Ennis Powers GSU to Win in Eagle Classic Finale
2/14/2011 6:54:00 PM | Softball
STATESBORO, Ga. - Georgia Southern Softball (2-2) earned a two-game split on Sunday afternoon (February 13th) at Eagle Field as the Eagles fell to Radford, 4-3, before defeating Mercer, 3-2, in the final game of the SpringHill Suites Eagle Classic. The Eagles were unable to hold onto an early two-run lead against Radford to open the day. A fifth inning error by Hanna Ennis (Snellville, Ga.) allowed the Bears to tie the game. An inning later, she atoned with a first-pitch home run which propelled the Eagles to a thrilling win to close the tournament.
The Eagles jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the Bears in the second inning. With Jorie Walker (Dublin, Ga.) on first base, Alexa Lewis (Lawrenceville, Ga.) singled to right field and advanced to second on the throw to third base. Marie Fogle (Rincon, Ga.) followed with an infield single that scored Walker. Kelly Burnett (Boynton Beach, Fla.) hit a high pop fly just in front of home plate that Bears' first baseman Allison Jones mishandled. That mistake allowed Lewis to cross the plate to put the Eagles ahead 2-0.
The Bears would cut the Eagles' lead in half in the fourth inning after McKenzie Woody reached on Ennis' error that brought Anna Johnson home. Mercer would tie the ball game in the fifth inning with a single by Krista Kennedy to plate Amanda Santa Maria.
Brianna Streetmon (Winder, Ga.) would come in to pitch for the Eagles in the sixth inning and stifle the Bears' bats, earning her first win on the young season. Freshman pitchers Allie Miles (Dacula, Ga.) and Sarah Purvis (Warner Robins, Ga.) both earned their first career starts on Sunday. Miles pitched two innings of no-hit ball, striking out one while Purvis pitched six innings, striking out six more batters to bring her season total to a team-leading 12.
Georgia Southern opened action on Day 2 of the SpringHill Suites Eagle Classic with a 4-3 loss against Radford.
The Eagles got the scoring started in the first inning against Radford. Megen Smith (Springfield, Ga.) reached on an error when Highlanders' centerfielder Morgan Eye misjudged a fly ball. Mackenzie Williams (Baxley, Ga.) made the Highlanders pay with her mammoth home run on a 2-2 pitch to left field, giving the Eagles a 2-0 lead.
Radford erased the Eagles' lead in the top half of the next inning when Hannah Ojeda hit a home run to lead off. Radford would plate the tying run on a Lauren Williams' single. The Eagles answered in the bottom of the third inning when Marie Fogle (Rincon, Ga.) homered to left centerfield for a 3-2 Georgia Southern score.
Radford would tie the ball game again in the fifth inning when Michelle Beall singled to right field bringing in Lauren Williams, who had singled and then stole second. Radford would take its only lead of the day in the sixth inning when Taylor Cunningham doubled down the left field line with two outs to bring Hannah Ojeda in to score. The Eagles would be unable to find an answer to the Highlanders' pitching in the final innings of the contest.
Mercer 4 Radford 3
In the second game of the day, Mercer stunned Radford with a walk-off run when centerfielder Morgan Eye chased an errant throw on a steal attempt by Anna Johnson. Eye charged on the ball but it rolled to the fence, allowing Johnson to come home on the play. The game reached the bottom of the seventh inning when Mercer pitcher Jenni Holtz gave up a three-run home run to Radford's Kristen Shifflett with two outs to tie the game.
Mercer had taken a 1-0 lead on Radford in the second inning as Amanda Santa Maria doubled to the centerfield wall scoring Sara Stukes. The Bears extended their lead to 3-0 in the third inning as Kristin Marko doubled to left center to plate McKenzie Woody. Sara Stukes followed with a single down the left field line to bring home pinch runner Heather Strange for the Mercer 3-0 lead.
Georgia Southern returns to action on Wednesday, February 16, 2011 for a doubleheader against in-state rival Georgia State in Atlanta, Ga. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. with the second game scheduled for a 5 p.m. start.
Fans may follow all the action of the 2011 SpringHill Georgia Southern Softball season by visiting GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com/softball or check in for scores at twitter.com/GSScores or facebook.com/GSAthletics for updates. Live stats and video are available at GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com.
