SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The 2019 Georgia Gwinnett College softball team made the program’s deepest postseason run before losing in the semifinal round of the NAIA World Series with a 6-1 setback Tuesday afternoon to top-seeded and defending national champion University of Science & Arts (Okla.).
GGC ended the season with a 45-16 record, the third-most wins collected in the program’s seven-year history. The team also captured three World Series victories, achieved a Top-10 national ranking and the third straight Association of Independent Institutions championship.
Members of this year’s senior class won 192 games over their four seasons.
A second loss to Science & Arts (59-3) ended the season in the elimination round of this year’s World Series, and in both cases the Drovers scored all of their runs in the third inning of the game. This time they scored six times in the frame to grab a commanding advantage.
Science & Arts got back-to-back RBI doubles from Destine Lookout and Randa Hatter for the big hits during the third inning. An infield single by Dakota Clouse brought home the first run of the frame.
The Grizzlies’ lone run came when an infield single by senior Crystal Busbee brought home sophomore Holly Janco in the top of the fifth inning. Busbee and Janco each collected two hits in the contest.
Turning Point
The third inning proved costly for GGC in the second straight setback against the Drovers in the NAIA World Series. An infield single by Dakota Clouse started a six-run inning. Two wild pitches would allow two additional runs to score. Then, Destine Lookout and Randa Hatter each added RBI doubles later in the frame.
Key Plays
Bottom of Third
Dakota Clouse hit a run-scoring infield single to open the scoring
Karlie Velasco and Dakota Clouse scored on wild pitches to extend the lead to 3-0
Destine Lookout connected on a RBI double to bring home the fourth run of the inning
Randa Hatter added a run-scoring double
Top of Fifth
Crystal Busbee hit an infield single to bring home Holly Janco with GGC’s lone run of the game
Inside The Numbers
- GGC collected five hits in the contest
- Senior Crystal Busbee and sophomore Holly Janco each had two hits for the Grizzlies
- Georgia Gwinnett College won 192 games over the last four seasons
News & Notes
- GGC ends the 2019 season with a 45-16 record; Science & Arts improves to 58-3 in 2019
- Georgia Gwinnett College was the No. 8 seed in the double-elimination World Series bracket; Science & Arts stood as the No. 1 seed
- The Grizzlies made their second straight appearances in the NAIA World Series; and second in program history
- GGC has a 4-4 record all-time at the NAIA World Series, advancing to the semifinal round for the first time
- Science & Arts has won all three meetings between the two programs, with all of the games occurring in World Series play