AUM sweeps Georgia Gwinnett in season closing doubleheader
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (aumathletics.com)—— The No. 2 Auburn Montgomery softball team swept No. 9 Georgia Gwinnett to end the regular season by a score of 5-2 in game one, and with a walk-off RBI single from Sophomore Rose Schmidt to take the nightcap 4-3.
NOTES
• The Warhawks improved to 44-5 on the year.
• The Grizzlies fell to 35-15 on the season.
• The 44 wins marks a new school record for most wins during the regular season. The previous mark was 39 from the team in 2013.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• Schmidt tallied one hit in the doubleheader, but the RBI single to right in the bottom of the seventh with two outs was enough to lift the Warhawks over the Grizzlies in game two.
• Senior Kayla Hale finished the day 4-for-6 with three RBIs. She currently leads the team with 42 on the year.
• Sophomore Amy Persinger added a 4-for-7 performance with an RBI and two runs scored. She leads the Warhawks with 50 hits on the year and a .382 batting average.
• Senior Jennifer Jenkins has now scored at least one run in the past five games as she finished the games 2-for-6 with two walks and three runs scored.
• Junior Sydney Dishman extended her hit-streak to seven games in the first game with a 1-for-3 performance on a RBI double, and scored a run. Sophomore Hayden Henderson finished the day 2-for-4 with two RBIs as well.
• Senior Taylor Powell improved to 26-3 on the year after tossing her 18th complete game of the year in game one. She picked up seven strikeouts in the outing, and gave up just two runs on six hits.
• Junior Rachel Ragland improved to 17-1 after throwing her 12th complete game of the year in game two. She picked up four strikeouts on seven hits and three unearned runs, while stranding 14 Grizzlies on base. Ragland also ranks in the top 10 nationally with a 1.05 ERA.
• Elyssa Melton led the way for Georgia Gwinnett as she finished the day 4-for-7 with two RBIs and a run scored.
GAME 1 HOW IT HAPPENED
• Georgia Gwinnett struck first in the top of the first inning after a leadoff triple from Hathcoat, who scored after a Melton single to give the Grizzlies an early 1-0 lead.
• AUM responded in the home half of the opening inning with a run of its own. Jenkins and Persinger singled, and were moved over by a Powell sacrifice bunt. A ground-out from Dishman plated Jenkins to tie the game 1-1.
• Neither team pushed across a run in the second or third, but AUM tallied three additional runs in the bottom of the fourth. Dishman doubled to right-center, before Hale singled up the middle to give AUM the 2-1 lead. Later in the inning, a Henderson single up the middle plated Thomas and Schmidt to extend the Warhawk lead to three, 4-1.
• AUM added its final run in the bottom of the fifth, after a dropped fly that scored Persinger, who reached on a double. The Warhawks lead 5-1 heading to the sixth.
• Georgia Gwinnett scored in the top of the sixth on a Ricketson single that plated Melton. Powell allowed one hit in the top of the seventh, before Jenkins caught a line drive to end the game and give AUM the 5-2 win in game one.
GAME 2 HOW IT HAPPENED
• Georgia Gwinnett jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after two hits and two errors in the top of second. Two errors in one play plated both Burk and Heinemann, and a Melton single scored Hathcoat.
• AUM was unable to respond in the bottom half of the inning, but Ragland forced a pop-fly with bases loaded and two outs to strand three base runners in the top of the third inning.
• AUM tied the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth on two hits and an error. A Persinger single plated Brinkman, and Hale launched a single to the left-center gap that scored Jenkins and Persinger.
• Neither team scored in the sixth inning, but Georgia Gwinnett loaded the bases with one out after a single from Burnham and two walks. Ragland forced a pop out to short, and Schmidt snagged a line drive to end the inning still tied 3-3.
• Jenkins led the bottom of the seventh with a walk, and advanced to third after a sacrifice bunt from Persinger. Dishman reached on a walk, and advanced to second on a stolen base. With two outs and extra-innings around the corner, Schmidt lifted a single to shallow right to score Jenkins, which gave AUM the 4-3 victory in game two and twin bill sweep over Georgia Gwinnett.
QUOTING THE COACH
• “I was proud of our girls and how they battled back in the second game against a tough Georgia Gwinnett team.” Head coach Eric Newell stated. “Both of our pitchers showed a lot of grit and determination today, and I was impressed with the way they battled for our team.”
UP NEXT
• The Warhawks will return to action on Thursday, April 28, where they will compete in the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament in Montgomery, Ala. Details on seeding and matchups will be determined later in the week.
