No. 16 Gaston College rallies to take win in Region 10 tournament

No. 16 Gaston College got extra inning heroics from several players in Thursday's 6-5 win over USC Union in the Region 10 tournament at Tyger River Park in Duncan, S.C.

Freshman Aidan Ledbetter threw four scoreless innnings of relief to take the victory. She was aided in the top of the ninth inning when a would-be lead run was erased at the plate by a spectacular throw by outfielder Adah Bruining to catcher Alexa Bianchi-Rossi.

Then, in the bottom of the ninth inning, Mary Hinson had a one-hit single then scored on a McKenna Jones' game-winning RBI double for the victory that sends the Rhinos (56-4) into Friday's 1:30 p.m. winner's bracket final against Monroe, N.Y.

"We were just kinda pressing a little bit," said Steuerwald, whose team fell behind 4-0 and 5-1 before rallying. "They came out strong and we didn't play great."

But Jones slugged a home run in the fourth inning to cut a 4-0 lead to 4-1, then Bruining's three-run home run in the fifth knotted the score at 5.

Steuerwald says his team's culture of winning four straight Region 10 regular season titles while advancing to a pair of National Junior College Athletic Association World Series in the last four seasons shined through.

"That's kind of the culture and expectations we've built within our program," Steuerwald said. "We just had to get back to doing what we do.
"And, at this time of year, it doesn't matter how it looks, you have to get it done."

The Rhinos are two more wins away from advancing to the May 12-13 Mid-Atlantic District tournament that sends its winner to the 2026 NJCAA World Series.

"I told the team on the bus ride to enjoy it now because when we get back in the hotel, we'll be getting ready for Monroe," Steuerwald said.