Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The Georgia Southern softball team dropped a pair of late-inning contests at the UF Bubly Invitational on Saturday, falling to Charlotte, 5-4, in eight innings and to No. 6 Florida, 2-1.

The Eagles (0-3) will wrap up action in the Invitational on Sunday by taking on Charlotte at 9 a.m. and then No. 6 Florida at 3 p.m. 

"We had two very close games against great competitors in Charlotte and Florida," Georgia Southern Head Coach Kim Dean said. "We are using all these innings to continue to build, to come together and most importantly, to prepare us for Sun Belt Conference play. We had a lot of energy and heart today. We didn't have the outcomes that we wanted, but the way we're playing is, without a doubt, giving us a huge boost of confidence and helping us learn quickly."

GAME ONE: Charlotte 5, Georgia Southern 4 (8 inn.)

Charlotte scored twice in the seventh inning to overcome a 4-2 deficit, then plated the winning run in the eighth to take the one-run win over the Eagles in the first game of the day.

The Niners opened up the scoring in the third inning with an RBI double by Spenser Gray, then an RBI groundout by Kourtney Gremillion. Georgia Southern answered with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth on a passed ball and an error that plated Shayla Smith and Ashlynn Gunter, respectively.

Georgia Southern took a 4-2 lead in the top of the fifth as junior Faith Shirley led off the inning with a solo home run, then freshman Aaliyah Garcia delivered her first collegiate hit and RBI with an infield single.

Charlotte tied things up in the bottom of the seventh on a two-run, two-out single by Gremillion, sending the game into extra innings. The Niners then plated the winning run on Imani Rochelle's single up the middle.

Madelyn Wright (1-0) hurled four innings of four-hit shutout relief, striking out one to notch the win in the circle for Charlotte. Freshman Anna Feil (0-1) took the loss in relief for the Eagles, giving up one unearned run in 2/3rds of an inning of work.

Alia Booth had three hits and Shirley went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run to lead the Eagles offensively.

GAME TWO: No. 6 Florida 2, Georgia Southern 1

The Eagles were one out away from upsetting the No. 6-ranked Gators, but Charla Echols' bases-loaded two-out single in the bottom of the seventh pushed Florida to the 2-1 win.

Georgia Southern took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning as sophomore Aaliyah Garcia doubled to lead off the inning. She moved to third on a ground ball, then scored on an error off of a ball hit by Ashlynn Gunter for the one-run lead.

Sophomore Kyleigh Richardson, meanwhile, limited the Gators to just two hits and no runs through six innings. In the bottom of the seventh, a leadoff walk to Avery Goelz was followed by a sacrifice bunt, then a groundout meant there were two outs and the tying run on third. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases for Echols, who hit a 2-1 pitch back up the middle for the game-winning runs.

Richardson (0-1) finished the game giving up just three hits and two runs in 6 2/3 innings of work, walking six while striking out four. Katie Chronister (3-0) notched the win in relief for Florida, hurling three no-hit shutout innings.