COLUMBUS, Georgia - The Warriors hit the road on a lengthy trip to the East Coast for weekend matchups in Columbus, Georgia. They look forward to a total of five games between now and Sunday against top ranked teams in the country.
"It was a slow start after an 18-hour travel day yesterday, but a couple of late rallies and a duo in the circle from Serena and Bella solidified a strong start going into a strong matchup with no. 4 Georgia Gwinnett," said head coach
Brie Campbell on the overall trip thus far.
The bats lifted the Warriors to a victory in the first game of the day against Milligan University, 7-4, but unfortunately fell to Georgia Gwinnett in game two, 2-1. The Warriors sit at a 7-2 record on the season.
In Milligan's first game of their season, the Buffaloes jumped on top in the first two innings to secure the lead 2-0. Their lead would not hold long as the Warrior's bats sparked some big hits.
Kaylee Winn doubled, driving in
Sam Lorge (3-4) and
Sarah Giles (2-3). Giles and
Maddy Ybarra hit the long ball to extend the Warrior lead to secure the win in a final score of 7-4.
Serena Navarrete got the nod in game one, clinching her second win of the season, and it seemed a dominant duo between her and reliever
Bella MacFarlane.
The Warriors continued their competitive schedule in game two, facing number four in the country and reigning NAIA Pitcher of the Year, Georgia Gwinnett.
Jessup suffered their second season loss with shut-out pitching from the opposing pitcher of the Grizzlies, falling in a final of 2-1.
Katie Blankenheim threw seven innings with a solid defense to keep the Warriors in a tight contest. Only three hits came from the Jessup lineup, coming from Olivia Domiguez,
Madisyn Leffle, and
Sarah Giles.
Giles hit another towering home run in the top of the fifth to pull the Warriors within one. This totals Gile's home runs on the season at six. Jessup would eventually fall 2-1.
"It was a phenomenal showing from Katie in the circle, getting better as the game progressed, and again, Sarah showed her hot bat at the right time to answer in one of just three hits on the reigning pitcher of the year. The finish today wasn't what we hoped, but we learned from it and can't wait to get back to work tomorrow," continued Campbell.
The Warriors will be back in action tomorrow at 12:30 PM and 2:30 PM Pacific time against the University of Mobile Louisiana Christian.
***
Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter & Instagram).
