Softball Downs FGCU with Late Rally in Tournament Finale

BOX SCORE (PDF)

FORT MYERS, FLA. – Georgia Southern Softball finished the FGCU/LaQuinta Inn at the Airport Tournament on a winning note with a 4-2 victory over Florida Gulf Coast on Sunday afternoon. GSU won the battle of the Eagles with four runs in the final two innings to secure a 3-2 record on the weekend and improve to 6-3 on the campaign.

“It was another good come from behind win against a very good Florida Gulf Coast team,” said Head Coach Annie Smith. “They won their conference last season, so getting a win over them will help us. Allie Miles pitched well to keep us in the game and we got some great late hits to take the win.”

Florida Gulf Coast took an early lead with a bases loaded single in the first for a 1-0 lead and added a home run in the fifth frame to lead the Eagles 2-0.

Back-to-back singles by Alexa Lewis and Lexi Allen gave the Eagles their first run on the game in the sixth inning. A Kourtny Thomas single with two outs in the inning brought Allen in to score and tied the game at 2-2.

In the top of the seventh, Georgia Southern got the inning started with a pinch hit single by Savanah Coon followed by a single up the middle by A.J. Hamilton, forcing a pitching change by FGCU. Coon was replaced by pinch runner Breanna McLendon and Alexa Lewis worked a walk to load the bases with just one out.

The Eagles were reduced to their final out of the seventh as McLendon was cut down at the plate as Allen reached on the fielder’s choice. Tabby Douberley, however, pounded a two-run single to left, giving the Eagles a 4-2 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.

Junior Sarah Purvis pitched the final inning and a third to pick up her fifth win of the season in the circle. Allie Miles had a solid outing allowing two runs through five and two-thirds innings of work.

“One of the things I talk about with the team is that we need different players to step up each day and that happened for us all weekend,” said Smith. “I was happy and excited for how we played this weekend to go 3-2 against a very good field of teams.”

Georgia Southern will travel to Orlando, Fla. to play in a tournament next weekend against Wisconsin and Boston University at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

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Category: Softball

Published on Sunday, 17 February 2013 17:10