Eagles Close Road Swing with Split at Mercer
3/15/2012 12:50:00 AM | Softball
MACON, Ga. - Georgia Southern Softball finished its six-day road swing on a winning note with a 5-2 victory in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader at Sikes Field. Mercer rallied for a 3-2 win in the opener and led early in game two before the Eagle rattled off five unanswered runs. GSU improves to 14-9 on the season while Mercer falls to 12-13.
"We played well in both games, but the bats came alive late," said Head Coach Annie Smith. "Brooke Red tossed a great game in relief to help us win the second game. Our defense was good today, and we are excited for this weekend's series with Western Carolina."
-GAME ONE-
The Eagles got on the board in the first inning as a double from Andrea Tarashuk (Flemington, N.J.) scored Marie Fogle (Rincon, Ga.) from second base. The run was the Eagles' 11th run in the first inning this season and gave GSU an early 1-0 lead.
Sarah Purvis (Warner Robins, G.a.) took a no hitter through four and two-thirds, but saw it broken up in the fifth by a swinging bunt that Mercer's Krista Kennedy was able to leg out for a single.
Fogle opened the sixth inning with a leadoff home run to centerfield, her third long ball of the season. With the blast, Fogle moves into to sole possession of fourth place on the Georgia Southern career home runs list with 21 homers.
Mercer ended Purvis' shutout bid in the sixth with a two-run double from Kristin Marko. The hit leveled the score at 2-2. She would get an out, but a walk ended her afternoon after five and a third innings and six strikeouts.
Mercer's Sara Stukes laced a single to right to score the Bears' third run of the game, giving the home team a 3-2 lead going into the top of the seventh.
In the seventh, the Eagles went quietly after a pair of line drives up the middle were snagged by the pitcher's quick reflexes caught the line drives. The 3-2 defeat handed Purvis the hard-luck loss, dropping her to 7-4 on the season.
-GAME TWO-
Fogle opened game two with her fourth hit from as many at bats with two outs in the first and promptly stole second base to get into scoring position for the cleanup hitter Mackenzie Williams (Baxley, Ga.). Williams would draw a walk, but neither would advance, stranding a pair of runners in the first inning.
The Bears, however, got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second with a pair of runs to take an early 2-0 lead.
The Eagles got back on level terms in the top of the fourth inning with a pair of runs. A pair of walks put runners on first and second. Senior Jorie Walker (Dublin, Ga.) laced a single through the left side to score pinch runner Breanna McLendon (Soperton, Ga.). A throwing error by the catcher on the same play allowed Tabby Douberly (Clyo, Ga.) to scamper home and tie the game at 2-2.
Sophomore Kourtny Thomas (Warner Robins, Ga.) gave the Eagles their first lead of the second game an inning later with a two-run home run over the scoreboard in left field. It was her fifth home run of the season.
The Eagles tacked on another run in the top of the sixth with an RBI single off the bat of Williams. Her rip plated Alexa Lewis (Lawrenceville, Ga.) from second base. The run extended GSU's lead to 5-2 through five and a half innings.
Freshman Brooke Red (Warner Robins, Ga.) pitched 5.2 innings of relief ball to improve to 5-0 on the season. She didn't allow a hit while striking out seven and walking just one as she quelled the Mercer bats in the waning innings.
Georgia Southern is back in action on Saturday afternoon for a St. Patrick's Day Doubleheader against Western Carolina. The games open a three-game set between the Eagles and Catamounts at the friendly confines of Eagle Field. Game one starts at 1 p.m.
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