Brenau Delivers Back-to-Back One Hit Games

Gainesville, GA - After a long, stressful weekend on the road, the Brenau University Golden Tigers were ready to play on their home field, at the Lanier Park Softball Complex. The #5 Brenau Softball Team was scheduled to face off against the Columbia College Fighting Koalas. Both teams were eager at the chance to add more wins to their record; Columbia had just celebrated defeating Southern Wesleyan, in their series, and Brenau had just lost 4 straight games to the 1st and 6th placed teams, in the Southern States Athletic Conference.

Going into the series, the Golden Tigers were a bit anxious, due to the fact that Columbia had beaten Lee, when they had competed earlier, in the season (Lee was one of the teams Brenau was defeated by this past weekend). Fortunatley, Brenau was able to put their worries aside, and perform just as they had been doing, several games ago. The Golden Tigers took the series from the Fighting Koalas, winning both games in 5 innings. With these victories, Brenau became 30-6 in their overall record, and 14-4 in conference. As for Columbia, they accepted their 2 losses, which brought them to 10-10 in conference, and 14-16 overall.

When the Golden Tigers stepped onto their field, in the first game, it was evident to all spectators that they were fired up, and were bound and determined to make a statement to the conference, by coming back strong in conference play and defeating Columbia. Once Brenau stepped up to the plate, each batter took advantage of every pitch the Fighting Koalas threw their way. The Golden Tigers earned 4 runs, in the 1st inning, allowing them to build up their momentum and confidence. In the 2nd inning, Brenau placed another run on the board, bringing their lead to 5-0. The Koalas were attempting to get on base, any way they could, but the Golden Tigers were down, and ready to pounce, at every opportunity they had in defending their score. With that said, neither team managed a run in the 3rd inning; however, Brenau knocked 2 additional runs on board, in the 4th. With the score at 7-0, the Brenau University Softball Team took every precaution in the 5th inning, they executed flawlessly on the plate and on the field. In the final inning, the Golden Tigers earned another run, bringing the score to 8-0; authorizing the run rule to go into effect, and ending the game early.

As a team, the Golden Tigers had 13 hits, without making any errors. Contributing to this impressive display of batting was Tiffany Schandera (Columbus, GA), who went 3-3, at the plate, with a single, a double, and a triple. Jacqueline McWhorter (Columbus, GA) went 2-4, with 2 singles, while Katie Bolin (Danielsville, GA) had gone 1-2 at bat, earning a homerun and a RBI. Both Kristina Reynolds (Bogart, GA) and Jana Bryant (Marietta, GA) each received a single apiece, and Sally Duggan (Huntsville, AL) earned a double. Jenny Shepherd (Martinez, GA) had a big game, going 2-3 at bat, with a homerun, a single, and 4 RBIs, while Taylor Kelly (Toccoa, GA) went 2-3, with a single and double. Moreover, Anna Maness (Seagrove, NC) had a played a dramatic role in the shut out, by throwing 5 strikeouts, and allowing only 1 hit for the entire game!

In the early innings of the second game, there was a completely different tone on the field. Brenau University, nor Columbia College, could pull out a hit which would earn them a run. Both teams were focused on defense, determined not to give their opponents any unearned runs. This tempo continued for the entire 1st and 2nd innings, however, the Golden Tigers were on the prowl, in the 3rd. When Brenau was at bat, in the 3rd inning, it seemed as though a canon was firing off from home platedelivering run, after run, after run. A total of 9 runs were scored, in that inning alone. Once the 4th inning had commenced, the Golden Tigers were sure about 2 things: they would shut out Columbia, and they would run up the score, as much as they could. They accomplished their 1st goal, just by relying on Jenny Shepherd's pitching; in regards to the 2nd point of focus, Brenau managed to earn 2 more runs, in the 4th. Both teams were in a deadlock in the 5th inning; as neither team was able generate a run. With that said, Brenau University won their last game, 11-0.

Shepherd continued to be a force at bat, when she went 2-3, with a homerun, a single, and 3 RBIs; what's more, she pitched a 1 hit game, with 10 strikeouts. Reynolds was determined not to be outdone, by going 2-3 at the plate, earning a homerun, a double, and 2RBIs. Sally Duggan and Taylor Schrader (Henegar, AL) each contributed with a single play. On the other hand, Bolin went 2-3, with a double, a single, and 2 RBIs. Lana Lazar (Sharpsburg, GA) also made a presence on the field, when she went 1-3, with single and 2 RBIs.

The Brenau University Golden Tigers are scheduled to play Lee University on Tuesday, April 12th, @ 4 and 6pm. Fans are asked to come out and support Brenau, as they attempt to settle their score, against the Lady Flames.