Softball Advances to Their Fourth Straight Championship Game
5/9/2009 11:41:00 PM | Softball
Game One vs. Samford
Georgia Southern and Samford went to extra innings, but the Eagles pulled out the 4-3 win to advance to their fourth straight championship game. Amanda Hall (Haddock, Ga.) delivered the winning hit with a RBI triple in the ninth.
Brianna Streetmon (Winder, Ga.) pitched nine crucial innings allowing only two earned runs on eight hits.
The Bulldogs loaded the bases with two outs in the first inning, but Streetmon worked out of the jam striking out Robyn Harmon to retire the side.
The Eagles loaded the bases in the fourth inning with one out. Robyne Siliga (Oceanside, Calif.) hit a rocket shot back up the middle off the glove of Amanda Barrs with one out. Hall followed with a base hit to left before Sam Russo (Snellville, Ga.) walked to load the bases. Stephanie Royall came on in relief and got Megen Smith (Springfield, Ga.) to ground into an inning-ending double play.
The game remained scoreless until the sixth inning with both teams putting runs on the board. GSU scored three runs in the top half of the inning, and Samford added two in the bottom half.
Marie Fogle (Rincon, Ga.) led off the inning with a base hit and advanced to second on Siliga's walk. An error by the shortstop allowed the first run to score before Jenny Side (Loganville, Ga.) plated two more runs with a two-out base hit to center.
Kristy Lawrence led off the bottom half of the sixth with a double and moved to third on an error. A suicide squeeze by Amanda Jordan plated Lawerence, after Russo was unable to make the play at the plate. Jessica Owens drove in the second run of the inning with a bloop base hit near the third base line.
The Eagles got a runner to third in the top of the seventh inning, after Hall grounded into a fielder's choice but were unable to plate the runner. Nina Iduate (Norcross, Ga.) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch. Siliga picked up an infield base hit but was unable to move Iduate to third base. Hall moved Iduate to third on a fielder's choice, but Russo grounded to short to end the inning.
Streetmon got two outs in the bottom half of the inning, but Lawrence smacked a solo shot over the fence in left to tie the game.
The game became the first extra inning game of the 2009 SoCon Softball Tournament. The Eagles got a runner to second with two outs in the eighth inning but were unable to bring her home. Samford got a runner to third with two outs in the bottom half of the inning, but Streetmon coaxed Amanda Barrs to pop up to end the inning.
Two of GSU's seniors combined to score the winning run in the ninth inning. Siliga walked with two outs and scored on a triple by Hall. Streetmon allowed a base runner but coaxed a ground ball to third base to end the game.
Game Two vs. Chattanooga
Georgia Southern kept the championship game close until the seventh inning but were unable to make their second NCAA appearance, losing 7-2 to Chattanooga.
Kandice Irwin came on in relief in the fourth inning and earned the win. Irwin went four innings, allowing four hits and no runs.
Russo and Side had multi-hit games with two hits each.
Both teams remained scoreless through two innings before the Lady Mocs scored three runs in the third inning. Kaiti Kelley was hit by a pitch with one out and moved to second on Michelle Fuzzard's ground out. Ennis made a great diving attempt to knock down the grounder and get the out at first. Tiffany Baker plated the first run of the inning with a base hit and scored on Brittany Eason's double.
The Eagles got two runs back in the bottom half of the inning. Michelle Beasley (Metter, Ga.) and Iduate had back-to-back base hits with one out. Marie Fogle (Rincon, Ga.) plated both runners with a double over the head of Kelley in right field.
Chattanooga broke open a one run game in the top of the seventh, scoring four runs on three hits. Jessica Traxler reached on an error to start the inning but was retired on a fielder's choice. Lyndsey Stiles moved Tia Blosser to second with a base hit to left. Kaiti Kelley was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Michelle Fuzzard plated two runs with a RBI single. Tiffany Baker drove in two more runs with a double.
GSU made the game interesting, loading the bases with no outs in the bottom half of the seventh inning. Side and Hanna Ennis (Snellville, Ga.) led off the inning with base hits before an error loaded the bases with no outs. The Mocs, however, were able to retire the side without allowing a run.
The Eagles had three players represent them on the All-Tournament Team including Side, Siliga and Streetmon. Streetmon also added Most Oustanding Player honors to her list of accolades.
