MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – A pair of stellar pitching performances in the circle lifted the Anderson softball team to a nonconference doubleheader sweep past Georgia College, 4-1 and 3-0, Wednesday afternoon at the Peeler Complex.
Anderson improved to 13-1 on the season with its eighth consecutive win, while Georgia College fell to 8-8 overall, and has dropped four of its last five decisions.
Game #1
Anderson 4, Georgia College 1
Freshman outfielder Molly Child has hit safely in seven consecutive games after going 2-for-3 in the opener, while also adding a walk. Junior catcher Laura Jansky extended her hitting streak to four games by going 2-for-4 in the opener. The Kennesaw, Ga., native also recorded an RBI and scored once. Sophomore outfielder Rachel Rhodes added two hits in four at-bats and recorded an RBI, while second-baseman Jessica Neidigh, who has hit safely in all 13 games, was also 2-for-4. Sophomore third baseman Bri Cason was a perfect 2-for-2 and scored once.
Junior hurler Lauren Bell (8-0) stayed undefeated on the season by surrendering just one run, while earning the complete-game win. She walked seven Bobcats, struck out three and scattered four hits.
Bobcat pitcher Marissa Boyette took the loss, giving up four runs (one earned), while striking out eight and walking two in 6 2/3 innings.
Anderson handed the Bobcats their first home setback of the season by rallying from an early 1-0 deficit with solo runs in the third and fourth innings and added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh.
Cason led off the third inning with a single and moved into scoring position on Neidigh’s base hit. She crossed the plate when Abby Child bounced into a fielders’ choice to even the score.
AU took the lead on an unearned run in the fourth and posted two more in the seventh inning by taking advantage of an error and back-to-back doubles from Jansky and Bell.
Game #2
Anderson 3, Georgia College 0
Junior pitcher Bailey Smith helped her cause in the circle by going 2-for-3 at the plate, blasting her second home run of the season over the left-field fence in the sixth inning.
Molly Child added a single and a walk in four trips to the plate, while Cason ripped a one-out double in the fifth inning. Junior Abby Child was 1-for-4 and recorded two RBI.
Smith (5-1) limited the Bobcats to just one hit through first four innings en route to earning her fourth shutout of the season, and surrendered just three hits over the seven innings. She recorded seven strikeouts and did not walk a batter.
The Trojans snapped a scoreless tie with two runs in the top of the fifth inning, as Cason ripped a one-out double to center and moved to third on Molly Child’s single. Both runners crossed the plate on a throwing error by the Bobcat third baseman.
Smith’s solo homer in the sixth frame set the final score.
The Trojans wrap up their eight-game road swing with a pair of contests at Coker on Saturday. First-pitch for the doubleheader versus the Cobras is slated for 1 p.m. AU returns to Smethers Field for a 1 p.m. doubleheader versus Belmont Abbey on Sunday.