Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 STATESBORO, Ga. - The Georgia Southern pitching staff picked up where Brooke Red left off yesterday and allowed one run over 14 innings as the softball team split a pair of games in the Eagle Round Robin Tournament on Saturday.

Game One – Tennessee 1 vs Georgia Southern 0

Sarah Purvis struck out 10 batters in a complete game effort, but the Georgia Southern softball team fell 1-0 to the top-ranked Tennessee Volunteers at Eagle Field on Saturday.

Tennessee (3-0) got a second inning home run from Melissa Davin and held onto a single-digit lead behind a two-hit shutout from Ellen Renfroe. Renfroe (2-0) allowed only two hits and walked one while striking out 10.

"We went toe-to-toe with the number one team in the country. We didn't make any mistakes outside of that one pitch. It was a good game, and it shows how good we are. We were solid, and we had some good at bats," said Georgia Southern Head Coach Annie Smith.

Georgia Southern (1-1) got an almost equal effort from their starting pitcher. Purvis (0-1) posted her 14th career 10+ strikeout game and allowed only four hits and one walk in the loss.

Kourtny Thomas led off the second inning for the Eagles with a single but was unable to score from second base after Renfroe struck out A.J. Hamilton and Lexi Allen to end the frame.

GSU had two base runners in the fourth inning but were unable to come up with a two-out hit after Renfroe struck out Hamilton.

Game Two – Oakland 0 vs Georgia Southern 7

Marla Thompson tossed a two-hit shutout in her first career start to help the Georgia Southern Eagles defeat the Oakland Golden Grizzles 7-0 for a second time.

Georgia Southern (2-1) got back to hitting after being held to just two hits by Tennessee; the Eagles scored their seven runs off nine hits and two walks. Taylor Rodgers led the hitters with three hits and scored a pair of runs, while Shelby Morrill drove in three batters with two hits.

"I am really happy about that. I told them a sign of a good team is one that doesn't have any let down and goes and plays their game," Smith said after her team bounced back from the 1-0 loss earlier in the day.

Thompson (1-0) kept Oakland (1-3) off the scoreboard and limited the Golden Grizzles to just four base runners. She struck out four batters and allowed just one walk in a complete game performance.

"I have said since I have gotten here that pitching is one of our strengths. We have a great pitching staff . I am fortunate to have that," said Smith. "That is where the game is won. It is nice to see each of them get a full game and do that."

The Eagles got to Erin Kownacki early for five runs in the first three innings and added two more in the fourth. Kownacki (1-1) suffered her first loss of the season after allowing seven runs – six earned – on nine hits. She also tallied six strikeouts and allowed two walks.

Morrill started GSU's scoring with a two-run home run in the first inning and drove in her third run of the day with a triple in the third. Emily Snider tacked on two runs to the Eagles 5-0 lead with a single in the fourth inning.

Softball returns to action tomorrow and will face Northern Colorado at 12:30 p.m. in the final game of the Eagle Round Robin Tournament.

Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics and twitter.com/GSAthletics.