#3 Georgia Southern 4, #5 Appalachian State 1
GSU-ASU Box Score
CHATTANOOGA, TN ? The Georgia Southern Eagles used a dominating pitching performance by starting pitcher Logan Free to defeat Appalachian State 4-1 and eliminate the Mountaineers from the 2006 Southern Conference Softball Championship at Frost Stadium.
Free pitched a complete game three-hitter and finished the game with three strikeouts.
The victory over Appalachian State advances GSU to the finals of the loser’s bracket where they will face fourth-seeded Chattanooga at 11 a.m. on Saturday for the right to move on and play Furman in the championship game at 1:30 p.m.
The Eagles obtained the lead for good at 2-1 in the top of the fifth inning when SoCon Player of the Year Shanita Black scored from second base after stealing her league-high 33rd base of the season.
Aurora Johnson singled in Black, with the run acquired with two outs after GSU kicked off the inning by getting two quick outs.
Georgia Southern added another run in the inning when Johnson scored on a Sam Steiner single to left field with the bases loaded.
One inning later, the Eagles punched in one more when Carrie Mixon scored an unearned run to give GSU the eventual final score of 4-1.
The Eagles wasted no time getting on the board in its semifinal game with Appalachian State, scoring the first run of the game in the top of the first inning. Sam Steiner picked up the RBI, singling to right field to plate Johnson for the early 1-0 lead.
Appalachian State, who concludes its 2006 campaign at 29-30, squared the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning when Dianna Cook, who commenced the inning by singling to thwart Free’s chance at a no-hitter by commandeering the Mountaineers’ first hit, scored from second base. Cook was plated on a Kristyn Hurt single to right field.