Augusta softball team sweeps Georgia College behind Tillman and Wilson

By Preston Hall | Sports writer

The Augusta University softball team swept Georgia College by scores of 4-2 and 5-4 in extra innings on Saturday, March 13, in Augusta.

The first game featured the pitching of AU junior Mary Tillman, who threw seven innings with seven hits, six strikeouts and two runs. 

AU (2-0, 8-8) had the bases loaded with no outs in the bottom of the first inning, but GC sophomore Mackenzie Michels was able to pitch around the Augusta batters and get out of the inning scoreless. 

“They didn’t get rattled when they didn’t score right off the bat” said AU Coach Melissa Brocato. “They just kept hitting and found success.”

Scoreless innings wouldn’t last long as in the bottom of the third inning AU Junior Madelyn Libby doubled, scoring senior Bella Fernandez and senior Summer Frye. Augusta wouldn’t wait long before adding to their lead as in the bottom of the fourth inning AU senior Lindsey South hit a solo homerun to extend the Jaguars lead 3-0.

Georgia College sophomore Carlie Behan scored in the fifth inning as well as AU senior Summer Frye hitting a home run to make the score 4-1 with the Jaguars on top.  

GC would score one run in the top of the seventh inning to tighten the score 4-2 but AU Junior Mary Tillman put the game away to secure game one.  

“We need to do a better job scoring when the opportunity is there,” said Brocato.

Game two started with AU freshman Chloe Wilson pitching. She went all seven innings as well as the one extra inning with seven strikeouts and eight hits as well as four runs. 

GC would jump out to an early lead as freshman Lauren Sommerer singled in the top of the third inning scoring GC freshman Sydney Newberry. GC would add to their lead in the same inning as Junior Haley Howell singled scoring Sommerer making the score 2-0. 

GC junior Haley Howell would hit a two-run homerun in the top of the fifth inning to extend their lead to 4-0. 

 AU would have two big innings back-to-back in the sixth and seventh as the Jaguars would tie the game with three homeruns coming from junior Madelyn Libby, junior Jakayla Sullivan and Frye. 

Game two would go into extra innings but the Jaguars would prevail in the bottom of the eighth with a walk-off single from junior Olivia Biles that scored senior Lindsey South.

Augusta secured the second game for the doubleheader sweep of Georgia College (0-2, 4-12). 

Augusta’s next game was scheduled to be against the Hillsdale Chargers (6-9) Sunday, March, 14 at Jaguar field. Game one of the doubleheader will begin at 1 p.m.

Contact Preston Hall at prhall@augusta.edu.

Mary Tillman delivers a pitch in the first-game win over Georgia College. (photo by Preston Hall)