#3 Georgia Southern 4, #4 Chattanooga 1

GSU-UTC Box Score

CHATTANOOGA, TN ? Georgia Southern used a three-run home run by Gina Sterchi to defeat Chattanooga 4-1 and advance to the 2006 Southern Conference Softball Championship at Frost Stadium.

Georgia Southern will play Furman at 1:30 p.m. in the championship game. The Eagles will have to defeat the tournament undefeated Paladins twice to claim the 2006 SoCon title.

The game was knotted at 1-1 until the bottom of the fifth inning when Chattanooga native Sterchi changed the complexion of the game with a three-run shot off Chattanooga starting pitcher Ashley Frizzell to straightaway centerfield that caromed off the fence and over the wall to give the Eagles a 4-1 lead.

The home run was Sterchi’s eighth of the campaign.

Chattanooga’s Ashlan Clarkson placed the first run of the game on the scoreboard in the top of the third inning. Clarkson singled to shallow left centerfield, scoring Robyn Johnson, who had led off the inning with a single to right field, to give the Lady Mocs a 1-0 advantage.

Georgia Southern (32-33) squared things in the bottom of the stanza. SoCon Player of the Year Shanita Black kicked off the Eagles’ charge by doubling to start the inning and then finding her way to third on the double due to a miscue by Chattanooga rightfielder Amanda Hoiness.

Black was plated the very next batter when GSU’s Aurora Johnson laid down a suicide squeeze to tie the contest at 1-1.

Chattanooga ends the 2006 season at 38-35.