TAMPA, Fla. – The Georgia Southern softball team picked up a ranked-win over 22-ranked Michigan, 2-0 and fell to second-ranked Florida, 4-0, in game two to wrap up the USF Rawlings Invitational on Sunday.
The Eagles picked up its first ranked win since 2022 in a 12-10 win over #23 Louisiana. The shutout is the first ranked shutout since the 2016 season when the Eagles beat #8 Louisiana, 2-0, on May 1.
Game One (Georgia Southern 2, #22 Michigan 0)
Georgia Southern struck first in the bottom of the second to take an early 1-0 lead.
Payton Cushman led off the inning with a single and
Braelyn Queen walked to put runners on first and second.
Kayla Christensen recorded her first collegiate RBI on a single up the middle to plate Cushman as that's all the Eagles would need for its first win over Michigan.
Michigan threatened in the top of the first and third innings with a runner on third, but groundouts ended the Wolverine offense. The Wolverines left 10 runners on base and out-hit the Eagles nine to five.
The Eagles extended its lead, 2-0, in the third on a
Madi Gillespie RBI-single to score
Delanie Thames who reached on a walk.
Freshman
Maddie Johnson (1-1) tossed a complete game shutout scattering nine hits and striking out four.
Cushman led the offense going 2-for-3 with a run scored and three more Eagles picked up hits in the contest.
Game Two (Georgia Southern 0, #2 Florida 4)
Florida opened the bottom of the first taking an early 1-0 lead after an RBI-single plated the run. After four scoreless innings, the Gators offense added insurance in the sixth scoring three runs on four hits to make it 4-0.
The Eagles were held to just two hits in the contest as
Emma Davis and Cushman recorded a hit a piece. Thames drew a hit by pitch and and
Gracie Bellard walked as the Eagles left just our runners on base.
Bailey Holland (1-1) threw 5.2 innings allowing just four runs on eight hits and tallying two strikeouts.
Next Up
The Eagles return home hosting the Bash in the Boro Feb. 14-16 at Beautiful Eagle Field.
