Gaston College softball program's historic week continues in DH split with perennial national power

It's only Tuesday, but Gaston College softball continued a historic week in school history with a doubleheader split against national power Louisburg at Gastonia's CaroMont Health Park.

The Rhinos lost 6-4 in 8 innings, then won 11-1 in 6 innings by the 8-run mercy rule in the doubleheader.

It came one day after Gaston College (19-3) received votes in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I poll for the first time.

"I think it's kind of that next step for us as a program," Rhinos head coach Mike Steuerwald said. "Louisburg has been kind of the bar in this state for years. For us to get to where we want to be nationally, we've got to continue to do what we did today and win games against teams like Louisburg."

The visiting Hurricanes, who have won five straight Region 10 titles and advanced to four straight NJCAA Division II World Series, started the season as the No. 1 ranked team in the NJCAA Division II preseason poll and were No. 2 in Monday's first regular season poll.

"Obviously we would've loved to have swept both and we did a lot of things well in Game 1, just not enough to be on the right side of the scoreboard," Steuerwald said.

Louisburg ended Gaston College's 15-game winning streak by overcoming a 4-3 deficit to force extra innings then scoring twice in the eighth inning for the victory in the opener.

The Rhinos responded in the nightcap after falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first inning.

Louisburg's run came on the lone hit yielded by unbeaten freshman right-hander Abigail Brewton (11-0) as Gaston College scored three times in the fourth and fifth innings and five more in the sixth to end the game early.

"I absolutely loved our response in Game 2," Steuerwald said. "We figured out a way to get better. And Brew just was lights out again."

Alayna Patrick's two-run home run in the fourth gave the Rhinos the lead for good and she was a part of an impressive 14-hit attack in the nightcap that was highlighted by seven extra bases including home runs from Patrick, Grace Kealy and Emma Ghorley.

Gabrielle Porterfield (4 hits, triple), Kendall Bradshaw (3 hits, double), Skye Harrington (3 hits, 1 RBI), Kealy (double, home run, 3 RBIs), Ghorley (triple, home run, 3 RBIs) and Logan Lilly (2 hits, double) led Gaston College's offense on Tuesday with Ghorley's three-run home run ending the second game with one out on the bottom of the sixth inning.

Brewton struck out 13 in her 6-inning one-hitter and opening game starter Abigail Gawlinski was a hard luck loser in an 8-inning seven-hitter.

"That's a great squad that was just played," said Steurwald, whose team visits Louisburg for a 2 p.m. doubleheader on March 6. "There's a reason they're top five nationally and in the World Series year-in and year-out. You have to do things right to beat them and, fortunately for us, we did a lot of things well."

The Rhinos return to action Friday with a 2 p.m. doubleheader against Gordon State at Gastonia's CaroMont Health Park.