Softball Takes Series Finale from Western Carolina 7-3
3/22/2009 4:26:00 AM | Softball
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - The Georgia Southern softball team (14-14, 5-4) defeated Western Carolina (7-15, 3-3) 7-3 in the final game of the series Sunday.
The Eagles tied their season high with 16 hits in the game. Georgia Southern set the season high of 16 hits against Georgia State (Feb 25th).
“It is all about confidence at the plate,” said head coach Maggie Johnson. “When this team focuses at the plate, we can hit out 16 hits like we did today.”
Nina Iduate (Norcross, Ga.) picked up four straight base hits after flying out to start the game.
“She is great at reading the defense and understands her swing and how to drop the ball in if the defense is playing her deep,” said Johnson.
Mackenzie Williams (Baxley, Ga.) had one of her best days at the plate, going three for three with two RBIs.
Brianna Streetmon (Winder, Ga.) earned her eighth win of the season. Streetmon battled all day and allowed only two earned runs on nine hits.
The Eagles got on the board in the first inning when Robyne Siliga (Oceanside, Calif.) hit her sixth homer of the season. She managed to keep it fair down the third base line. The home run was the first for Siliga since March 5th.
Michelle Beasley (Metter, Ga.) started a two-out rally in the second with a walk and came around to score after Marie Fogle's (Rincon, Ga.) base hit was booted by the center fielder. Hanna Ennis (Snellville, Ga.) drove in two runs with a base hit.
Georgia Southern extended their lead to five runs in the fourth inning. Mackenzie Williams plated Beasley with a RBI single to center. The Eagles had an opportunity to extend the lead even further when they loaded the bases on back-to-back base hits with one out; but Lauren Ross escaped the inning without further damage, recording two straight outs.
The Catamounts plated a run in the fourth after Mollie Fowler was hit by a pitch and scored on an error by the first baseman.
Georgia Southern got the run back with a two-out RBI single by Mackenzie Williams. Sam Russo (Snellville, Ga.) led off the inning with a double. Amanda Glover (Evans, Ga.) moved the pinch runner Caitlin Hart (McDonough, Ga.) to third with a base knock before Williams' base hit. The Eagles loaded the bases for the second straight inning on Nina Iduate's (Norcross, Ga.) third base hit of the game but were unable to plate any of the runners.
Western Carolina cut the lead back down to four runs in the sixth after the lead-off walk scored on Kari Burnside's second single of the game.
The Eagles extended their lead back to five runs with three straight one-out hits. Iduate plated Fogle with her fourth hit of the game.
Softball returns to action Tuesday in Atlanta, Ga. where they will face the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.
