The South Georgia State College Hawks softball team proved to be a gracious host to the Georgia Highlands Chargers last weekend. Maybe a little too gracious.
The Chargers swept a three-game series over the Hawks on Friday and Saturday, winning Friday’s doubleheader 5-2 and 10-4. Saturday was closer but the Chargers edged the Hawks 10-9 with a go-ahead run in the ninth inning.
In game one on Friday, Georgia Highlands scored two in the second and three in the sixth. SGSC tied the game in the bottom of the second when Lauren Slaughter singled to center, scoring former Coffee Trojan Hanna Hutchinson and Madison Martin.
The game remained tied until the Chargers pulled ahead for good in the sixth.
Cambree Isaacson had two hits while Slaughter drove in two.
Emilee Garrett (7IP, 5H, 5R, 2BB, 1K) took the loss for the Hawks.
In game two, the Chargers scored three in the first and never looked back, plating 10 runs total. The Hawks scored two in the bottom of the first then added a run in the third and the seventh.
Despite the outcome, the game provided some fireworks for SGSC’s Erin Robinson, another former Trojan. Robinson has been used primarily as a pitcher this year and hasn’t hit very much. Recently, though, she has been getting some at-bats as well as some playing time at second. Though she was on the mound in this game, she was in the lineup as a hitter. It worked pretty well — one of those two runs in the first came courtesy of her bat. Robinson drove an 0-1 pitch over the centerfield wall for a solo home run, the first of her college career.
Jessica Joiner and Jayde Rhudy had two hits for the Hawks. Joiner also scored twice. Martin drove in two.
Robinson also started for SGSC and lasted 3 2/3 innings, giving up 10 runs (six earned) on six hits. She struck out two and walked four. Garrett (3 1/3IP, 1BB, 1K) also pitched.
The third and final game of the weekend was a slugfest. The two teams matched each other run for run. At the end of five innings, the score was knotted at nine apiece. Neither team scored over the last two frames, forcing extra innings.
In the top of the ninth, Emma Darrow led off with a bunt and reached on an error. After retiring the next two batters, Ahmani Green doubled, scoring Darrow and putting Highlands up 10-9.
The Hawks got out of the inning with no further damage but couldn’t answer in the bottom of the inning. Gia Tiant walked but never made it past first.
Isaacson, Joiner, and Slaughter each had a pair of hits. Both of Joiner’s hits were doubles. Isaacson and Slaughter also doubled. Hutchinson tripled. Joiner drove in three as well.
Garrett (5IP, 13H, 9R, 1BB, 1K) and Robinson (4IP, 4H, 1R, 1BB, 2K) shared pitching duties for SGSC.
The Hawks are 9-20 overall and 7-14 in Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association play. They have four more games remaining – April 28 at Gordon, April 29 against Andrew College at home, and a May 1 doubleheader at Gordon again.
SGSC is sitting in fifth place, 2 ½ games back of fourth-place East Georgia.
