By Staff Reports

 

AUGUSTA – The GSW Lady Canes Softball Team split a doubleheader on Friday, March 30. Augusta won the first game 2-1, but the Lady Canes came back to win the second game 4-2.

In Game 1, Augusta starter Morgan Hunter kept GSW off the scoreboard for the first four innings. Hunter gave up two hits until the Lady Canes got their first run in the fifth inning.

With one out in the top of the fifth, Graysen Sanders a walk and moved to second on a single by Chloe Zoeller. Sanders later scored on a double by Mikela Barlow, giving the Lady Canes a 1-0 lead.

Madason Messer, the starting pitcher for GSW, was able to hold Augusta in check until the seventh inning. Augusta got back-to-back singles from Carolyn Edwards and Cassie Blizzard, putting runners on first and second for the Jaguars. An error by the GSW second baseman allowed the tying run to score. A fielder’s choice loaded the bases before Kendyl Conner hit a walk-off single, scoring pinch-runner Lydia Hausman to give Augusta the 2-1 victory in Game 1.

Messer took the loss for GSW, falling to 6-3. Messer gave up two runs on four hits while striking out five. Morgan Hunter improved her record to 8-11.

Cloe Zoeller went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the GSW offense. Hayley Tierce and Lauren Kuerzi each had singles.

In Game 2, Augusta got on the board first when they scored an unearned run in the bottom of the first. However, the Lady Canes responded in the second inning. Sanders singled to start the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Cassidy Burton. Zoeller followed with a single, advancing Sanders to third. Sanders then scored on a single by Barlow to tie the game at 1-1.

The Jaguars retook the lead in the third when Edwards singled and Hausman followed with a double to make the score 2-1 Augusta. However, that would be all the offense Augusta would get from then on out.

In the top of the fifth, the Lady Canes got two back-to-back singles from Barlow and Hayley Tierce with one out. This put runners at first and second. A fielder’s choice put runners at the corners with two outs. Then Elizabeth Wills hit an RBI double and Shannon Gibson reached on an error, allowing GSW to take a 3-2 lead.

The Lady Canes added an insurance run in the sixth when Allee Denney hit a solo home run. That would be all Messer would need. She worked around a walk in the bottom of the sixth, and retired the side in order in the seventh.

Wills had three hits in four at bats for GSW, while Tierce and Barlow went 2-for-4 in the second game.

The Lady Canes (16-21, 5-5 PBC) travel to Montgomery, Alabama to take on Auburn Montgomery in a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 4. First pitch of Game 1 is scheduled for 3 p.m. EST.