TAMPA, Fla. –   Georgia Southern Softball suffered a pair of losses on the opening day of the USF Under Armour Invitational. In game one, the Eagles scattered double digit hits, but were were plagued by fielding errors in a 14-10 loss to Illinois. In game two, a rejuvenated Eagle squad dropped a 3-2 loss to host South Florida thanks to a walk-off home run in the seventh inning.
 
"We didn't play well in the first game, but I thought we responded well in the second game," said Head Coach Annie Smith. "We played the kind of game we needed to play if we want to compete at the level we need to compete at. We hit well all day, and our defense was a lot better in that second game. The USF game was one of the best defensive games we played, so I'm happy with that, and we need to build on that through the rest of the weekend."
 
GAME ONE – GS 10 – ILL 14
 
The Eagles had 14 hits in game one, but committed 4 errors en route to a 14-10 setback at the hands of the Fighting Illini.


In the bottom of the first, Emily Snider roped a triple down the right field line. An infield ground ball from Alesha Mann wasn't enough to plate Snyder who was cut down at the plate trying to score.  

The Eagle offense was able to score the game's first run in the second when Morgan Robinson and Lindsey Wilcox combined for back-to-back doubles to get the Eagles off the mark. Lexi Allen moved Wilcox to third, and an AJ Hamilton double to the gap sent Wilcox home to give the Eagles an early 2-0 advantage.
 
In the top of the 3rd, the Illini played small ball to load the bases with no outs. The Eagles retired the next two batters in order before Jess Perkins cleared the bases when she tagged a ball off the wall in left for a three-RBI double. The Eagles got out of the inning one batter later, but the damage was done as Illinoi took a 3-2 lead 

Robinson delivered an RBI single in the third to score Taylor Rogers who opened the frame with a leadoff single. Illinois, however, scored four in the fourth to stretch their lead to 7-3 in the middle of the fourth.

In the bottom half of the 4th, Lexi Allen reached third base thanks to a single, stolen base, and a wild pitch. Breanna Mclendon delivered an RBI single to right to plate Allen. Illinois answered in the top of the fifth with a run of their own, taking advantage of a Georgia Southern fielding error to make the score 8-4.
 
Allen drove in two more runs in the bottom of the fifth she drove in Macy Weeks who ran for Robinson following her walk. The Eagle second baseman lifted a home run to left to score two and slice the Illini lead to 8-6 through five complete.

Illinois plated four runs in the sixth and batted around with a pair of hits and an Eagle error to take a commanding 12-6 advantage with six outs remaining for Georgia Southern.

A leadoff single for Rogers opened the door for the Eagles to load the bases in the home half of the sixth for Wilcox. She blasted her second home run of the season down the left field line for the Eagles' second grand slam this season. Her big shot cut the lead to 12-10 as the game went to a decisive seventh frame.

The Eagles got two early outs, but Illinois struck two out lightning to plate two more runs in the inning and push the lead to 14-10 with Georgia Southern coming to the plate for the final time.

In the bottom of the seventh, a walk to McLendon was all the offense could produce as the Eagles were held hitless for the first time in an inning for the game. Despite 14 total hits, the Eagles dropped the 14-10 decision to the Illini.


GAME TWO – GS 2 – USF 3
 
In Friday's second game the Eagles scattered eight hits behind a pair from Rogers and Allen. Ultimately, a walk-off home run for USF was the difference as the Eagles fell to 0-2 on the day. Friday's game was the first meeting of the schools since the 2013 NCAA Tournament Gainesville Regional when the Eagles twice fell to the Bulls in one-run contests.

USF drew first blood in the second when a fielding error opened the door for an unearned run to score off a single from Krysten Wyckoff.

The Eagles came alive at the plate in the top of the third as they scored two runs on three hits.  Rogers got things started when she singled to shortstop. Robinson singled to third later in the inning to put runners on the corners for Wilcox who drew a walk to load the bases. Allen stroked a single to right to score Rogers, while Mann plated Robinson from third with an infield ground out. The runs cut the lead to 2-1.

USF tied the score at 2-2 with a run in the fifth, but Eagle starting pitcher Kierra Camp held the Bulls in check through six complete. Ultimately, Julie Weber ended the contest with a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 7th to give USF the win, 3-2. 

Camp went the distance, but took the loss for the Eagles. She held USF to five hits and recorded three strikeouts on the day.

The Eagles have two games set for Saturday with a 10 a.m. contest against Maine opening the day, followed by a 12:15 game against Rhode Island. The weekend concludes on Sunday against Villanova at 11:30 a.m. All three games will be played in Clearwater, Fla.

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