Softball Sweeps Saturday's Doubleheader against Appalachian State

Statesboro, Ga. - The Georgia Southern softball team (10-12, 3-2) swept Saturday’s doubleheader against Appalachian State (9-10, 3-2).

The Eagles improved to 3-2 in Southern Conference play with the sweep.

Sam Russo (Snellville, Ga.) drove in three crucial runs in Saturday’s twin bill. The Snellville native knocked in two runs with a two-out double to right in game one and homered for the game-winning run in game two.

“Sam is one of the best at making adjustments that I have ever seen. She puts up really tough at-bats and has been clutch for us more than once,” said head coach Maggie Johnson.

Game One

Georgia Southern took a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the third inning and held on to win 5-4 in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader.

Hanna Ennis (Snellville, Ga.) started the third inning rally with a seeing-eye single that got under the glove of the second baseman, extending her hit streak to nine games. Siliga drove in the first run with a double to the wall in right. Russo drove in two more runs on a two-out double into the right field corner.

 The Mountaineers had trouble getting the third out in the inning.  Russo appeared to have been caught in a rundown but was granted home plate by the third base umpire after an Appalachian State defender obstructed her return to third base. Mackenzie Williams (Baxley, Ga.) came to bat with runners on the corners and hit a ground ball to second, but the first baseman was unable to come up with the throw, allowing Smith to score from third.

“We did a really good job of making things happen in the third. We were aggressive and did not let up,” said Johnson.

Morgan Price cut Georgia Southern’s lead in the fourth to just one run with her second home run of the season.

Brianna Streetmon (Winder, Ga.) held Appalachian State to five hits en route to her fourth win of the season.

Megen Smith (Springfield, Ga.) added a pair of hits and drove in a run from the five spot in the lineup.

Robyne Siliga (Oceanside, Calif.) made a stellar diving catch near the third base coach’s box to retire Katie Boyd in the top of the first. Georgia Southern kept Boyd in check all day.

“She has been killing the ball and came in hitting over .500. We told our pitchers that we are not going to give in to her and give her anything to hit,” said Johnson.

The Eagles threatened in their half of the first, putting runners on the corners with two outs after Amanda Hall’s (Haddock,Ga.) infield single.

Appalachian State took an early lead scoring in the second inning. Ashley Gaston tripled to right driving in the first run of the game.

The Mountaineers scored two more in the third and extended their lead to three runs. Michelle Lighton plated Sarah Rappe with a RBI single. Ashley Gaston drove in the other run on a ground ball to short.

Game Two

Georgia Southern completed the sweep of the doubleheader Saturday winning game two 2-0.

Smith bounced back from the rough outing at the College of Charleston. She started game two and held Appalachian State to only six hits. The Springfield native stranded 11 runners and prevented the Mountaineers from reaching third base. Smith earned her first win of the season and third career victory over Appalachian State.

“She just needed to get comfortable after not pitching for so long. She was anxious to do well in her first couple of starts,” said Johnson. “She just needed to settle down and get things under control.”

The Eagles struck first on Russo’s second inning no-doubt home run to right.

Georgia Southern added an insurance run in the bottom half of the sixth inning. Marie Fogle (Rincon, Ga.) led off the inning with a base hit and reached third with one out. The Eagles then executed a perfect suicide squeeze with Hall at the plate. Fogle beat out the throw to the plate, scoring the second run of the game.

The Mountaineers threatened in the first inning with one out in the first, but Smith recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.

Smith worked around a two-out single to right in the seventh before coaxing a fly out to end the game.

Softball will go for the series sweep over Appalachian State Sunday at Eagle Field. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.

Category: Softball

Published on Saturday, 14 March 2009 17:02