The Georgia Military College Bulldogs took on Chattanooga State Community College Tigers Wednesday in a non-conference doubleheader at Couch Field. The Tigers, ranked as the #12 team in the preseason polls by NJCAA, won both games 4-1 and 8-3.
Game one was a rematch of starting pitchers from the National Championship game in Arizona between Jana Shellhorse and Samantha Ryan. The Tigers picked up a run in the first inning off a single and an error made by the Bulldog defense. The Bulldogs responded in the bottom half of the first inning as Lilly Griffith, who reached on a single to right field and then stole second base, scored from a throwing error by the Tigers catcher. The game remained tied at one until the top of the third inning. The Tigers leadoff batter reached on the double to right-center and later scored on a sacrifice fly to deep left-center; centerfielder Mary Katherine Lawrence made a great running catch. The Bulldogs had an opportunity in the bottom half of the third inning as Shellhorse led with a walk, but Ryan shut down Bulldogs' bats. Chattanooga State added two more runs, and the Bulldogs' offense could not get anything else going against the Tigers' pitcher. Shellhorse went seven innings, allowing just two earned runs and striking out six batters faced.
Game two also started with both teams scoring in their opening innings. The Tigers scored on a single and sacrifice fly. Makensey Sapp single to centerfield and scored the first run for the Bulldogs on an error by the Tigers defense. The Bulldogs took the lead first in the bottom of the third inning when Griffith doubled to left-center and scored Sapp's sacrifice fly. The lead didn't last as the Tigers answered back in the fourth inning with four runs on seven hits, giving them a 5-2 lead. In the sixth inning, the Tigers added an extra run off a Bulldog throwing error. The Bulldogs got one run back in the sixth inning, as Griffith sparked a fire with a leadoff home run to centerfield (her third of the season), and Mackenzie Kilpatrick followed with a single up the middle before the Tigers pitcher shut down the rally. The Tigers added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh, and the Bulldogs could not catch up at the end. Layla Barron pitched the complete game, allowing eight runs and striking out three batters.
Lilly Griffith led the Bulldogs at the plate Wednesday, going 3-6 with three runs scored, a stolen base, and a home run. Kilpatrick had two hits in the doubleheader, and Sapp added a hit and an RBI. "Chattanooga State is a highly competitive team, and I thought that we matched up with them well," commented Coach Bunn. "We have a few things that we have to clean up but playing a quality team like this will only make us better as the season progresses."
The Bulldogs head out Friday morning to Oxford, Alabama, to participate in the JUCO Extravaganza held at Choccolocco Park. The Bulldogs will face some stout competition as they have games against Louisburg College, Wabash Valley, Wallace-Hanceville, and Central Alabama. Please visit the Georgia Military College Bulldogs website www.gmcbulldogs.com for game times and schedules.
