Softball Splits Doubleheader with Charleston Southern
4/16/2009 12:17:00 AM | Softball
Game One
Third inning errors proved costly in softball's 3-2 loss to Charleston Southern.
Kristan Glover (Evans, Ga.) got the start and allowed only one earned run on two hits in the three innings she pitched.
Georgia Southern held an early two-run lead after Amanda Hall's (Haddock, Ga.) first inning two-run home run.
The Buccaneers took the lead in the third inning using a pair of hits and two errors to score three runs. Melissa Adams led off with a base hit to center. Megan Lombard put runners on second and third with a double. A well executed suicide squeeze by Amy Trenkamp scored a run and forced a throwing error allowing the runners to advance a base. Megan Hall hit a shallow pop up behind the mound that Nina Iduate (Norcross, Ga.) was unable to come up with to plate the second run of the inning. Gail Matsushima drove in Trenkamp on a sacrifice fly for the third run of the inning.
Hillary Martin ( Cumming, Ga.) came on in relief and held CSU scoreless through the remaining four innings, giving the Eagles a chance to retake the lead. Martin pitched four scoreless innings and allowed only two hits in her first appearance since March 5th.
“Hillary was great and has been working hard in practice,” said head coach Maggie Johnson. “I think she is going to help us down the road.”
Sondra Vetter held Georgia Southern to just two hits after the third inning.
Sam Russo (Snellville, Ga.) gave the Eagles their best shot at tying the game in the fourth inning after she doubled off the wall in right, but Vetter induced a pop up from Hanna Ennis (Snellville, Ga.) to end the inning.
Vetter retired the side in order in the seventh to earn her 11th win of the year.
Game Two
Georgia Southern scored runs in the first, third and fifth innings to even the series with the Buccaneers.
The Eagles out hit Charleston Southern 10-3 and got multi-hit games from Iduate, Robyne Siliga (Oceanside, Calif.) and Megen Smith (Springfield, Ga.) in the 5-0 win.
“We need to have consistent pitching, and I think we have been working towards that,” said Johnson. “I felt like all of our pitchers pitched well today, and that is what we need.”
Siliga rebounded after going hitless in game one and went three for three with two RBIs in game two.
“She has been struggling but has been putting in extra work in the cages,” said Johnson. “It is a big hole in the lineup when she is not hitting the ball hard. Today she had enough and made up her mind that she was going to go out there and do it.”
Brianna Streetmon (Winder, Ga.) and Smith combined for a three-hit shutout. Streetmon earned her 12th win after allowing only one hit through four innings. Smith earned her second save of the season after allowing two hits.
Georgia Southern used another first inning homer by Siliga to take an early lead. This time the third inning was kind, and the Eagles tacked on two more runs extending their lead to 3-0. Iduate and Marie Fogle (Rincon, Ga.) laid down back-to-back bunt base hits to start the inning off. Siliga plated Iduate with a RBI base hit to center. Smith drove in the second run of the inning with a single to left.
Smith worked around a one-out double in the top half of the fifth inning. The sophomore pitcher struck out Giannini to start the inning before Lombard's double to right. Smith then struck out Tremkamp before getting Megan Hall to ground out to the mound.
Siliga led off the fifth inning with her third hit of game two. Caitlin Hart (McDonough, Ga.) came on to run for Siliga and reached second on a passed ball. Smith plated Hart with her second RBI single.“ Megen is a gamer and is one of the players that absolutely hates to lose,” said Johnson. “She is going to do everything she can to win.” Russo added an opposite field home run, giving the Eagles a 5-0 lead.
Charleston Southern refused to go down quietly in the seventh inning. Drew led off the inning with a walk, but Smith recorded two quick outs on a strikeout and a pop up. Lombard added her second double, putting runners on second and third; but Smith induced a ground ball to first to end the game.
Softball returns to Southern Conference play Saturday at Eagle Field. First pitch against UNC Greensboro is set for 1 p.m.
