Georgia Southern Softball Splits with In-state Foe Georgia State
2/25/2010 4:02:00 AM | Softball
STATESBORO, Ga. - Georgia Southern found itself in a tough predicament in game two of a doubleheader with in-state foe Georgia State. Having dropped game one, it found itself down one run in the top of the first inning under less than ideal weather conditions. However, the Eagles would respond with its best offensive outputs of the young season.
Marie Fogle (Rincon, Ga.) set the tone for the Eagles with a single up the middle and a steal of second base. Nina Iduate (Norcross, Ga.) walked and Megen Smith (Springfield, Ga.) drove Fogle in with a single, moving Iduate into scoring position. Mackenzie Williams (Baxley, Ga.) singled down the left field line to bring in Iduate, 2-0 Georgia Southern. Williams then stole her first base of her Eagle career and the bases were loaded with Eagles when Andrea Tarashuk (Flemington, NJ) drew a walk.
Jenny Side's (Loganville, Ga.) double down the left field line, brought in Smith and Williams. Sam Russo (Snellville, Ga.) hit a two-run homer, with Side and Russo crossing the plate for a 7-1 lead off five hits.
Georgia State slowly started to chip away at the Eagle lead. The Panthers answered with two in the third inning and one in the fourth. However, Smith would make sure that the Panthers would not rally. Her monster blast to center field put the game out of reach for the Panthers despite a furious comeback attempt in the sixth inning. The Eagles would prevail 8-7 in game two.
In the first game, Georgia State captured an early lead against the Eagles off a Skelton three-run home run off Eagles pitcher Megen Smith. The Eagles would mount several attempts at a comeback throughout the game.
A Williams' single in the fifth inning got the first rally comeback started. Bethany Crenshaw (Warner Robins, Ga.) pinch ran for Williams before being stranded at third base. In the sixth, Fogle reached base off a Panther error. Iduate singled on an infield hit, but neither could get home. In a last comeback attempt, Williams hit a blast to center field for her first home run of the season, but that was the only run of the inning as the Panthers went on to win 3-1.
The Eagles travel to Ft. Myers, Fla., for the Florida Gulf Coast Tournament this weekend, Friday, February 26-28th. On Friday, GSU will take on St. Francis (Pa.) and Minnesota. Georgia Southern takes the field against Big East opponents UConn and Villanova before rounding out the tournament on Sunday with Eastern Michigan. Live Stats for all Eagle games at the Florida Gulf Coast Tournament will be available at the bottom of the www.GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com web page on the "Schedule" tab by clicking on the "Live Stats" link for the individual game.
