Smith's Seventh-Inning Home Run Lifts Eagles Over Charleston
3/27/2011 6:45:00 PM | Softball
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Georgia Southern Softball (17-18, 7-2 SoCon) battled back throughout the game and took the thrilling 6-5 victory over College of Charleston (19-11, 3-5 SoCon) to win the weekend's Southern Conference series. Senior Megen Smith (Springfield, Ga.) went 3-4 and recorded two RBI including the game-winning seventh-inning home run, a mammoth blast to left-center.
"I'm happy that we reached our goal of winning the series this weekend," said Eagles Head Coach Maggie Johnson. "Our bats came to life in the seventh inning and we did what it took to get the win."
Georgia Southern came ready to play with three straight hits to open the game. Marie Fogle, (Rincon, Ga.) who was 3-for-4 on the day, scored the opening run of the game on a frozen rope to centerfield by Smith. The run gave the Eagles an early 1-0 lead with just a half inning of play in the books.
The Cougars struck back for two runs in the third inning with two outs to take a 2-1 lead which brought freshman Allie Miles (Dacula, Ga.) into the circle for the Eagles. After a scoreless fourth inning for both teams, Charleston added another run in the bottom of the fifth off a two-out double to take a 3-1 lead. Miles ended the inning with her fourth strikeout.
Georgia Southern tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth. Smith doubled off the wall down the right field line and then advanced to third on a ground ball. Tabby Douberley (Clyo, Ga.) sent Smith in to score with a two-out RBI single up the middle. Pinch runner Bethany Crenshaw (Warner-Robins, Ga.) replaced Douberley and scored on Sarah Purvis' (Warner-Robins, Ga.) double to the gap in left-center.
Four hits in the bottom of the sixth, including three with two outs, plated a pair of runs to put the Cougars back on top 5-3.
Jorie Walker (Dublin, Ga.) drew a four-pitch walk to start the seventh inning and scored off Fogle's RBI double down the right field line. Fogle moved to third base on the throw and tied the game at 5-5 on Hanna Ennis' (Snellville, Ga.) RBI ground out. Smith stepped in and hit a towering towering home run on the first pitch, sending the ball over the left-center fence.
Miles recorded two more strikeouts in the final frame to preserve Georgia Southern's come-from-behind victory, the second in as many games. Miles picked up her eighth win on the year.
The Eagles return home to play host to Jacksonville on Tuesday
(March 29th) for a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. Next weekend,
Georgia Southern welcomes Samford in a SoCon series at Eagle Field in
Statesboro.
On Saturday, April 2nd, the Georgia Southern
Softball team will support the ongoing fight against breast cancer
with a Breast Cancer Awareness Game. The Eagles will sell special
pink T-shirts and headbands on Wednesday and Thursday of this week
from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Russell Student Union on campus. The
themed T-shirts are $15 and headbands are $5. Both items will also be
available for purchase on game day.
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.
