Allegretti’s Extra Inning Game Winning RBI Single Lifts The Highlanders Over The Bulldogs

BARNESVILLE, GA – The Gordon State College softball team split a GCAA conference doubleheader with Georgia Military College on Tuesday.  Gordon took game one in extra innings 4-3 before falling to GMC in game two 8-0. 

"At the end of the day, as much as we were happy with the win in game one, game two showed us that we still have a lot we need to improve upon when we return from our break," said Head Coach Ally Hattermann.

Georgia Military scored first in the top of the second inning when Brittany Lowe drove in Lauren King on a two out base hit up the middle.  The Bulldogs would strike again in the top of the fourth inning when Lowe would hit a sacrifice fly ball to centerfield, allowing King to tag-up and score.  The Bulldogs added another run in the fifth inning on Natalie Johnson's sacrifice fly ball to left field, scoring Kaedy Borst.  The Highlanders would finally have an answer on two outs in the bottom on the fifth inning when Cheyanne Mosteller reached base safely on a bunt single, which advanced McKenzie Barnes to second base.  Hannah Rae Griffin then drove in Barnes with a single to left field.  The Highlanders would tie up the game at 3-3 on Hannah Coulter's fly ball to right field that was misplayed by the Bulldogs.  Although the Highlanders were threatening to score more runs, the Bulldogs would put an end to the Highlander's charge with a ground out to third base. 

The Bulldogs threatened to score again in the top of the 7^th with back-to-back two out singles by Carly Rigsbee and Johnson, but Maddie Green and the Highlanders won that battle by striking out King to end the inning.  The Bulldogs then held the Highlanders scoreless in the bottom of the 7^th.

The big play of the game came in the top of the 8^th inning with the International tie-breaker rule in effect.  King got a huge lead at second base and Hannah Coulter picked her off from behind the plate for the first out of the inning.  Green would then get two more Bulldogs to fly out to end the inning.

The Highlanders placed Montana Schug on second base to start the bottom on the eighth inning.  Hunter Lee executed a sacrifice bunt to move Schug to third. On a 2-1 count, Addy Allegretti would hit a line drive shot to left center field to score Schug from third to win the game 4-3.  Maddie Greene (Senior) would get the start in the circle, allowing three Bulldog runs on five hits and striking out five, but Maddie Green (Junior) would get the win coming in relief allowing just two hits in 3.2 innings pitched.

"That was a complete and well-played softball game," said Associate Head Coach Ken Deyton.  "We are so proud our team never went away and showed how tough they are to beat."

Game two, however, was a completely different ball game for both teams.  The Highlanders fell behind early and couldn't recover in an 8-0 loss in five innings.  GMC plated three runs in the first and second innings and two more in the top of the fourth inning.  Mackensie Poynter silenced the Highlander bats allowing just two hits by Hunter Lee and Hannah Coulter.  Natalie Hardy took the loss for the Highlanders.  She allowed three runs on three hits.  Greene and Green also made relief appearances in game two. 

The Highlanders have reached the midpoint of GCAA play and currently stand in fifth place with an 8-6 conference record.  Gordon will host USC Salkehatchie in a non-conference doubleheader before returning to the second half of GCAA play on Wednesday, April 4^th versus West Georgia Technical College.