GULF SHORES, Ala. - Coming off a loss at home to crosstown rival Spring Hill College earlier in the week, the University of Mobile Softball team bounced back in impressive fashion over the weekend, winning all four games played in the annual Gulf Coast Invitational at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex. Overall, over 25 softball teams competed in Gulf Shores for the GCI tourney on Mar. 3-5 hosted by the University of Mobile, with Mobile playing two games each on both Friday and Saturday.
The Rams opened the tournament with a run-rule victory in five innings over Williams Baptist (Ark.) on a very windy Friday, and followed that with a 6-5 win over Saint Xavier (Ill.) University later that evening. On the next day, No. 2 Mobile went to war with No. 5 Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.) and managed to defeat the Lions in a pitcher's dual, 1-0. To conclude the tournament on Saturday evening, the Rams cruised past Texas A&M - San Antonio with a 10-2 victory to close out the weekend with a 4-0 record. Mobile's overall record on the season advances to 13-2 following the successful showing.
Game One Highlights (Fri.) - (2) Mobile 9, Williams Baptist 0
- The Rams controlled the tournament-opening game against Williams Baptist from start to finish, scoring one run to lead off the game.
- Mobile added six runs across the third and fourth innings, and closed out the game with two runs in the top of the fifth.
- Trailing 9-0, Williams Baptist struggled to muster any offense against Mobile, coming up with just two hits and falling via the run-rule in five innings.
- Brinkley Goff pitched a complete-game shutout for the Rams, throwing all five innings and recording four strikeouts.
- Offensively, Caitlin McRee finished 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs and Erin Degruise tallied a 2-for-3 line with a pair of runs driven in, scoring two runs herself. Katie Head worked two walks and tallied one hit, driving in two runs.
- Mobile out-hit Williams Baptist, 9-2.
Game Two Highlights (Fri.) - Saint Xavier 5, (2) Mobile 6
- Friday's nightcap saw more competition for Mobile as the Rams came away with just a one-run win.
- Mobile's offense started strong, tallying three runs in the first and adding a run in the second inning.
- In the top of the third, Saint Xavier managed three runs of their own to cut the deficit to just one run.
- After scoring another run in the bottom half of the third, Mobile later allowed two Saint Xavier runners to score and tie the game at five runs a piece in the top of the fifth.
- Eventually, Mobile scored the go-ahead run off a Caitlin McRee single in the bottom of the fifth, winning the contest 6-5 after two scoreless innings to close out the game.
- Emily Butts pitched all seven innings for Mobile, earning the win and notching four strikeouts.
- Katie Head and Madi Robertson both recorded 3-for-4 batting lines at the plate, while five players in the lineup tallied one RBI each.
- Both teams finished with 12 hits in the ballgame.
Game Three Highlights (Sat.) - (5) Freed-Hardeman 0, (2) Mobile 1
- In a battle of NAIA top-five teams on Saturday afternoon, Mobile managed a shutout against No. 5 Freed-Hardeman.
- The game remained scoreless through the first five innings, with Mobile's Ashlyn Stewart driving in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth with a double to left field.
- Emily Butts pitched the complete-game shutout for the Rams, allowing just five hits and throwing only 62 pitches in the game.
- Both teams finished with five hits a piece, with Mobile being led by Kristen Black who tallied a pair of hits against the Lions.
- The win over Freed-Hardeman is Mobile's sixth victory over ranked opponents on the 2023 season.
Game Four Highlights (Sat.) - (2) Mobile 10, Texas A&M - San Antonio 2
- In the tournament finale, Mobile's offense scored two early runs to start the game in the top of the first inning.
- TAMSA eventually answered in the bottom of the third, however, tying the game, 2-2.
- After scoreless frames for Mobile on the offensive side across the second, third, and fourth innings, Mobile's bats caught fire in the final three innings, pushing across eight total runs.
- From there, TAMSA had no answers as Mobile starting pitcher Brinkley Goff closed out the game from the pitcher's circle.
- Goff finished with four strikeouts, allowing only five hits across the seven innings pitched.
- Offensively, freshman Erin Degruise led the Rams with a 4-for-5 batting line, recording a triple and a game-high three RBIs. Caitlin McRee and Ashlyn Stewart both finished the game with two RBIs a piece, combining for three hits.
- Mobile out-hit Texas A&M - San Antonio, 13-5.
Long Homestand on Deck
With Mobile cruising to four wins in the GCI Tournament and playing all but one game this season on the road, the Rams are set to play 12-straight games at home over the next couple of weeks, starting on Tuesday, Mar. 7 with a non-conference doubleheader against the University of the Cumberlands beginning at 11:00 a.m. CT.
Next weekend, Mobile begins conference play with four games across Friday and Saturday, Mar. 10-11 against Faulkner University and Talladega College.
About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
