Gaston College extends winning streak to 7 with Friday's DH sweep

Gaston College's softball team completed its 14th doubleheader sweep of the season with a workmanlike effort in 11-3 and 8-3 victories over Brunswick Community College on Friday afternoon at Gastonia's CaroMont Health Park.

The victories extended the Rhinos' winning streak to seven games and improved their record 33-5 overall.

"Anytime you get the wins, it's good," said Gaston College coach Mike Steuerwald, whose team has received votes in the National Junior College Athletic Association poll five times in the last weeks. "I feel like we haven't been necessarily playing good but we've been doing what's necessary to get the wins. And winning is hard."

On Friday, Gaston College got complete game wins from starters Abigail Gawlinski (14-4) and Abigail Brewton (15-1).

Gawlinski yielded four hits, three runs (two earned) and three walks while striking out three in a game shortened to five innings by the 8-run rule. And Brewton yielded three hits, three runs (two earned) and one walk while striking out six.

The Rhinos' offense banged out 19 hits in the sweep and took advantage of 13 Brunswick errors.

Centerfielder Gabrielle Porterfield (5 hits, 3 RBIs), Alayna Patrick (4 hits, double, 2 RBIs), Grace Kealy (2 hits, double, 3 RBIs), Kendall Bradshaw (2 hits, 4 RBIs), Emma Ghorley (2 hits, double, 4 RBIs) and Skye Harrington (2 doubles, 1 RBI) led the attack.

In the opener, Gaston College took control with a five-run second inning for a 7-1 lead. Bradshaw's two-out RBI single closed out the game in the bottom of the fifth.

In the nightcap, the Rhinos used two hits and four Dolphins' fielding errors to score five runs in the fourth to snap a 3-all tie and account for the final margin.

"We hit some hard shots which put some pressure on the defense and we really took advantage of that in that one inning with the errors that they had," Steuerwald said. "In the games where we've struggled, we've had a lot of popups. When we're smoking the ball at people like we did today, we don't always find the gaps but we put pressure on the defense to make plays."

The Rhinos return to action with busy five-day stretch next week; Gaston College hosts Region 10 rival Spartanburg Methodist on Wednesday for a 4 p.m. doubleheader at Gastonia's CaroMont Health Park, visit No. 3-ranked NJCAA Division II power Louisburg next Friday in a 2 p.m. doubleheader and host Region 10 rival USC Sumter on April 14 in a 1 p.m. doubleheader that will also serve as "Sophomore Day" at CaroMonth Health Park.