Gaston College softball moves into winner's bracket semifinals with "run rule" victory

Gaston College's softball team scored early and often in an 11-1 victory over Rose State, Okla., in five innings by the "mercy rule" Wednesday night in the National Junior College Athletic Associatoin World Series in Yuma, Ariz.

On a day where temperatures reached 105 degrees, the Rhinos improved to 62-3 and advance to the winner's bracket semifinals of the 20-team event at 6:45 p.m. EDT against No. 3 Northwest Florida State.

"Obviously, they're a good team but we came out and hit the ball really well," Gaston College coach Mike Steuerwald said. Grace "Kealy's big hit in the first inning got us going and we did what we've done all year - and that's hammering pitches and putting pressure on the other pitcher.
"When they got one in the second, we came back and tacked on three more. With it being as hot as it is, we were happy to save (pitcher Kristyn) Ezzo some pitches and have a shorter game."

Kealy's three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning gave No. 7 seeded Gaston College control of the game from the outset.

After Ezzo yielded a home run in the top of the second inning, the Rhinos tacked on three runs in the bottom of the second for a 6-1 lead and then closed out the victory with five runs in the fourth.

Kendall Bradshaw a two-run double in the three-run second and Katelyn Brandon a two-run single, McKenna Jones a bases-loaded RBI walk and Bradshaw a two-run double to account for the five-run fourth.

Kristyn Ezzo fired a four-hitter with two strikeouts while setting a new school record with her 25th pitching victory.

Bradshaw (3 hits, 2 doubles, 4 RBIs) and Kealy (2 hits, home run, 3 RBIs) led Gaston College's 10-hit offense. And catcher Skye Harrington had one hit and threw out a would-be basestealer for No. 18 seed Rose State.

"It was good to see KB back on it with some really good hits," Steuerwald said. "And Skye did a fantastic job at the plate and she threw a kid out that was trying to steal."

Gaston College, ranked No. 10 in the final NJCAA regular season poll, improved its school-best record to 62-3 while extending its school-record winning streak to 29 games.