By Staff Reports

 

AMERICUS – Hayley Tierce hit three home runs and Ansley Dean hit the first of her career to help the Georgia Southwestern State University women’s softball team get a split with Albany State on Tuesday, March 20, at Lady Canes Field.

The Lady Canes struggled in the first game, losing to the Lady Rams 5-1. They struggled against ASU starting pitcher Lauren Lowery for the second time this season. They were only able to manage two hits off Lowery in their first meeting on Wednesday, February 21.

Albany State took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI single off of GSW starter Shannon Gibson. Then Tierce hit her eighth home run of the season to tie the game at 1-1 after two full innings.

Both Gibson and Lowery pitched extremely well during the next four innings. However, in the top of the seventh inning, GSW committed three errors. This allowed for three hits by the Lady Rams. They drove in four runs and took a 5-1 lead. Lauren Kuerzi drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the seventh, but that was all the Lady Canes could muster, and they lost the first game 5-1.

Game 2 was much different. GSW jumped all over ASU starter Aryn McGowan. Batting leadoff for the first time in her career, Ansley Dean began the game with a home run over the left field fence. Mikela Barlow drew a walk, then Tierce crushed a two-run homer past the scoreboard in left field, making the score 3-0 GSW. Elizabeth Wills doubled and scored when Gibson reached on an error. Dean hit another home run for the Lady Canes, making the score 5-0. Taylor Clemens replaced McGowan in the circle when Mikela Barlow drew a one-out walk and forced Tierce to hit a grounder to third. However, and error by the ASU second baseman allowed Barlow to advance and Tierce to reach. Lauren Kuerzi then doubled, scoring Barlow. Tierce scored when Elizabeth Wills hit a sacrifice fly to center field, making the score 7-0.

GSW scored another run in the bottom of the fourth. Tierce began the inning with her team-high 10th home run of the season, which increased her RBI total to 31. Chloe Zoeller then hit a two-out single. Then Dean drove in her fourth RBI of the game on a single, making the final score 11-0 in Game 2.

GSW starter Brittany Childs allowed just three hits and struck out three in five innings to record her third win of the season.