STATESBORO - Senior Janai Conklin delivered the game-winning hits in both ends of Georgia Southern's doubleheader sweep of Appalachian State on Friday afternoon at Eagle Field. The Eagles took game one, 5-3, in eight innings and won the nightcap, 2-1.
The wins secure the first Sun Belt series win this season for Georgia Southern (13-20, 3-8 SBC), while also stretching App State's current losing streak to seven. The Mountaineers fell to 18-17 overall and 1-8 with the losses.
The two teams will wrap up their Sun Belt series with a single game on Friday. First pitch will be at 3:30 p.m., moved up from 6 p.m.
GAME ONE: Georgia Southern 5, App State 3 (8 inn.)
Conklin launched a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Eagles a come-from-behind win in game one of the doubleheader. It was the fourth extra-inning walk-off win for Georgia Southern this season.
App State opened the scoring in the top of the second inning as an error allowed Emily Parrott to score from second for the early 1-0 lead.
The Eagles tied things up in the bottom of the third with a two-out RBI single by Courtney Ball.
The Mountaineers plated a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning, but the Eagles tied things right back up in the bottom of the fifth with back-to-back RBI singles from Faith Barth and Dejah Mills, setting the stage for the extra-inning heroics.
Bailey Holland (4-11) notched the win in the complete-game effort, giving up seven hits and three unearned runs in eight innings of work, walking one and striking out two. Kaylie Northrop (7-5) took the loss for the Mountaineers, giving up eight hits and five runs in 7 1/3 innings of work, walking one and striking out three.
Conklin went 2-for-4 with two RBI to lead the Eagles offensively in game one.
GAME TWO: Georgia Southern 2, App State 1
Conklin's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the sixth snapped a 1-1 tie and gave the Eagles the doubleheader sweep of the Mountaineers.
Each team plated a single run in the third inning, with Mary Pierce Barnes drawing a bases-loaded walk for App State in the top half, but Courtney Ball answered with an RBI groundout in the bottom half, scoring Katie Perkins.
App State threatened in the top of the fifth by getting the first two batters on, but Morgan Kendrick (7-2) entered the game in relief for the Eagles and retired the next three batters to escape the jam and keep the game deadlocked.
In the bottom of the sixth, Emma Davis led off with an infield single, then moved to second on a sacrifice by Faith Barth. Davis took third on Dejah Mills' flyout to right, then scored the winning run as Conklin's flare hit just out of reach of App State shortstop Addie Wray in shallow left field.
Kendrick then left the tying run stranded on second in the top of the seventh, striking out Barnes to end the game. She earned the win in relief, giving up one hit in three shutout innings, walking one and striking out three. Delani Buckner (4-6) took the loss for the Mountaineers, giving up four hits and two runs in six innings of work, walking one and striking out three.
