STATESBORO, Ga. - Senior Emily Snider hit two big home runs to lift the Georgia Southern softball team to an 8-7 win over Tennessee Tech Saturday night on the second day of the Eagle Round Robin. The Eagles fell to No. 15 Tennessee earlier in the day and now stand at 2-2 on the young season.

#15 UT 13, GS 2 (5 innings)
The hard-hitting Vols manufactured three runs in the top of the second inning to get the scoring started. Aubrey Leach's two-RBI double to left field made it a 3-0 lead after the Vols scored on a single down the line earlier in the inning. UT broke it open with nine more runs in the top of the third inning as the Eagles used four pitchers. Eight of the runs came with two outs in the inning. Tennessee tacked on one more unearned run in the fifth inning to cap the scoring.

The Eagles couldn't get much going against Matty Moss, who allowed just one hit. That hit came from freshman Mekhia Freeman, who singled with two outs in the fifth inning to break up the no-hitter and shutout. Shelby Wilson, Alesha Mann and Morgan Robinson drew walks, and Haley Carter reached on an error.

Dixie Raley (L, 1-1) lasted just over two innings. She allowed six runs (three earned) on five hits with a walk. Heather Felt, Amanda Chambers and Kaylee Ramos also saw action in the circle. Ramos retired six of the final eight Vol batters to help slow down the scoring.

GS 8, TTU 7
Tennessee Tech capitalized on two GS errors in the first inning to jump out to a 3-0 lead, but the Eagles responded right back. After Lydia Witkowski singled up the middle, Emily Snider crushed an offering to dead-center to make it a 3-2 game.

In the bottom of the third inning, Witkowski singled and then Robinson and Hannah Farrell drew walks before Michelle Mazur sliced a double down the line to drive in all three runners. Freeman scored on a wild pitch in the fourth inning to push the lead back to two runs.

TTU continued to scrap back and took the lead in the sixth inning to put the game in doubt, but the Eagles would not be denied in the bottom half of the inning. Carter drew a leadoff walk and then Snider, the senior from Tennille, Georgia, came through in a big way for her team. She crushed a 1-1 offering high into the air and the ball had enough top spin to bounce over after hitting the top of the wall, sending her teammates streaming out of the dugout.

Snider's big night led the way, going 2-for-4 with four RBIs and two round-trippers. Witkowski also had two hits and scored two runs while freshman Shelby Wilson picked up her first career hits with a two-hit effort. Carter, Mazur and Alesha Mann all had one hit apiece.

Kiera Camp went four innings, but did not factor into the decision. She allowed five runs (three earned) on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Raley (W, 2-1) came on in relief and pitched the final three innings. She allowed two runs on three hits with two strikeouts.

UP NEXT:
The Eagles will wrap up their weekend on Sunday, taking on Middle Tennessee at 2 p.m.