy would score during the next at-bat as catcher Jessica Chewning would draw a bases loaded walk to score the go-head run.
Two walks and an error behind her kept things interesting for Jessica Martin in the bottom of the seventh inning, but she would eventually close the door for her six win of the season. The win would also snap an eight-game losing streak for the Lady 'Canes.
GAME TWO: Georgia Southwestern-0 Anderson University (S.C.)-3
The Hurricanes would avoid their first inning blues and then some in game two of the double header. Fellow senior starter Katie Maddox would get in a groove early. She would open the game by shutting out the Lady Trojans for the first five innings of the game. Her early dominance included retiring the Anderson side in order in the first, third and fifth innings.
During that time, the Georgia Southwestern bats would be limited. They would first threaten in the second inning when a Katie Wooten walk was followed by an Anderson error that moved her two third and Purser to second. Neither Janna Anderson nor Kiley Doster would be able to drive in a run as the Lady Hurricanes would go out quietly in the second inning.
Georgia Southwestern would only muster one other hit for the duration of the game, and that would come courtesy of a Mason Moreland single in the third. The Lady Hurricanes would go the final four innings of the game without recording a hit.
The wheels would come off for the Lady Hurricanes and Katie Maddox in the sixth inning. The Lady Trojans would open the action with a lead-off single from Jessica Neidigh. The damage would be done with two swings of the bat as Abby Child would hit a two-run home run, and Laura Jansky would hit a solo home run to push the Anderson lead 3-0. The three-run advantage would prove to be the game-winning margin.
Anderson's Amber Duncan would go the distance to earn the shutout victory as she gave up two hits while fanning four over six innings of work.
The double header split would put the Georgia Southwestern record to 13-19 (0-6 PBC) in 2012. The Lady Hurricanes will next look to improve the left column of their Peach Belt record as they face the top-ranked team in NCAA Division II softball, the North Georgia Lady Saints. The two teams will face-off on Friday, March 23rd at Lady Canes Field with first pitch scheduled for 6:00 p.m.