COCHRAN, Ga. - The Middle Georgia State softball team completed one of the more memborable weekends of softball in recent memory on Saturday as juniors Brianna Murray and Jada Akeson each delivered walk-off homeruns to push MGA to a pair of 6-5 wins over Lander. 

Both walk-off dingers followed the heroics of Madison Cosgrove who came through on Friday night with a walk-off single to provide the Knights with their first-ever Peach Belt Conference series win and sweep. Lander entered the weekend tied for first place in the PBC regular season standings. 

Game 1 Recap

The first game of the day did not appear it would go the Knights' way when they fell behind 5-1 entering the seventh inning. That's when the rally started and concluded with a monstrous, walk-off grand slam off the bat of Murray who launched a pitch from Lander pitcher Mattye Geddings well over the right-centerfield fence for the game winner. Murray circled the bases before being mobbed by a crowd of Purple-clad teammates waiting at home plate. 

Anna Griggs worked around some early trouble and earned the win in the circle for MGA after holding the Bearcats scoreless over her final three frames. 

Lander jumped ahead with two runs in the first inning then added single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings. MGA scratched out a run in the bottom of the third inning on a Murray RBI double. 

The seventh inning rally began with a Cassidy Ross lead off single followed by a Kaylee Oliver single. After a foul-out put one out on the board the Knights loaded the bases when Cosgrove was plunked by a Geddings offering. A line out brought Akeson to the plate who kept things going with an RBI single up the middle to bring Murray to the plate as the potential winning run. Murray promptly deposited the 0-1 pitch deep beyond the fence for her second home run of the season and left the Knights in hysteria. 

Notable Performances

Murray carried the team with her 2-for-4 performance and five runs batted in. Akeson and Ross each added two hits as well. 

Griggs picked up her second win of the season with her gutsy complete game performance as she scattered eight hits and worked around four walks. 

Game 2 Recap

Game two featured the Knights jumping ahead early as they rode the strong right arm of CJ McBride as the sophomore right-hander held the Bearcats scoreless through the first three frames. MGA scored a pair of runs in the first inning on a two-run double from senior Mel Bullock that plated Nayeli Hernandez and Cosgrove. Kaylee Oliver extended the MGA advantage to 3-0 with an RBI single in the third inning. 

Lander got on the board in the fourth inning with a single run before the Knights answered back with a two-run scoring play that saw Murray single off the body of the pitcher before the ball was thrown away for a two-run play. 

From that point it was Lander's turn to rally as they chipped away with two runs in the fifth inning and two more to tie the game in the sixth inning. Emorie Anderson delivered the game-tying blow with a RBI single to plate Emily Allen in the top of the sixth. 

By this point, McBride gave way to Friday night's starter Riley Haley who went the final four innings of work. 

Things remained tied at 5-5 until the bottom of the ninth when lightning struck for a third time in as many games as Akeson produced a solo homerun just inside the left-field foul pole to walk-off the Bearcats for a third straight game. 

Notable Performances

Haley picked up her sixth win of the season and second of the series with a strong four innings in the circle following McBride's good work of five innings. Haley produced five strikeouts, several in key situations to keep the Bearcats at bay. 

MGA knocked out 12 hits in the win including a 3-for-4 showing by Oliver with an RBI while Cosgrove, Hernandez, Murray and Bullock each added in a pair of hits. 

What's Up Next

The three game sweep improves MGA's record to 10-16 on the season an 4-8 in the Peach Belt Conference. The Knights will do battle with Fort Valley State University on Tuesday, March 31st in non-conference action beginning with a 1 pm (EST) first-pitch in Fort Valley, Georgia.