On Friday, the Gordon State College softball team was on the road at Sand Mountain Park in Albertville, Alabama to compete in the Sand Mountain Classic, finishing the day with a 1-1 split. Coach Ally Hatterman said of her young team, “I am incredibly proud of the grit, fight, and energy in both games played.”
Stats from both games have been summarized below.
Game 1: Gordon State 7, Central Alabama 6
The Highlanders began the day with a 7-6 victory over Central Alabama. Central Alabama was ranked #14 in the nation in NJCAA Division II.
Offensively, Lauren Wilcher and Macey Batchelor led the charge with two hits each, while Riley Haley, Faith Southern, Emme Hartman, Katie Lemonds, Lily Alpough, and Joni Littlejohn each had one hit. Wilcher (Barnesville, GA), who went 2-for-5, also had two stolen bases and crossed the plate twice.
Coach Hatterman applauded Lily Alpough (Williamson, GA), who had a clutch RBI on a pinch hit in the win.
Riley Haley (Eastman) had a great performance. She reached base twice in two at-bats with one RBI while also stealing a base. In the circle, Haley went 6.2 innings, earning the win after allowing seven hits, four earned runs, and striking out six.
Coach Hatterman was thrilled to officially start the softball season with a win. “It was a back-and-forth battle,” she said, praising her players’ effort, which shone through in diving catches, clutch pinch-hit singles, RBIs on sacrifice flies, strong defensive stops, and solid pitching.
Game 2: Gordon State 0, Northwest–Shoals 4
Gordon had a hard time getting started in the second game, but second baseman Lily Alpough was able to get two hits off a tough Patriots pitcher—Jacey Moore.
Coach Hatterman analyzed the loss, saying, “We didn’t have a ton of hits in the box score, but we barreled up some balls against a very good pitcher, which was encouraging. We had a rough start in the first inning, but once we settled in, it became a pitchers’ duel.” Kaylee MacDonald (Macon, GA) took control and kept Gordon in the game.
After loading the bases in a late rally in the 7th inning, the Highlanders came up short.
GCAA Recognizes Riley Haley
After a solid performance in the win over Central Alabama, the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association recognized Gordon pitcher Riley Haley and named her the GCAA Softball Player of the Week. Haley is a freshman from Eastman and a product of Bleckley County High School.
Grant Turner is the editor of the Barnesville Buzz and an educator, coach, and writer based in Barnesville, Georgia. He shares stories that bridge community, faith, and personal growth. In addition to teaching and coaching, Grant is Director of Musical Worship and a Sunday School teacher at New Hope Baptist Church in Zebulon, Georgia. He lives in Barnesville with his wife, Haley.
