Gaston College advances in NJCAA World Series

Gaston College's softball team took an opening round win in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I World Series on Monday at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala.

The Rhinos, the No. 14 seed in the 20-team event, improved to 61-4 this season with a 3-1 victory over Wabash Valley College, Ill., to advance to Tuesday's 2:15 p.m. contest against No. 3 seed Northeast Alabama Community College.

"It's going be a challenge because they're really good and really well-coached," said Gaston College coach Michael Steuerwald of the Northeast Alabama Community College program, which a coach on its staff that has worked with Steuerwald on Team USA. "Some of my best friends are on that coaching staff.
"So, from the coaching side and preparation side, we're going to have to be a sharp as we've ever been."

To advance on Monday afternoon, the Rhinos rallied from an early 1-0 deficit with a three-run fifth inning rally and seventh-inning defensive heroics. The win came in a game whose start was delayed nearly two hours by rain.

Trailing 1-0 after run in the top of the fourth, Savanna Mullins started the game-winning rally with a single in the bottom of the fifth. Pinch-runner Mallie Courson replaced Mullins, stole second base and scored on Addison Marr's pinch-hit RBI single. Jalyn Kopp re-entered to run for Marr and scored on Alexi Bianchi-Rossi' RBI single. Katelyn Brandon finished the rally by driving in Bianchi-Rossi with a two-out RBI double.

In the top of the seventh inning, Gaston College starter and winner Sophia Crist yielded one of the four hits she allowed and one of the three walks she allowed. But the Rhinos' defense supported her with a double play when third baseman Miranda Wall snared a line drive and fired to first baseman McKenna Jones. And, after the walk, centerfielder Mary Hinson caught a fly ball on the warning track for the game's final out.

"I'm expecting that by playing today, we're a little more relaxed," said Steuerwald, whose team won its 24th game after playing its first game in 13 days. "The first game today, I thought we were a little uptight, especially on the offensive side. Hopefully, we've gotten that out of our system and we'll be ready to roll."