Huntingdon softball clinches regular-season GSAC title

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. – The Huntingdon softball team got off to a slow start on Saturday, but the Lady Hawks rallied for a 5-3 win over Covenant and clinched the regular-season Great South Athletic Conference title.

Huntingdon (25-11) closed out conference play with a 15-1 record in the GSAC. The regular-season title is the first for Huntingdon under fourth-year head coach Gynger Williams.

Huntingdon fell behind 3-0 in the first two innings on Saturday. But the Lady Hawks scored one run in the third inning, three in the fourth and one in the sixth to take control of the game.

Aleah Payne drove in Ashley Johnson for Huntingdon's first run. In the fourth inning, Angela Barkman bunted to score Holly Ostrander before Kristi Taylor singled in Barkman and Kari Ranczka to give the Lady Hawks a 4-3 lead. A Morgan Goshorn sacrifice fly scored Lauren Welch to make it 5-3 in the sixth inning.

Payne was the only Huntingdon player with multiple hits, finishing 2-for-4.

Bree Giordana (14-6) picked up the win, scattering seven hits, striking out three, walking two and allowing two earned runs in seven innings.

Huntingdon closes out the regular season at home on Sunday. The Lady Hawks host Berry in a doubleheader. Game 1 is set for 1 p.m.