Softball Wins Regular Season Finale on Siliga's Walk-Off
5/3/2009 8:22:00 PM | Softball
STATESBORO, Ga. - The Georgia Southern softball team (25-23, 14-10) won their final regular season game and took the Furman series with a 4-3 win Sunday at Eagle Field.
Robyne Siliga (Oceanside, Calif.) came up big in her final home game, hitting a walk-off double in the seventh inning to give the Eagles the series win. Michelle Beasley (Metter, Ga.) led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on Nina Iduate's (Norcross, Ga.) sacrifice bunt. Siliga came to the plate with two outs and drilled a 3-1 pitch off the wall in right center, driving in the winning run.
“It was their last chance to shine on their home field, and they stepped up and got the job done,” said head coach Maggie Johnson. Johnson also became the first GSU softball head coach to post a winning regular season record in his/her first year at the helm.
Marie Fogle (Rincon, Ga.) went three for four with a run scored and recorded three straight base hits to start the game.
Megen Smith (Springfield, Ga.) battled back to earn her third win of the season after allowing two runs on three hits in relief of Brianna Streetmon (Winder, Ga.). “She [Smith] came in and got the job done and did not get frustrated after allowing the runs. She is a fighter and kept at it,” said Johnson. Streetmon started the game and allowed only two hits and a run.
The Paladins scored first on a solo home run by Brythe Blankenship in the second inning. The Eagles tied the game in the third inning. Iduate singled to start the inning and moved to second on Fogle's second base hit of the afternoon. Amanda Hall (Haddock, Ga.) drove in the run with a two-out single to left field.
GSU took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning on Beasley's RBI single to left. Smith walked with one out and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Hanna Ennis (Snellville, Ga.). Jenny Side (Loganville, Ga.) moved Smith to third with a single to left before Beasley's base hit drove in the run.
Furman retook the lead in the fifth, scoring a pair of runs on two hits. Meredith Mielke was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and moved to second on Katie Michaels' base hit. Stephanie Field moved both runners along with a sacrifice bunt, and Stephanie Cushing plated the runners with a two-out base hit.
The Eagles tied the game at 3-3 in the fifth, scoring a run on three hits. Fogle reached base with one out on her third base hit of the day. Hall and Russo produced back-to-back hits with two outs, driving in Fogle from second.
Softball starts conference tournament play Wednesday in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Eagles will be the #4 seed and will face Furman again at 5:00 p.m.
