Home Runs Take Cougars Past Eagles in Game One
5/12/2012 8:06:15 AM | Softball
BOONE, N.C. - Georgia Southern Softball suffered its first loss of the 2012 Southern Conference Softball Tournament on Saturday afternoon, dropping a 4-3 decision to College of Charleston. The teams play again in a winner-take-all Southern Conference Championship Game at 3:50 on ESPN3.com.
Charleston continued its hot play in the first inning, taking with Mackenzie Maples hitting a two-run home run to right center. The Cougars rallied from a 6-0 deficit in the sixth inning to down Chattanooga 6-5 advancing to face the Eagles.
In the third, Charleston's Carly Corthell hit a line drive down the left field line that snuck around the foul pole for Charleston's second home run of the game and a 3-0 advantage.
Kristy Giragosian went deep for a solo home run to open the fifth inning. Her shot on the first pitch gave the Cougars a 4-0 lead and chased Georgia Southern's Sarah Purvis (Warner Robins, Ga.) from the game, allowing four runs on five hits and eight strikeouts.
In the bottom of the fifth, Tabby Douberley (Clyo, Ga.) hit the Eagles' fourth home run of the tournament down the line in left to cut the advantage to 4-1. Her seventh career home run and fifth this season came at a crucial moment to ignite the Georgia Southern offense.
In the sixth frame, Georgia Southern got two runners on base with no outs thanks to a walk by Mackenzie Williams (Baxley, Ga.) it was her 45th free pass of the year, tying her for the single-season school record with Robyne Siliga's 2009 total. A sharp hit up the middle loaded the bases, but the Eagles were unable to make any further dents in the 4-1 Charleston advantage.
With one out in the seventh, Alexa Lewis (Lawrenceville, Ga.) laced a double of the wall in right to get the inning started. Hanna Ennis (Snellville, Ga.) made it a one-run game with her fourth home run of the year to centerfield. That long-ball forced Charleston to change pitchers and put Stephanie Saylors in the game.
Saylors got the first out of the inning, but walked Williams to put the go-ahead run at the plate. Kaitlyn Johnson (Fayetteville, Ga.) popped up to centerfield, ending the game.
Purvis was handed the loss, her first of the tournament as she falls to 23-10 on the year.
The loss, Georgia Southern's first of the tournament forces an elimination game between the two sides at 3:50 p.m. The game can be seen on ESPN3.com.
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