No. 23 Gaston College has 3-1 record for impressive weekend at JUCO Extravaganza

Gaston College's No. 23-ranked softball team extended its winning streak to seven games before dropping the finale of four games at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala., over the weekend.

The Rhinos (20-2) won 12-3 over Northeast Alabama Community College and 17-9 over Wallace Community College-Dothan, Ala., on Friday, then won 5-2 over Wallace-Community College-Hanceville, Ala., before losing Saturday's finale 8-1 to Snead State, Ala.

"We had chances to score in four of the last six innings against Snead State and things just didn't go well for us," Gaston College coach Mike Steuerwald said. "So it's disappointing to lose the last one of this weekend but if you had told me we'd be 7-1 the last two weekends, I'm taking that."

The Rhinos, who won four straight games last weekend in Georgia, had 35 runs and 34 hits this weekend.

Leaders of the offense were Kendall Bradshaw (6 hits, triple, home run, 7 RBIs), Skye Harrington (5 hits, double, 2 RBIs), Grace Kealy (3 hits, double, home run, 5 RBIs), Arissa Duff (4 hits, double, 1 RBI), Mary Hinson (4 hits), Alayna Patrick (3 hits, double, triple, 4 RBIs), Sarah Johnson (3 hits, double, 2 RBIs), Savanna Price (3 hits, 2 RBis) and Katelyn Brandon (2 hits, home run, 4 RBIs).

Kealy's efforts helped her reach 100 hits in her two-year Gaston College career.

"Up and down our lineup, we're an incredible group to try and pitch against," Steuerwald said of his offense. "One game it's Skye, one game it's Kealy, one game it's KB (Bradshaw) and another game it's Brandon.
"We did a lot of really good things against some really good pitchers."

On the mound, Mullins picked up the victory over Northeast Alabama, Abigail Brewton over Wallace-Dothan and Kristyn Ezzo over Wallace-Hanceville. Ezzo shined throughout the weekend by working 12 1/3 innings with six strikeouts while yielding only four unearned runs.

The Rhinos' challenging early-season schedule continues this week with a pair of home doubleheaders against perennial powers; Gaston College hosts No. 5 Walters State in a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Tuesday and hosts Gordon State in a noon doublehader on Saturday.

All four games will be played at Gastonia's CaroMont Health Park.

"Overall, as a group, we just have a lot of confidence in what we're doing right now," Steuerwald said. "Obviously we've got a tough stretch of games coming up with Walters State and Gordon State. We just need to keep playing hard and improving."