Eagles Top Middle Tennessee, but Fall to Kentucky
2/20/2011 3:25:00 AM | Softball
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Georgia Southern Softball defeated Middle Tennessee State 2-0 on Saturday morning at JoAnne Graf Field before falling to Kentucky 9-1 in the opener of bracket play in the 2011 Florida State Garnet and Gold Tournament. The Eagles found run support in an unlikely place in the day's opener when senior pinch hitter Bethany Crenshaw (Warner Robins, Ga.) recorded her first career hit and drove in the game's second run in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Georgia Southern (4-5) jumped out to a 1-0 lead on the Middle Tennessee State when Mackenzie Williams (Baxley, Ga.) stole second. The Blue Raiders' catcher, Natalie Ysais, skipped her throw into centerfield, allowing Megen Smith (Springfield, Ga.), who had singled earlier in the inning, to trot home for the game's opening run.
Eagle pitcher Brianna Streetmon (Winder, Ga.) improved to 3-2 on the season after tossing a complete-game shutout. She allowed just two hits and fanned three. Streetmon was assisted in the pitcher's circle by several highlight-reel defensive plays by the left side of the Eagle infield. Sophomore third baseman Andrea Tarashuk (Flemington, N.J.) assisted on four putouts and junior shortstop Jorie Walker (Dublin, Ga.) made six throws across the diamond for outs. In all, Streetmon induced 13 groundouts in the game.
In the nightcap of Day 2, Kentucky dropped Georgia Southern 9-1. The Wildcats jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Wildcats' batter Samantha DeMartine singled to plate Meagan Aull. The Eagles would respond in the top half of the third inning. Jorie Walker singled to lead off the inning. Alexa Lewis (Lawrenceville, Ga.) doubled to the right field wall to put two runners in scoring position. Kelly Burnett (Boynton Beach, Fla.) singled to bring home Walker and tie to game at 1-1.
The Wildcats would respond in the bottom of the third when Megan Yocke homered to left field to rebuild their lead to 3-1. Following a double to center, Brittany Cervantes homered off the scoreboard in centerfield to extend the Kentucky lead to 5-1.
Cervantes would homer again in the fifth, hitting a solo shot to right centerfield and giving Kentucky a 6-1 lead through five innings. A double in the sixth by Aull scored two runs to extend Wildcats lead to 8-1. A wild pitch on ball four to Cervantes allowed Aull to score the final run of the game.
Georgia Southern concludes play in the tournament in the consolation game at 10 a.m. against Middle Tennessee State.
Fans may follow all the action of the 2011 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 for the final game in Tallahassee can be found at Seminoles.com.
