Gaston College has a pair of softball sister acts this season

"A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves, and very much not ourselves—a special kind of double," writes Toni Morrison on the definition of sisterhood.

With that perspective in mind, the Gaston College softball team has been infused with a double dose of doubles.

Layla Manning and TyLeah Porterfield have joined their older sisters on the 2023-24 roster, giving the Rhinos a sisterhood that is both literal and figurative.

Not only that, both pairs of sisters play in the outfield.

"It's been fun to have both younger sisters in the mix this year, pushing the returnees to be better and pushing for playing time," Gaston College coach Michael Steuerwald said. "Both sisters add a level of speed that we didn't have last year in a lot of positions, so we look forward to utilizing their skill sets to help us create some chaos."

Both younger sisters were eager to join the GC sisterhood after last year's edition of the Rhinos won Region 10 and National Junior College Athletic Association district titles and advanced to the NJCAA World Series.

Their older siblings, sophomores Gabrielle Porterfield and Grace Manning, were starters on a 2022-23 Gaston College squad that went 43-10 overall and 15-1 in Region 10.

Gabrielle, out of Lexington, S.C., started all 53 games and batted .297 with a team-leading 39 stolen bases.

TyLeah seems to be a carbon copy of her sister in terms of athleticism, and she brings a combination of speed and depth to the Rhinos' outfield.

TyLeah, who admits to being quieter and more reserved than her sister, was asked why she chose the Rhinos as her college destination.

"I wanted to play on the field with my sister one last time," Tyleah answered.

She defines herself as a slap hitter with a knack for getting on base and making something happen with her speed.

From her perspective, Gabrielle is glad to have her sister and the other new players on a roster that was shy on depth a year ago.

"I think we all got burned out a bit last year," Gabrielle said. "But now we have more depth to help us out so we can go all the way."

Indeed, with only six players returning from last year, this is a new-look Gaston College team.

Gabrielle looks at the fresh infusion of talent as a plus.

"There is more competitiveness this year. We compete hard against each other. That will help us get ready for games," she said.

Layla Manning, who played high school softball at Weddington in Union County, said she chose Gaston College because the program "is closer to home and plays good competition. They play fall and spring seasons, and I can get good exposure in the fall."

The Mannings "have played together pretty much our whole lives," said Layla.

And they enjoy the sibling rivalry on the playing field.

"We think we can both be competitive and have a good time doing it," said Grace Manning, who started 52 games last season in the outfield for the Rhinos.

According to Gabrielle Porterfield, the newcomers and the returnees are blending nicely; in other words, it's a sisterhood.

"We all mesh well together and hang out outside of softball. The communication is strong this year," Gabrielle Porterfield said.