Eagle Softball Takes Two at Jacksonville
3/31/2010 4:12:00 AM | Softball
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Georgia Southern Softball team (19-12, 6-2 SoCon) swept the Dolphins of Jacksonville University on Tuesday as the Eagles won Game 1, 5-3, and Game 2, 4-2. GSU broke out the long ball as four home runs went over the fence in the two games. Megen Smith (Springfield, Ga.) had two home runs, one in each game, while Jenny Side (Loganville, Ga.) and Hanna Ennis (Snellville, Ga.) each had one in game two. Smith leads both the Eagles and the Southern Conference with 11 home runs.
The Eagles started the day with a double from Sam Russo (Snellville, Ga.). Caitlin Hart (McDonough, Ga.), who pinch ran for Russo, advanced to third on a groundout by Andrea Tarashuk (Flemington, NJ). Hanna Ennis (Snellville, Ga.) brought Hart in on a bunt single to first base.
After giving up the tying run in the bottom of the fourth, 1-1, Georgia Southern started off the fifth with Alexa Lewis (Lawrenceville, Ga.) reaching base on a fielder's choice. Kelly Burnett (Boynton Beach, Fla.) singled up the middle to put runners at first and second. Smith hit her first home run, picked up three RBIs and gave Eagles a 4-1 lead.
The Dolphins would add two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to get within one run, 4-3 Eagles. Russo hit her second double of the game to right field to lead off the sixth and Ennis singled through the left side to bring Russo in to score to add the GSU lead, 5-3.
Preseason Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year Brianna Streetmon (Winder, Ga.) (13-4) earned the win in Game 1. Streetmon went seven innings, struck out eight Dolphin batters while giving up only four hits and two earned runs.
In Game 2, Georgia Southern continued with a singeing offense. Southern Conference Player of the Week Jenny Side hit a home run to left field in the second inning, her third in the last five games, to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead. In the third, Smith hit another home run for a 2-0 margin.
Two innings later, Kayla Brooks (Jonesboro, Ga.) singled up the middle and Nina Iduate (Norcross, Ga.) singled in the infield to put Eagles on first and second base. Burnett singled up the middle to bring in Brooks and the Eagles had a 3-0 advantage. In the sixth inning, Ennis hit her first home run of the season to extend the Eagles lead to 4-0.
Jacksonville would attempt to make a comeback in the bottom of the sixth, plating two runs, but the Dolphins couldn't draw any closer. Eagles' pitcher Smith (5-7) finished for a complete game, allowing two earned runs off five hits with two strikeouts.
Ennis had her best day of the season, going 4-6 (.667) with a home run and three runs batted in. Between Ennis and Smith, the two Eagles accounted for seven of the nine runs scored.
Georgia Southern returns to action on Monday, April 5th for a single game at eighth-ranked Georgia. First pitch is at 5 p.m. Fans will be able to follow live stats for that game by clicking on the "live stats" link on the schedule at the bottom of the GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com website.
