Split tightens race for first in GCAA softball

Published 4:58 pm Tuesday, April 22, 2025

It truly was the best of both softball worlds at Couch Field: the pitcher’s duel and the slugfest.

Host Georgia Military College, which entered Thursday’s action in first place in the GCAA, and Georgia Highlands split their doubleheader in completely different fashions. Alyssa Jones pitched a two-hit 1-0 shutout with eight strikeouts leading the Bulldogs to their victory. There were five home runs hit in the second game, but Georgia Highlands made a three-run top of the first inning hold up to get its victory 9-6.

The GMC Bulldogs and head coach Ashley Bunn maintained the lead in the GCAA at 14-2, but it’s by one game over Gordon State (13-3). Gordon State plays at GMC today (Aug. 23) in a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. Both of the Bulldog losses in conference so far were to Georgia Highlands as the two rivals split their four regular-season meetings.

Jones, the sophomore from West Laurens High and multiple Pitcher of the Week winner in 2025, improved to 11-5 in the circle surpassing 100 innings on the season and 100 strikeouts (107). Her earned run average is below 2 at 1.95.

After Emma Darrow of Georgia Highlands led off the day with a single, Jones retired the next 17 Charger batters she faced. Seven of her strikeouts were among the 17.

The lone run of support for her efforts came in the bottom of the first inning, and it was unearned. GMC bats only produced two hits in Game 1, and the Bulldogs too got a leadoff single overall from outfielder Carolyn Lehman. Olivia Bridger executed her sacrifice bunt, but Lehman remained in scoring position with two outs.

Claire Clements hit a ball booted at the shortstop position, and Lehman ran all the way home with what would be the only offense.

GMC’s only other hit was a two-out single by Bridger in the bottom of the third. Two other Bulldogs reached via error.

It was also an error with two down in the top of the sixth inning that ended Jones’ string of outs at 17. But she recorded her eighth strikeout to bring her one frame shy of the shutout. She would get it with a lot of defensive help, particularly from former John Milledge Academy catcher Ana Land.

Georgia Highlands began the top of the seventh with its second hit, a looping single from Albany freshman Ahmani Green. Though Jones snagged a ball hit back to her, Green would steal her way to scoring position. Land took a chance later at a pick-off, and was successful with second baseman Emmy Moss making the tag.

The Chargers from Rome got the things they didn’t get in Game 1 right away in Game 2 off Clements. Jones did not walk a batter in her outing, but Darrow drew a free pass to begin the nightcap. With two outs, Georgia Highlands proceeded to push three runs across on two hits, a second walk and hit batsman.

Mary Catherine Kimball singled in the visitors’ first run of the day, and then with the bases loaded Hayden Joyner singled in two more.

Of the five home runs hit in Game 2, three of them were solo shots leading off innings by GMC. Lehman knocked out the first long ball in the bottom of the first.

Georgia Highlands was not kept off the board too often after the shutout, and the Chargers got the Lehman HR point back in the top of the second using three hits. Again, it was a two-out single from Kimball, a drive just beyond the reach of Moss in the infield.

Land led off GMC’s second inning with a home run, but the Bulldogs couldn’t do anything with Jones’ follow-up double as the Chargers made an early pitching change.

Georgia Highlands extended the lead to 6-2 in the third as Bunn went from Clements to Robby Vann in the circle. Darrow and Abbi Hall at the top of the lineup drove in the runs with the bases full.

Land’s second RBI of the game came on a two-out single in the home third, and then catcher Mackenzi Trull started the home fourth going deep to make it 6-4.

Though not scoring in the top of the fourth, Georgia Highlands got its first home run, a solo shot by Maci Andrews in the fifth. Kimball’s big game at the plate continued with a two-run blast in the sixth.

It went from 9-4 to 9-6 in the bottom of the sixth in a straight two-out GMC rally featuring Moss’ RBI double and pinch-hitter Stephanie Boutelle’s hit.

The quietest inning of the day, the seventh, as Joyner retired the Bulldogs in order.