Softball Sweeps Savannah State
2/7/2008 5:12:00 AM | Softball
SAVANNAH, Ga. ? The Georgia Southern softball team opened the 2008 season on Thursday, taking both games of the doubleheader from Savannah State at the Paulson Athletic Park in Savannah.
Eagles pitchers Melissa Laliberte (Ontario, Canada) and Megen Smith (Springfield, Ga.) no-hit the Tigers in game one and sophomore Kristan Glover (Evans, Ga.) added three home runs on the afternoon, as GSU downed Savannah State 16-0 in game one and 14-0 in the finale.
“I was very proud of the way we played today,” said GSU head coach Natalie Poole. “I thought that we came out in our first game aggressive offensively. I thought that we pitched pretty well. I think we need to eliminate some walks, but overall I think that we played well as a team and worked hard together. I was definitely pleased with our adjustments.”
Georgia Southern got things rolling early on, as sophomore Lindsey Hopkins (McDonough, Ga.) led off the first inning with a walk. Hopkins stole second on the first pitch and advanced to third on a fielder's choice. The Eagles found the scoreboard for the first time on back-to-back home runs by Glover, driving in Hopkins and third baseman Robyne Siliga (Oceanside, Calif.).
GSU opened up game one with five runs off of four hits in the fourth inning and seven runs on six hits in the fifth inning. The Tigers defense fell apart during the fourth inning as they committed five errors giving the Eagles numerous opportunities. Georgia Southern batted around during the top of the fourth and sophomore Jenny Side (Loganville, Ga.) belted a three-run homer in the fifth adding to the damage.
Laliberte (1-0) picked up the first win, while Tiffany Ward (0-1) earned the loss for Savannah State.
The Eagles continued where they left off in game two as Hopkins led off reaching on an error. After stealing second, Thweatt moved her to third and Glover picked up two RBI when she doubled scoring Hopkins and Thweatt. GSU reeled off six hits in the top of the first as they batted around compiling an early 5-0 advantage.
Glover's impressive performance continued in the top of the second with a lead-off homer to centerfield. She finished the day going 5-for-6 from the plate with eight RBI. Freshman Brianna Streetmon (Winder, Ga.) earned the win (1-0) in relief. Savannah State's Rachel West picked up the loss.
The Eagles pitching staff amassed 18 total strikeouts during the doubleheader and only allowed two hits.
“We went out today and were really excited with the way things turned out,” said Poole. “We really wanted to challenge ourselves before our tournament. Tomorrow we'll start to gear our minds towards Mercer. Things will get a little bit tougher from here. I hope that we stay focused and challenge ourselves tomorrow in practice to get ready and bring the same type of game to our competition on Saturday.”
The Eagles are back in action this Saturday, as they travel to Macon, Ga. for a doubleheader with Mercer. The twinbill is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
Eagles pitchers Melissa Laliberte (Ontario, Canada) and Megen Smith (Springfield, Ga.) no-hit the Tigers in game one and sophomore Kristan Glover (Evans, Ga.) added three home runs on the afternoon, as GSU downed Savannah State 16-0 in game one and 14-0 in the finale.
“I was very proud of the way we played today,” said GSU head coach Natalie Poole. “I thought that we came out in our first game aggressive offensively. I thought that we pitched pretty well. I think we need to eliminate some walks, but overall I think that we played well as a team and worked hard together. I was definitely pleased with our adjustments.”
Georgia Southern got things rolling early on, as sophomore Lindsey Hopkins (McDonough, Ga.) led off the first inning with a walk. Hopkins stole second on the first pitch and advanced to third on a fielder's choice. The Eagles found the scoreboard for the first time on back-to-back home runs by Glover, driving in Hopkins and third baseman Robyne Siliga (Oceanside, Calif.).
GSU opened up game one with five runs off of four hits in the fourth inning and seven runs on six hits in the fifth inning. The Tigers defense fell apart during the fourth inning as they committed five errors giving the Eagles numerous opportunities. Georgia Southern batted around during the top of the fourth and sophomore Jenny Side (Loganville, Ga.) belted a three-run homer in the fifth adding to the damage.
Laliberte (1-0) picked up the first win, while Tiffany Ward (0-1) earned the loss for Savannah State.
The Eagles continued where they left off in game two as Hopkins led off reaching on an error. After stealing second, Thweatt moved her to third and Glover picked up two RBI when she doubled scoring Hopkins and Thweatt. GSU reeled off six hits in the top of the first as they batted around compiling an early 5-0 advantage.
Glover's impressive performance continued in the top of the second with a lead-off homer to centerfield. She finished the day going 5-for-6 from the plate with eight RBI. Freshman Brianna Streetmon (Winder, Ga.) earned the win (1-0) in relief. Savannah State's Rachel West picked up the loss.
The Eagles pitching staff amassed 18 total strikeouts during the doubleheader and only allowed two hits.
“We went out today and were really excited with the way things turned out,” said Poole. “We really wanted to challenge ourselves before our tournament. Tomorrow we'll start to gear our minds towards Mercer. Things will get a little bit tougher from here. I hope that we stay focused and challenge ourselves tomorrow in practice to get ready and bring the same type of game to our competition on Saturday.”
The Eagles are back in action this Saturday, as they travel to Macon, Ga. for a doubleheader with Mercer. The twinbill is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
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