TALLADEGA, Ala. – The Georgia Gwinnett College softball team has earned a short break to the season after hitting six home runs and scoring 35 runs in earning a road doubleheader sweep against Talladega College (Ala.) on Sunday afternoon.
The No. 4-ranked Grizzlies (26-6) won the opener 16-0 before tallying a 19-1 victory in the second contest. Both games lasted only five innings.
The team now takes a break before taking a trip to California for six games, beginning March 29.
Senior Tori Robinson connected on three of the team’s home runs Sunday, including two during the second inning of the second game. She went 5-for-6, scored six runs and had eight RBI in the sweep.
Also, senior Crystal Busbee hit a grand slam home run in the second game. Senior Elyssa Melton and sophomore Piper Wagner recorded homers during the first contest.
Freshman Lea McFadden went 4-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored in the second game.
In the day’s opening game, the visitors scored six runs in the first inning and led 10-0 after three innings. Then, GGC scored nine runs in the second inning of the second game and pushed across seven more runs in the third frame.
Freshman starting pitcher Alexa Good scattered four hits to pick up the shutout in the first game. Wagner went the distance and had five strikeouts in the second-game victory.
Turning Point
Senior Tori Robinson had an inning to remember in the second contest, hitting two home runs during the team’s nine-run second inning. The shortstop led off the inning with a home run. She then connected on a three-run homer later in the frame. In between, senior Crystal Busbee hit a grand slam. Eight of the team’s nine runs in the inning came from home runs.
Key Plays
First Game
Top of First
Elyssa Melton opened the scoring with a run-scoring single
Piper Wagner drove in two runs with a double
Ruth Jones added a RBI single to give the Grizzlies a 4-0 lead
Aubree Cox capped the six-run inning with a two-run single
Top of Second
Elyssa Melton hit the first of the team’s three home runs
Top of Third
Crystal Busbee added a two-run triple
Top of Fourth
Piper Wagner connected on a solo home run
Top of Fifth
Tori Robinson hit a three-run home run to close out the scoring
Second Game
Top of Second
Tori Robinson opened the frame with a home run
Crystal Busbee connected on a grand slam home run
Tori Robinson hit her second home run of the inning with the three-run blast over the left field fence
Top of Third
Madison Martin brought home Anya Vandersip with a run-scoring double
Lea McFadden hit a two-run single to bring home Piper Wagner and Tori Robinson
Inside The Numbers
- The Grizzlies scored 35 runs on 33 hits across the two games
- GGC scored a run in nine of its 10 offensive innings
- The team hit three home runs in each contest
- Freshman Lea McFadden went 4-for-4 in the second game
News & Notes
- GGC improves to 26-6 on the season; Talladega falls to 3-15
- Georgia Gwinnett College stood No. 4 in the first regular season NAIA Top 25 poll
- The team is 7-1 on the road in 2019
- It has only taken five innings for GGC to win its last three games through the eight-run scoring margin rule
- GGC and Talladega are members of the Association of Independent Institutions
Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College takes a break to prepare for its upcoming trip to California for six games, beginning against Hope International on March 29.