AUBURN, Ala. - The Georgia Southern softball dropped a pair of games at the Auburn Invitational on Saturday at Jane B. Moore Field in Auburn, Ala. The Eagles lost to No. 18-ranked Minnesota, 14-3, in six innings in game one, then lost a 2-1 heartbreaker in eight innings to Binghamton in game two.
Georgia Southern wraps up action in the Invitational by taking on host Auburn on Sunday at 1 p.m.
"It was a tough day today, but we still fought hard," Georgia Southern Head Softball Coach Kim Dean said. "I'm very proud of Aaliyah Garcia's career-high strikeout performance in our game against Binghamton, and I thought we could have pulled that one out. But if we can just keep looking for opportunities to learn and grow as a team, then every day is a success. I'm looking forward to tomorrow's game against Auburn so we can continue to work on a few things as we prepare for the opening of Sun Belt Conference play in just a few days."
GAME ONE: No. 18 Minnesota 14, Georgia Southern 3 (6 inn.)
Minnesota broke open a 3-2 game with four runs in the fifth inning and seven runs in the sixth inning to pick up the win over the Eagles, the second time this week Georgia Southern has faced a nationally-ranked foe.
Georgia Southern opened the scoring in the first inning as an error and an Alia Booth RBI double put the Eagles up, 2-0. Minnesota answered in the top of the third with a three-run home run by Natalie Den Hartog.
The Golden Gophers plated four in the fifth, highlighted by a three-run home run from Katelyn Kemetmueller, then put the game away by sending 12 players to the plate in a seven-run sixth inning.
Amber Fiser (7-5) notched the win in the circle for Minnesota, giving up two hits and two runs - none earned - in four innings of work, walking two while striking out seven. Rylee Waldrep (4-3) took the loss for the Eagles, giving up two hits and three runs in 2 2/3 innings of work, walking three and striking out two.
GAME TWO: Binghamton 2, Georgia Southern 1 (8 inn.)
For a second straight day, a seventh-inning solo home run victimized Georgia Southern and led to an extra-inning win, this time for the Bearcats of Binghamton.
The Eagles led the Bearcats, 1-0, on a Janai Conklin fourth-inning RBI single. But Binghamton's Kassidy Seary hit a solo home run leading off the top of the seventh inning to send the game into extras.
In the top of the eighth, Stephanie Ragusa tripled to lead off the inning, then scored the winning run on a wild pitch.
Rayn Gibson (1-3) picked up the win for Binghamton in the circle, giving up seven hits and one run in eight innings of work, walking three while striking out seven. Aaliyah Garcia (4-4) lost a second straight extra-inning decision, giving up six hits and two runs in eight innings of work, striking out a season-high 12 without walking a batter.
Conklin's two hits and RBI led the Eagles offensively, while Ellington Day went 2-for-3.
