STATESBORO – The Georgia Southern softball team rolled to two wins on day one of the Hail Southern Classic sliding past Maryland, 3-1, and run-ruling Rider, 12-0, in six innings on Friday at Beautiful Eagle Field. 

The pitching duo of Maddie Johnson and Bailey Holland produced stellar performances in the circle to lead the Eagles. Johnson (8-2) pitched her sixth complete game of the season tossing seven innings allowing just one run on seven hits against Maryland. Holland used her best outing of the season pitching a one-hit shutout picking up six strikeouts against Rider. 

Game One (Georgia Southern 3, Maryland 1) 
Maryland struck first in the opening frame on a single up the middle to take an early 1-0 lead. The Eagles would remain quiet until the fourth inning as it scored in the final three innings. 

Madi Gillespie led off the bottom of the fourth frame with a four-pitch walk before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt off the bat of Faith Barth. Back-to-back walks by Delanie Thames and Emma Davis loaded the bases for Kyla Maxwell drew an RBI hit by pitch to even the score. 

In the fifth, Payton Cushman drew a five-pitch walk before stealing second to put a runner in scoring position as Barth drove her in on an RBI single through the right side to make it 2-0. 

The Eagles would add insurance in sixth when Braelyn Queen recorded a sacrifice fly to score Davis who led off the inning with a base hit. 

Johnson held the Terrapins scoreless for six complete innings and scattered five hits after giving up a run and two hits in the first. 

Kayla Christensen led the offense going 2-for-4 with her fifth multi-hit performance. Barth and Davis added a hit a piece going 1-for-2. Cushman extended her reached base streak to 17 games. 

Game Two (Georgia Southern 12, Rider 0) 
Georgia Southern opened the scoring in the second plating two runs on three hits to take the lead as it's all it would need. Back-to-back singles and a fielding error loaded the bases for the Eagles before Gracie Bellard singled up the middle to plate two. 

The Eagles would go on to score three runs on three hits in the third to make it 5-0. A Broncs error and back-to-back singles off the bat of Thames and Davis drove in the runs. 

The offense would explode in the fourth for seven runs on seven hits. The inning was highlighted by pinch hitter Semira Tigg who recorded her first collegiate hit and RBI to plate the fifth run of the inning. Makayla Brantley tripled to bring in the final two runs of the inning to score Tigg and Brooke Kell who drew an infield single. 

The Eagle offense exploded for a second-best season high 13 hits in the contest. Eight of the nine Eagle starters recorded hits in the contest. Thames and Bellard recorded multi-hit performances with two hits and Cushman extended her reached base streak to 18 games. Brantley, Bellard, and Cushman drove in a half the runs with two runs batted in each. 

Next Up 
The Eagles are back in action on day two of the Hail Southern Classic against Maryland and Rider beginning at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively. The games are set to be broadcast on ESPN+.