Milledgeville, GA-1/29/11
Game 1- USC Salkehatchie softball began their 2011 season with a double header at Georgia Military College. The Indians started the game on the right track with a leadoff walk by freshman Brittany Padgett followed by a single by freshman catcher Tori Gross. However Salk could not capitalize with runners on and no outs and stranded two in the first inning.
Game 1- USC Salkehatchie softball began their 2011 season with a double header at Georgia Military College. The Indians started the game on the right track with a leadoff walk by freshman Brittany Padgett followed by a single by freshman catcher Tori Gross. However Salk could not capitalize with runners on and no outs and stranded two in the first inning.
GMC came out swinging and Kayla Cooper lead off with a stand up double. Erin Gibson, starting pitcher, singled to center and Amanda Evan’s single scored Cooper to give the Bulldogs their first run of the season. Before the inning was over the Bulldogs tallied three more with a double by Carolina Conn. Georgia Military would go on to score three more off of starting pitcher Sam Martin with a three run homerun by Mallory Long. Leigha Hite came in to stop the damage in the 2nd and entered the game down by 7. In the 5 inning of relief Hite saw, the Bulldogs would only add on two runs, both in the fourth with a solo homer by Evans and RBI double by Wilson.
It took a few innings for the Indians bats to warm up but once they started there was no stopping Salkehatchie as they rallied from being down by seven to win 12-9. The top of the 4th started the ball rolling for the Indians and Sophomore Kandyce Ranew lead off with a single followed by a single by sophomore and starting pitcher Sam Martin. A fielder’s choice, error and hit by pitch saw Salk having the bases loaded and two outs. Martin crossed the plate first for the Indians via an RBI single by Padgett, followed by Hite scoring on an error by the 3rd baseman. The Indians tacked one more on in the fifth to make the score 9-3 for the Bulldogs. In the sixth inning Gross, Nicole Lewis and Marquita Wilson all crossed the plate, making the score 9-6 Ga. Military.
In the 7th the Indians rallied once again. Down by three in the last inning the Gross, Wilson and Ranew all scored with two outs tying the score at nine. Sophomore Dannon Reese hit in Sam Martin for the go ahead run leaving runners on first and second for freshman right fielder Laura Maule. Maule hit in the final two runs with a triple to left field, scoring Hite and Reese, ending the top of the 7th with the Indians up 12-9. In the bottom of the seventh the Bulldogs could not overcome the three run deficit popping up to the catcher twice and finally grounding out to short to end the game.
The Indians showed poise and played like a team to overcome being down by seven runs to start of the game. They scored 12 runs in the final four innings and outhit the Bulldogs 18-14 while only one error. Hite earned her first win for the year and Gibson her first loss. Ranew and Gross reached base four out of her five at bats. Sam Martin lead the way with 3 RBI while Reese, Maule and Hite each had two.
Game 2- The Indians started game two off loading the bases in the first but stranded all three runners. The Bulldogs again came out the gates swinging hitting two homeruns and scored six in the first inning. Cooper was score by Gibson followed by a three run homerun by Evans and a two run homer by Conn. In the second Salkehatchie was able to plate one (Hite) after two errors by Evans the third baseman, but this is where there run production would come to an end.
GMC added three in the third, one being a solo homerun by Wilson. She would add their final run in the fourth, once again knocking out a solo homerun. The Indians could not comeback like the previously did and lost to the Bulldogs 10-1. Crystal Ward got her first win of the season and Hite her first loss. The Indians had six hits, one error, one run, and left nine on base.
