Gaston College softball takes first-ever NJCAA World Series victory to continue historic season

Gaston College softball team's season of setting history continued Monday night on the National Junior College Athletic Association's biggest stage.

The Rhinos rallied from an early deficit and got another impressive pitching performance from Kristyn Ezzo to win 6-2 over Trinity Valley, Tex., for the program's first World Series victory.

The result advanced into Wednesday's 6:45 p.m. Eastern Time contest against the winner of Tuesday's 4:15 p.m. matchup between No. 2 seed McLennan, Tex., and No. 18 seed Rose State, Okla.

"It was a great game and great win," Gaston College coach Mike Steuerwald said. "They're a really good team and have been in the top 10 all season."

Gaston College improved its school-best record to 61-3 while extending its school-record winning streak to 28 games after trailing 1-0 through 3 1/2 innings.

The Rhinos, ranked No. 10 in the final NJCAA regular season poll, had a four-run fourth and two-run fifth in their win over the No. 8 Cardinals.

The victory moves Gaston College into the second round winner's bracket of the 20-team tournament at Pacific Avenue Athletic Complex in Yuma, Ariz.; The Rhinos had gone 0-2 in 2023 in their first trip to the NJCAA World Series.

In the fourth, Savanna Mullins' one-out RBI single evened the score at 1. Later in the inning, Savanna Price's RBI double gave Gaston College the lead for good and Mary Hinson's RBI groundout and Kendall Bradshaw's sacrifice fly knocked in the last two runs of the inning.

The Rhinos made it 6-1 in the fifth on RBI singles by Alayna Patrick and Mullins.

Mullins (3 hits, 2 RBIs) and Price (2 hits, 1 RBI) led Gaston College's nine-hit offense and Ezzo improved her seasonal record to 24-0 with an eight-hitter with six strikeouts.

"Ezzo did a great job in the circle for us," Steuerwald said. "And Mullins just had a day at the plate.
"We put some things together there in those two innings. We used the small game to create a little chaos there."