Gaston College splits doubleheader at 2023 World Series participant

A record-setting effort from freshman Grace Kealy and another solid start from freshman pitcher Abigail Brewton sparked Gaston College to a split of a doubleheader at 2023 National Junior College Athletic Association World Series participant Gordon State.

After the host Highlanders won 3-2 in the opener, the Rhinos rolled to a 14-1 victory stopped after five innings by the mercy rule.

"It was a tough first game where we missed some opportunities," said Gaston College head Mike Steuerwald, whose team is 3-1 on the season. " "Little things could've gone our way that didn't but we had some opportunties that we missed.
"But we responded in the second game. And it was the top of the lineup with Kealy hitting an opposite field home run in the first inning. Brew came out and struggled with control in the first inning walking two, then she came back and locked in and had eight strikeouts in five innings."

Kealy set school single-game records with two home runs and eight RBIs in the nightcap and five total hits including the two home runs and a double in the doubleheader.

Other offensive standouts were Kendall Bradshaw (3 hits, 1 RBI), Emma Ghorley (2 hits, 3 RBIs), Alayna Patrick (2 hits, double, 1 RBI) and Dakota Marshall (2 hits).

Abigail Gawlinski was the hard-luck loser in the opening game with a six-hitter with four strikeouts in the opener before Brewton threw a five-inning complete game with three hits and one unearned run allowed with eight strikeouts.

Since Gaston College's Region 10 champion plays as Region 17 for a best-of-three district tournament that'll send its winner to the NJCAA World Series, the Rhinos weekend features matchups with the two teams that played for the district title a year ago.

Gordon State won the title by upsetting Georgia Military for the 2023 title.

"From our end, I think we're where we want to be at the end of the season," Steuerwald said of the ongoing trip that concludes with Saturday's 1 p.m. doubleheader at Georgia Military. "The second game was the kind of response we have to have to get back to Alabama for the World Series.
"Gordon State is a team that's going to be right there. And tomorrow's opponent (Georgia Military) is another school we could face."