Softball Wins Florida Gulf Coast Tournament
2/28/2010 11:20:00 PM | Softball
FT. MYERS, Fla. - Despite falling 7-8 to Eastern Michigan on the final day of the Florida Gulf Coast Tournament in Ft. Myers, Fla., Georgia Southern (7-5) won the tournament title. The Eagles posted a 4-1 record over the three-day event, winning two games each on Friday and Saturday.
In Sunday's game, the Eagles started hot, scoring four runs in the top of the first inning. Nina Iduate (Norcross, Ga.) led off the game with a single and then stole her sixth base of the season. Megen Smith (Springfield, Ga,) took the empty base at first with a walk and an Eastern Michigan error allowed Sam Russo (Snellville, Ga.) to reach base, Iduate to score from second, and move Smith to third.
Alexa Lewis (Lawrenceville, Ga.), pinch running for Russo, stole second base. Smith crossed home plate after the EMU catcher, in attempting to throw out Lewis, threw the ball into the outfield. Hanna Ennis (Snellville, Ga.) sacrificed to drive in Lewis, Eagles 3-0. Kelly Burnett (Boynton Beach, Fla.) would get an infield hit, bringing in Mackenzie Williams (Baxley, Ga.) to put Georgia Southern up 4-0 after the top of the first.
Eastern Michigan would answer with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. However, Georgia Southern responded in the second with three more runs. Iduate would again lead off with a single. Fogle hit a ball back to the pitcher, who turned to throw first, but no one was covering the base. The error would allow Iduate to score from first. Smith blasted another ball over the right field wall that pushed Georgia Southern's lead to 7-2.
However, two runs by Eastern Michigan in the third cut Georgia Southern's lead to 7-4. EMU would plate four more runs in the bottom of the fourth to take its first lead of the game, 8-7. Georgia Southern would threaten one more time in the top of the fifth as Iduate hit a two-out single up the middle. Fogle then drove a single up the middle and both runners would advance on a wild pitch. However, they were left stranded.
The Eagles received several accolades for their performance in the Florida Gulf Coast Tournament. Lowes Senior CLASS Award nominee Nina Iduate was named tournament MVP for her performance over the three days. She batted .562 for the weekend, scoring five runs, driving in one run, and stealing four bases. Iduate also dazzled in the field making several spectacular plays, including a diving snag on a ground ball hit up the middle and then throwing the Villanova runner out at first as she got up from the ground.
Georgia Southern had three additional players named to the FGCU Tournament All-Tournament Team. Brianna Streetmon (Winder, Ga.) was selected as a pitcher, Smith as the designated player, and Fogle in the outfield. Streetmon went 2-0 during the tournament allowing only six hits, one earned run while striking out 15 batters. Smith hit .294 over the weekend, hit three monster bombs to right field for home runs, driving in eight runs and scoring six runs. Fogle batted .473, scored six runs, two runs batted in, and stole one base.
Georgia Southern returns to action on Friday, March 5 at 9 a.m. for the UCF Tournament in Orlando, Fla. Georgia Southern will take on Providence and Harvard on Friday, College of Charleston and Boston College on Saturday, and wrap up with UCF on Sunday.
