Long layoff no problem for No. 10 Gaston College softball

After wintry weather has kept No. 10 ranked Gaston College off the softball field for much of the last three weeks, the Rhinos got back in action with a second straight doubleheader sweep on Friday afternoon at Gastonia's CaroMont Health Park.

After sweeping Bryant & Stratton, Va., on Jan. 30, Gaston College swept Pitt Community College with 3-0 and 10-2 victories on Friday afternoon.

"It's been tough because you can't get into a consistent flow of practicing and playing," said Rhinos coach Michael Steuerwald, whose team has currently lost eight scheduled games due to cancellation or postponement so far this season. "
"The weather this week affected our practice a little bit. We came out Wednesday and shoveled for almost two hours as a team just to make sure the field was playable. I think you want to have some consistency and a rhythm.
"Hopefully, today kind of kick starts that."

The Rhinos got two-hit pitching from freshman Aidan Ledbetter in the opener and another strong effort from freshman starter and winner Sophia Crist in the nightcap.

Ledbetter had a no-hitter for 4 1/3 innings before a pair of infield hits set up an inning-ended double play when the Rhinos held a 1-0 lead because of Katelyn Brandon's fourth-inning home run.

Ledbetter field a safety squeeze bunt and the first out by throwing to first baseman McKenna Jones. Then Jones fired to catcher Alexa Bianchi-Rossi for the inning-ending out.

"It was a scoreless game through three innings and Aidan pitched extremely well," Steuerwald said. "We had to make a couple of big defensive plays to keep the game scoreless."

Bianchi-Ross' RBI double in the bottom of the fifth and Adah Bruining's RBI triple in the sixth added two more key runs.

In the nightcap, Arissa Duff had two hits, including a three-run home run that was the first of her career and highlighted an eight-run first inning for the Rhinos.

"In game two, we were getting better swings," Steuerwald said. "Hopefully, we can continue that tomorrow because Georgia Highlands is a really competitive team to play."

Gaston College returns to action on Saturday for a 1 p.m. doubleheader back at Gastonia's CaroMont Health Park against Georgia Highlands.