GSC Softball Drops Pair To Open 2020 Campaign

The Highlanders went 1-3 at the Visit Dothan Invitational while picking up their first win of the season over No. 18 Wallace State C.C.-Hanceville. (Photo by Village Photography)

February 3, 2020

BARNESVILLE, Ga. -- Gordon State College's women's softball suffered a couple of close losses to Southern Union State Community College (Ala.) on Sunday to open the 2020 season as the Highlanders fell 4-2 and 8-7.

In the opener, GSC (0-2) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning, but Southern Union battled back with two runs each in the fourth and fifth to build a 4-1 lead.

GSC added a single run in the bottom of the sixth to cut the margin to two, but that would be the final run of the contest as Southern Union held on for the win.

Shortstop Taylor McClendon (McDonough, Ga. / Ola HS) had two hits, including a double, for the Highlanders while Mackenzie English (Williamson, Ga. / Pike Co. HS), Mary-Madson McCrary (Thomaston, Ga. / Upson Lee HS), Madison Powell (Roberta, Ga. / Taylor Co. HS), Jordyn Dobson (McDonough, Ga. / Union Grove HS) and Claire Williams (Conyers, Ga. / Heritage HS) each had a hit in the game.

Powell connected for her first home run of the season over the right-center field fence.

In the nightcap, GSC once again took an early 1-0 lead in the first, but Southern Union exploded for five runs in the second and three in the third to take command at 8-1.

However, GSC started to chip away with a run in the fourth, two in the fifth and one in the sixth to make it 8-5.

In the bottom of the seventh, GSC added two runs to make it 8-7 and had the tying and winning runs on base before a sharp grounder to third ended it.

Abby Foster (McDonough, Ga. / Ola HS) and Hailey Hooper (Monticello, Ga. / Piedmont Academy) paced the GSC offense with two hits each while Camden Steele (Jackson, Ga. Union Grove HS), Breeana Lee (Concord, Ga. / Pike Co. HS), Brandi Williams (Dawsonville, Ga. / Dawson Co. HS), Dobson and McCrary all had a hit in the game.

GSC is back in action on Friday when the Highlanders travel to Dothan, Ala., to take on Snead State Community College (Ala.) to kick off a Friday-Saturday tournament.