Gaston College erupts for 28 runs in doubleheader sweep

Gaston College scored 28 runs, banged 21 hits and had two players hit their first collegiate home runs on Tuesday as Gaston College's softball team rolled to a doubleheader sweep at Brunswick Community College by 17-4 and 11-3 scores.

Both games were shortened to five innings by the mercy rule.

"It's always good to get wins and have a bit of a win streak going," said Rhinos head coach Mike Steuerwald, whose team has won three straight games and is 6-2 overall this season. "We hit the ball well but we didn't pitch as well or field as well as we could've. So there's some little things we want to do better."

In the opener, Gaston College led 10-0 after 2 1/2 innings before cruising a 13-run victory that featured grand slam home runs from sophomore Gabrielle Porterfield and freshman Emma Ghorley. Both were college career firsts.

In the nightcap, the Rhinos roared ahead 11-0 after two innings and the host Dolphins didn't score until the bottom of the fifth.

Ghorley (3 hits, 2 doubles, home run, 8 RBIs), Porterfield (3 hits, home run, 4 RBIs), Grace Kealy (3 hits, 3 RBIs), Kendall Bradshaw (3 hits, double, 3 RBIs), Layla Manning (3 hits, 4 RBIs) and Logan Lilly (2 hits, double, 1 RBI) led Gaston College's offense.

On the mound, starter and winner Abigail Gawlinski (4 innings) and Phoebe Cole (1 inning) combined on a 3-hitter in the opener and Abigal Brewton threw a 4-hitter with nine strikeouts in the nightcap.

The Rhinos return to action with two home doubleheaders this weekend - Friday at 1 p.m. against Pitt Community College at Bessemer City's Stinger Park and Saturday at 2 p.m. against Fayetteville Tech at East Gaston High School.