In a college softball doubleheader held Wednesday at the Peeler Complex, there were essentially three seventh-inning meltdowns in the field. Only one changed the outcome of the ball game in which it occurred, and none worked in the favor of the home-standing Georgia College & State University Bobcats.
Non-conference tilts were usually good to the Bobcats and first-year head coach Kenneth Bellamy in 2024, but not Wednesday. The West Georgia Wolves of the Gulf South Conference visited Milledgeville for two and went on a scoring surge that began in the seventh inning of the opening contest. It carried over for a majority of Game 2, and it was two more losses for GCSU by finals of 6-4 and 18-14.
The first of the meltdowns was in the top of the seventh of Game 1 when the Bobcats needed to protect a one run lead of 3-2. The lead didn’t just flip on a two-run home run with nobody out, but West Georgia scored four in all and won despite surrendering one run in the bottom of the seventh.
The Bobcats were able to avoid a run-rule loss in Game 2 by scoring one time in the bottom of the fifth, thus taking away the Wolves’ eight-run advantage. With new life, GCSU got as close as five runs, 12-7, but left the bases loaded in both their fifth and sixth turns.
The game went into the seventh inning with the run rules no longer applying, and West Georgia exploded for six runs in the top half. The 11-run cushion was certainly needed because it was a 10-run game in the bottom half with the Wolves one out away from wrapping things up. Five Bobcat batters later, six more runs touched home.
The final out finally arrived for West Georgia’s sweep.
GCSU softball entered the doubleheader 16-7 in non-conference play but 4-11 in the Peach Belt Conference. At 20-20 overall, Bellamy’s club goes to Georgia Southwestern State in Americus for PBC action; the Hurricanes are only one game ahead of the Bobcats in the PBC at 5-10.
On Wednesday, senior Jana Shellhorse was Bellamy’s starting pitcher, and she cruised through two innings not giving up a hit. The offense staked her to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second as Divina Checo doubled to right and scored on senior McKenzie Martin’s single to left, all with one out.
West Georgia tied the game 1-1 in the top of the third as tough leadoff hitter Zekylah Boyd tripled to left-center with two outs and nobody on base. She scored on a Megan Waites single.
Walks were an issue for Shellhorse, two free passes later filling the bases. She retired the side, though, on a 3-2 pitch.
In the home fourth, Kam Caldwell was on base when Checo lined a tie-breaking home run.
For the sixth and seventh innings, Shellhorse would walk the leadoff hitter, and both came around to score. Down 3-1 after five, West Georgia plated the one run in the top of the sixth on a Madison Vandergriff double.
All three of the Bobcat outfielders made a difficult catch deep in windy conditions, and two came in the sixth. Maddie Todd grabbed a ball in left for the second out, and the inning ended on a foul tip secured by catcher Shea Zweifel. It was Shellhorse’s sixth and final strikeout.
A West Georgia pinch-hitter, Rylee Green, ripped the game-winning two-run home run with nobody out in the top of the seventh. As Bellamy changed pitchers, the Wolves continued to pour it on with two more runs on two hits and one walk. The Bobcats also committed the game’s three errors, all on bunts, stolen bases and fielder’s choice plays.
Checo singled for her third hit (a triple shy of the cycle) and scored her third run in the home seventh.
In Game 2, five Bobcat pitchers couldn’t halt the West Georgia momentum. Makayla Register, freshman from West Laurens High, belted a two-out two-run home run in the top of the first inning.
GCSU tied things up in the home half as Emily Hobbs doubled to left, Caldwell walked and freshman catcher Karlie Gutierrez bunted her way on to fill the bags. Unlike later in the game, the Bobcats brought some runs home on Stephanie Condland’s walk and Checo’s sacrifice fly.
West Georgia, though, scored in every inning but the sixth. It was just one in the second on three hits, but the third was much worse, a four-spot on six hits and one walk.
Down 7-2, the Bobcats got two back in the third on a Gutierrez RBI single and Condland’s sacrifice fly.
The score was 8-4 after four complete, then in the fifth it was about walks and a three-run triple for Register. Vandergriff drove her home for the eight-run advantage, 12-4.
Condland batted with the bases loaded and nobody out in the home fifth. Her second sacrifice fly gave the Bobcats the run needed to keep the game going, but after Checo walked the hosts didn’t score again.
West Georgia left the bags full as well without scoring in the top of the sixth, and GCSU got hits from pinch-hitter Kacie Wiggins and Hobbs to set up Gutierrez’ two-run triple. With the score 12-7, the Bobcats got two walks to loaded the bases, but the inning ended on a force out.
West Georgia’s six-run seventh featured three hits, two walks and one two-out error after which all runs scored. Every run was thus unearned but counted to make it 18-7.
Todd doubled to lead off the Bobcat seventh, and it would be the first of her two hits in the frame. She scored on Hobbs’ one-out single, and then her team had two on with two down when Jessica Owens got into the act with an RBI double (18-9).
Afterwards, Condland doubled in two for a five-RBI game (18-11) and two ’Cats – Martin and Todd – dropped in hits for the last three runs. Todd was on third base when play ended three hours and 17 minutes after the first pitch.
