SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The 2019 season continues for the Georgia Gwinnett College softball team after scoring four runs in the top of the eighth inning to defeat No. 10-seeded Oregon Tech 5-1 Saturday evening in an elimination contest at the NAIA World Series.
Senior Tori Robinson broke the 1-1 deadlock with a bases-clearing triple to right field with two outs in the eighth inning that gave the Grizzlies a 4-1 lead. Sophomore Piper Wagner added a run-scoring single later in the inning.
GGC (44-15) advances to play No. 2 Marian University (Ind.) in another elimination game on Monday, May 27, at 4:30 p.m. central time.
Georgia Gwinnett College and Oregon Tech played a tight game for the second straight postseason. Last season, the Grizzlies defeated the Owls twice out of three contests to win the Lawrenceville Bracket of the Opening Round to make their first World Series appearance.
This time, No. 8-seeded GGC outhit Oregon Tech (44-17) by an 8-to-4 margin, including five hits over the last three offensive innings. Sophomore Holly Janco collected two of those hits, while Robinson’s lone hit in the contest came in extra innings.
Meanwhile, senior pitcher Taylor Hansis had another stellar postseason appearance. She struck out five batters in the complete-game victory, her 27th win of the season.
The team now has won four of its seven extra-inning games this spring.
“We have played a lot of extra innings games this year. We have that fight when we go into those innings. We support each other and have that belief that we are going to do it,” said Hansis.
Senior Crystal Busbee took advantage of a defensive throwing error to score from second base in the sixth inning to give the team a 1-0 lead. Oregon Tech answered with a tying run with a RBI single from McKenna Armantrout in the bottom half of the inning.
Turning Point
Both teams were searching for that clutch hit. That didn’t happen until extra innings when senior Tori Robinson cleared the bases with a three-run triple to right field in the top of the eighth inning, giving the Grizzlies a 4-1 lead. Her extra-base hit came with two outs.
Key Plays
Top of Sixth
Crystal Busbee scored from second base following a throwing error on the backend of a double play attempt, giving the Grizzlies a 1-0 lead
Bottom of Sixth
McKenna Armantrout tied the game, 1-1, with a run-scoring single to right field
Top of Eighth
Tori Robinson cleared the bases with a three-run triple to give GGC a 4-1 advantage
Piper Wagner brought home Tori Robinson with a RBI single to cap the team’s big inning
Inside The Numbers
- The Grizzlies collected five of their eight hits from the sixth through eighth innings of the game
- Sophomore Holly Janco went 2-for-3 and scored the eventual game-winning run in the eighth inning
- Oregon Tech left six runners on base in the contest, including a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the sixth inning, after tying the game, 1-1
- Both teams turned one double play
News & Notes
- GGC improves to 44-15 on the season; Oregon Tech ended the 2019 season at 44-17
- Georgia Gwinnett College was the No. 8 seed in the double-elimination World Series bracket; Oregon Tech stood as the No. 10 seed
- The Grizzlies are making their second straight appearances in the NAIA World Series; and second in program history
- GGC improved to having a 4-3 record in extra-inning contests this season
- The team has won three of the four meetings with Oregon Tech, with all four games coming in postseason play
- GGC now has a 3-3 record all-time at the NAIA World Series
Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College advances to play No. 2-seeded Marian University (Ind.) on Monday, May 27, at 4:30 p.m. central time.