Softball Swept by No. 13 LSU in Contrasting Contests
3/20/2013 2:54:30 AM | Softball
VIDEO: Postgame Interview with HC Annie Smith
BOX SCORE (GAME ONE) | BOX SCORE (GAME TWO)
BATON ROUGE, LA. – Georgia Southern Softball dropped a pair of games to No. 13 LSU on Tuesday night as the non-conference portion of spring break came to an end. GSU fell 8-0 in five innings to the Tigers in game one, but looked much better in game two coming up on the short-end of a 3-2 result. The Eagles return to Southern Conference play on Saturday afternoon at College of Charleston.
- GAME ONE -
LSU scored five runs in the second inning to blow open the series opener. Back-to-back home runs opened the scoring while a two-run triple by A.J. Andrews made the score 4-0. A single later in the frame drove Andrews in to make it a 5-0 lead for the Bayou Bengals.
Bianka Bell started the fifth inning with a leadoff home run on the first pitch to extend the lead to 6-0 after relief pitcher Brooke Red held the Tigers scoreless for her first two innings of work. A walk-off single by Lauren Houston scored two more Tigers and gave LSU the 8-0 run-rule win to open the day.
- GAME TWO –
The Eagles turned it around in game two, holding LSU to six total hits as the Bayou Bengals could score just three runs.
Georgia Southern drew first blood to start game two with a two RBI double by Tabby Douberley in the first inning. In the bottom half of the frame, LSU manufactured a pair of their own runs to tie the game at 2-2 through an inning of play.
A double in the third to the gap in left scored another LSU run in the third to give the Tigers their first lead of the game. Starting pitcher Allie Miles worked the first frame, but was lifted for Purvis who allowed just one run over the next five innings.
In the top of the sixth, Georgia Southern would threaten after a leadoff walk to Kourtny Thomas, followed by a Shelby Morrill single that put two ducks on the pond with no outs. A ground ball to the pitcher by Douberley resulted in a fielder’s choice while another ground out by Andrea Tarashuk moved the batters up a base when the second out was recorded. A walk to pinch hitter Savanah Coon loaded the bases for freshman catcher A.J. Hamilton. A strikeout, however, would quell the Eagle threat in the sixth and strand three runners on base.
In the top of the seventh, Alexa Lewis came a few feet from the tying run when she blasted a majestic fly ball to the warning track which was hauled in by the centerfielder. That would be the final opportunity for the Eagles who fell to 14-16 on the season while LSU improved to 25-5.
Next up for the Eagles is a trip to College of Charleston this weekend for a return to conference play. The Eagles face the Cougars beginning on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. from the Patriots Point Complex.
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