#3 Georgia Southern 4, #7 Furman 0
GSU-FUR Box Score (Game Two)
CHATTANOOGA, TN ? Behind an early barrage of home runs in its 4-0 shutout victory over Furman (29-37) in the second game of the championship round of the SoCon Softball Championship, Georgia Southern won three games in a row on Saturday ? including two consecutive over winner’s bracket champion Furman ? to acquire the 2006 Southern Conference Softball Championship at Frost Stadium and advance to the 2006 NCAA Division I Softball Tournament.
The victory garners the Eagles their second SoCon tournament title all-time and their first since 1999. Georgia Southern will learn of its destination in the NCAA tournament at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 14 on the NCAA Division I Softball Selection Show on ESPNU.
All-Tournament team member Gina Sterchi slammed her second three-run home run of the day to commence things going in the right direction for the Eagles in the bottom of the first inning. Sterchi’s home run was her ninth of the season and gave the Eagles an early 3-0 lead.
Georgia Southern (34-33) smacked another homer the next inning, as A.J. Street smacked a shot to left field to give the Eagles a 4-0 lead.
The home run was the third of the season for Street.
The SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Shanita Black of Georgia Southern moved up the single-season charts once again in the stolen base category in the decisive championship game on Saturday afternoon, swiping second base in the bottom of the second inning to tally her 37th stolen base of the season. The mark places her second all-time in SoCon single-season history.
First-team All-SoCon pitcher Melissa Laliberte held the Lady Paladins to just two hits in the game, striking out seven and setting the new Georgia Southern mark for shutouts in a season with eight.
Georgia Southern becomes only the second team (Chattanooga, 2000) in SoCon tournament history to claim the tournament crown by winning three games on the final day. The Eagles also end the championship as the first team to win the championship after losing its first game in the tournament.
All-Tournament Team
Yancy Moose, Appalachian State
Ashley Frizzell, Chattanooga
Alyssa Edwards, Chattanooga
Megan Jaudon, Furman
Stephanie Cushing, Furman
Blake Murray, Furman
Sam Steiner, Georgia Southern
Shanita Black, Georgia Southern
Gina Sterchi, Georgia Southern
Logan Free, Georgia Southern
Tournament Most Outstanding Player
Shanita Black, Georgia Southern