FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 26, 2010

Contact:  Robert Preston, Jr.,
              912.260.4276
              robert.preston@sgc.edu

Lady Tigers Finish Spring Break Road Trip with Three Big Wins

The SGC Lady Tigers softball team improved its overall after a two home conference games against Young Harris and a Spring Break road trip to Alabama to face a pair of solid teams from the Yellowhammer State.

On Saturday, March 20, the Mountain Lions from Young Harris paid a visit to Douglas for an important conference series. SGC started off on the right foot, winning game one 5-3 behind solid outings by starter Holli Moore and reliever Becca Hewitt. SGC jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, then Young Harris chipped away in the third and fifth to tie the game at three. In the sixth, SGC scored two runs to take a 5-3 lead that stood for the remainder of the game. “We hit the ball well and played good defense. Holli and Becca did a good job of containing the Young Harris offense,” said head coach Rob Brunel.

Game two was a different story. The Lady Tigers took a step backwards and, thanks to inconsistent pitching and poor defense, fell to Young Harris 8-3. Coach Brunel went through two pitchers — starter Tiffany Davies and reliever Desirae Thomas — who struggled against Young Harris. He finally called on Becca Hewitt again, who came in and put a halted the Mountain Lions. By then, though, it was too late and Young Harris cruised to the victory.

While the rest of South Georgia College was just beginning its Spring Break on Monday, March 22, the Lady Tigers boarded a bus and headed to Dothan, Ala., for games on Monday and Tuesday afternoons. In the first series, against junior college powerhouse Wallace-Dothan, SGC came out with a 3-1 victory. The game was a pitcher’s duel until the seventh inning, when SGC broke things open with three runs to break a 0-0 tie. Wallace-Dothan added one run in the bottom of the frame but SGC kept the rally attempt in check. Desirae Thomas threw a complete game, and pitched as well as she has all year. “This was probably her best outing,” said Coach Brunel. “We hit the ball well all day but we just couldn’t get that clutch hit early in the game to drive in any runs.”

In the second game of the series, Coach Brunel decided to experiment with his line-up a bit and do some different things with his personnel. “I still had a few questions that needed to be answered with more conference games coming up. Wallace-Dothan is a very good team and I wanted to see what some of our players could do against a quality opponent,” he said. He found his answer, though it may not have been what he was looking for; Wallace-Dothan trounced the Lady Tigers 8-0.

Tuesday, SGC faced Lurleen B. Wallace Community College, another very good team about 45 miles from Dothan. The Lady Tigers responded well after the loss to Wallace-Dothan. SGC erupted for 10 runs to end the game in five innings. After a scoreless first inning, Lindsey Day started the barrage in the second with a two-run home run. The Lady Tigers scored four in the third and fourth to finish things off. Jessica Cooper (four innings) and Becca Hewitt (one inning) combined for the shutout. Day, Cecily DeMarco and Kasey Morris all hit well for SGC.

The Lady Tigers completed the sweep with a 3-0 win in the second game behind Tiffany Davies. This was another tight game, with neither team scoring until SGC plated one in the fifth and two more in the sixth. “We really had some clutch hits to score those runs late in the game,” said Coach Brunel. “All in all, it was a very good few days. It looks like we’re back on track. We’re hitting well and playing solid defense. It’s been very good for our team. The girls are having more fun and are more relaxed.”

The Lady Tigers are 13-11 on the season and 3-3 in conference play. Friday, they faced USC-Salkehatchie on the road for the final non-conference games of the season. Beginning March 31, SGC has five conference series remaining in the season, three of which are at home (Middle Georgia on April 7 at 3 p.m., Andrew College on April 14 at 3 p.m. and Georgia College on April 17 at 2 p.m.).

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About South Georgia College

South Georgia College (www.sgc.edu) was founded in 1906 and is a two-year institution in the University System of Georgia. Located in Douglas, Ga., the college's environment gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty.