GMC News
JUCO Softball Splits With Andrew
GMC softball splits with Andrew JUCO
By Ross Couch – The Union-Recorder
The Georgia Military College Lady Dogs fell 8-4 in a sloppy five error game Saturday against Andrew Junior College but bounced back in the second contest to outscore them 8-0.
\”We knew the first game might get a little rough,\” GMC head coach Rob Brunnel said on the loss. \”The girls were jittery and nervous, but they battled and kept their heads up. Andrew has played six games already. These were our first two. I expected them to be nervous.\”
GMC started off the first game of their inaugural season on Couch Field by walking Andrew\’s leadoff and number two batters. The first pitch to the third batter, Felicia Pittman, skipped by GMC catcher Jennifer Mixon, allowing both runners to advance.
On the next pitch, Pittman sent a hot ground ball that kicked past third base into left field, giving Andrew a 1-0 lead. The cleanup hitter for Andrew, Dana Jackson, hit another ground ball to the left side of the infield, but this one was snagged by Sarah Adams. Her throw was errant, allowing another Andrew run to cross the plate. The Lady Dogs settled down after the second error, sitting down the next three batters in order.
Freshman Kelly Howell was first up for GMC in its half of the first. She delivered, ripping a triple into the right-center gap. Brittany Miller followed Howell\’s lead, pushing a single into right field, and giving the Lady Dogs their first run. The next three batters could do little, however, making the score 2-1 after the first inning.
Neither team could muster any offense in the second inning, but Andrew put up three more in the third. In the fourth inning, GMC tried to make a comeback. Jennifer Mixon led off the inning with a solo homer to dead centerfield, the first collegiate homerun on Couch field.
Sarah Adams followed Mixon with a single up the middle. Bandy Foskey then knocked in Adams, who had stolen second and third, for GMC\’s third run.
Andrew put up two more runs in the fifth and another in sixth, with GMC scratching for only one more in the fifth. Jennifer Mixon was the leading batter for GMC, going 3-4 with a homerun, a stolen base and a run scored.
In the second game, GMC came out strong. Howell and Miller started the first inning for the Lady Dogs with groundouts to the middle infielders. Adams followed with a single up the middle, advancing to second and third on passed balls. Ashley Broderick\’s double to right-center scored Adams, and Jennifer Mixon\’s double to left scored Broderick. GMC didn\’t look back.
The Lady Dogs put up three more runs in the third, and three more in the fifth, cruising to an easy victory. Jennifer Mixon was the leading hitter, going 3-3 with a single, double and two-run homerun.
\”We played strong fundamentally in the second game\” said Brunell. \”We only had one error and we attacked the ball offensively. Jennifer Mixon was huge in both games. These are great girls, and they showed that that can compete at this level.\”
The Lady Dogs will be in action Thursday at Gordon College, and again on Saturday against Middle Georgia at Couch field.
To reach sports writer Ross Couch, call him at (478) 453-1465.
