GREENSBORO, N.C. – Georgia Southern's drive for a third-straight Southern Conference Softball Tournament Championship came to an end on Friday afternoon with an 11-2 loss to UNCG. A five-run second inning opened the door for the loss which eliminated the top-seeded Eagles from the Tournament. It was the second loss of the day for the Eagles to UNCG. Georgia Southern fell 2-1 earlier in the day to the Spartans

"Today's games were a tough way to end the season," said Head Coach Annie Smith. "We had a great year to win another SoCon Championship, but it hurts to end it this way. I'd like to thank our senior class for everything they have done for this program."

After starting pitcher Sarah Purvis worked out of a jam in the first, UNCG was able to touch the senior up for three runs in the second inning before the senior was lifted in favor of Brooke Red out of the bullpen. Tory Wright hit the three-run job to right as the Eagles allowed their first long-ball of the game. Two more runs crossed later in the inning on Red's account as the Spartans posted five hits in the second to go up 5-1.

The Eagles got an immediate answer in the bottom of the second when Morgan Johnson scored off Breanna McLendon's RBI single up the middle. The RBI was the second of the day for McLendon who pushed the Eagles' only run of game one across the plate.

UNCG's Lindsay Thomas hit a three-run home run of her own in the third inning as the Spartans extended their lead to 8-1. That ended Red's outing after allowing five runs off five hits in 1.2 innings of work. Senior Allie Miles was handed the ball with two outs in the third frame.

McLendon delivered her third RBI of the day in the fourth inning when she hit a bleeder to left which allowed pinch runner Breigh Findlay to scamper home from second base and cut the UNCG lead to 8-2 entering the final three innings of the game.

The Spartans tacked on a two-run home run in the seventh to spoil Miles' ledger. Lindsay Thomas hit the long-ball to centerfield, improving to 2-for-5 in the game with two home runs and five RBIs.

Purvis was handed the loss in the circle to fall to 20-13 on the season and a school record 61 victories for her career. She has also captured the Georgia Southern single season and career strikeout records with 288 and 757 strikeouts, respectively. She opened the 2014 SoCon Tournament with her sixth career no-hitter which ranks her T-12 in the NCAA Division I career records chart. She also has three career perfect games which rank T-11 on the NCAA list.

The Eagles close the season at 35-21 while UNCG advances to the SoCon Championship Final on Saturday afternoon against Chattanooga.

The loss also ends the careers of Georgia Southern's seven seniors. Four members of the senior class will graduate on Monday in a special commencement ceremony. The 2014 Georgia Southern senior class will be remembered as the winningest group in program history with a pair of SoCon Regular Season Championship and two SoCon Tournament Championships.

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