Gaston College sweeps Pitt Community College on Friday afternoon

The depth and flexibility that Gaston College softball coach Michael Steurerwald has on his roster this season is beginning to pay dividends.

That positive trend was evident Friday as the Rhinos swept a doubleheader from Pitt Community College in their first action of the season in the familiar confines of Caromont Health Park.

After the Rhinos opened the doubleheader with an 8-3 win, two first-year players came through with big hits to help Gaston College roll to a 9-1 victory in game two.

The sweep against a scrappy Pitt team boosted the Rhinos to 8-2 for the season with another doubleheader scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. against Fayetteville Tech to close out a busy week.

"We are learning to stay locked in throughout the game because we have more people up and down the lineup that can swing it," Steuerwald said. "I like it because we can move pieces around and do more things with the lineup."

For example, freshman Kinsey Reid of Concord came through with a bases-clearing three RBI double in the bottom of the fifth inning to end game two innings early on the eight-run mercy rule.

Reid had been inserted into the game to play defense but delivered at the plate.

"We are not going to pull her once we put her in for the defensive side, so it was huge for her to get the big hit and clear the bases," Steuerwald said of Reid.

Abigail Gawlinski (3-2) got the win in the circle in the first game, allowing three runs on four hits while striking out two and walking one. Only one of the Bulldogs' three runs was earned.

The Rhinos staked Gawlinski to an early lead, striking for three runs in each of the first two innings. Freshman Grace Kealy hit a two-run home run in the first, and Kendall Bradshaw doubled in three runs in the second for a 6-0 cushion.

Bradshaw (3-for-3, 3 RBIs), Alayna Patrick (2-4, 2 RBI double) and Skye Harrington (2-3) led an 11-hit Gaston College attack.

In game two, Abigail Brewton pitched out of a jam in the first inning but settled down to go the distance, fashioning a three-hitter with eight strikeouts. The freshman out of Enka High School flirted with a shutout until Pitt (0-2) pushed across a run in the top of the fifth.

"She (Brewton) always finds a way to walk one or two, but she usually works herself out of those," Steuerwald said. "Once she settles in and finds the strike zone, she does a good job of locking in and working to the zone the umpire gives her."

Sophomore Gabrielle Porterfield was a catalyst offensively in game two. She had a lead-off double in the third inning and scored to make it 2-0, then hit a two-run home run over the left field fence in the fourth to spark a three-run spurt.

Freshman Phoebe Cole, batting in the ninth hole, set up Porterfield's at-bat with a triple to right, one of three extra-base hits in the inning for the Rhinos.

Porterfield (2-for-3, 2-run HR) and Emma Ghorley (3-for-3) had multiple hits in the second game.

Gaston College banged out seven extra-base hits for the doubleheader and stole 11 bases.