Checo sisters combine for game-winner

Published 12:02 pm Tuesday, March 4, 2025

A family first occurred at the Georgia College & State University West Campus Athletic Complex.

The Checo sisters, Divina and Reina, put their names on the game-winning hit, RBI and run for the Bobcat softball team Saturday at the end of a long 11-inning Peach Belt Conference contest with Columbus State University. Divina provided the hit that gave her the RBI with younger sister Reina on base. Reina scored to break a 4-4 tie and launch a joyous celebration.

The 5-4 win secured an overall series win for GCSU softball in the first Peach Belt games of the 2025 season under first-year head coach Brittany Johnson. The Bobcats were actually one of two Peach Belt teams to enter the first conference weekend with a sub-.500 non-conference record at 6-8 while Columbus State came to Milledgeville at 12-2. GCSU won the opener Friday 6-3 then succumbed in Game 3 Saturday 12-4.

The Checos stated in between games Saturday they could not think of any other time in their softball careers where one sister drove in the other in a game-winning walk-off situation.

Divina, playing second base, drove in two runs total and Reina scored three as the designated player at the No. 9 slot in Johnson’s order. Reina was getting on base in all kinds of ways as she walked twice, doubled to the left-field fence and got hit by a pitch. The HB is how she led off the bottom of the 11th.

Kam Caldwell, the team leader in hits coming into the series, put down a sacrifice bunt to move Reina into scoring position. Divina, the team leader in RBI through 14 games, smacked a base hit, and little sister ran non-stop to slide in home.

Tiffany Caban, a sophomore from Evans, pitched all 11 innings to get the win, her fourth of 2025. She gave up eight hits, four earned runs, walked two and struck out 11.

Reina scored GCSU’s first run in the bottom of the third inning. She walked and scored on Caldwell’s triple. Divina’s first RBI brought in Caldwell, a sacrifice fly making it 2-0 Bobcats.

Caban was shutting down the Columbus State Cougars with help from Caroline Pollock’s catch at the wall in left field to end the second inning and catcher Karlie Gutierrez’ catch near the backstop to end the third. But in the fourth Columbus got three straight hits, including Kara Wegienk’s two-run single.

The score remained tied 2-2 going into the sixth, when Columbus’ Anna Waits doubled to lead off and Wegienk delivered again with a drive just out of Emily Hutcheson’s diving reach in center.

The Bobcats got the two-out tying run in their half, this from Pollock after Gutierrez’ one-out double.

Abrianna Green, a Columbus freshman from Alabama, homered off the left pole leading off the top of the seventh. So GCSU needed another rally, and it started with Reina’s two-out walk. Caldwell sent a tough flare to left where two Cougars converged and collided, the softball hitting the grass. Reina rounded the bases with the tying run.

In four extra innings, Caban allowed three baserunners, only one making it to third base. Hutcheson made a more successful dive on a catch to end the top of the 10th.

GCSU stranded six runners in the 8th through the 10th, including striking out twice with the bags full in the home 10th.

In the second game Saturday, the Cougars had three homers in the first two innings off GCSU starter Shelby Jones to jump out to a 6-0 lead. Nova Wright hit the second of her two homers – a grand slam – in the second.

The Bobcat softball team doubled up Columbus State 6-3 in the Peach Belt Conference opener for both teams Friday.

GCSU jumped on CSU starter Julianna Franklin for two unearned runs in the first. Gutierrez drove in the first run on a double while Sydney Lancaster added an RBI single for a 2-0 lead. Caldwell made it 3-0 an inning later on a RBI single that scored Kacie Wiggins, who started the rally with an infield single.

Columbus State got two runs back in the fourth to close within 3-2, but the Bobcats added three big insurance runs in the sixth to take a 6-3 lead. Reina Checo drove in the first run on an infield single before Caldwell knocked in two with a double to left-center field.

Jones (3-5) earned the complete-game victory in the circle as she scattered four hits and struck out nine.

GCSU Sports Information contributed to this report