Eagles Drop Doubleheader at Georgia State
ATLANTA, Ga. ? The Georgia Southern Eagles dropped both games of Tuesday’s doubleheader at Georgia State. The Eagles fall to 3-7 while the Panthers improve to 7-4.
Game One: Georgia State 4, Georgia Southern 2
The Panthers got on the board early as Nicole Griffin hit a two-run homerun to left center in the bottom of the first inning.
Georgia Southern cut the lead in half in the fourth when Maria Laurato (New Orleans, La.) hit an RBI double to left center field that scored Lindsey Hopkins (McDonough, Ga.).
Georgia State loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning on a lead-off single and back-to-back walks. The Panthers got a run on a fielder’s choice and added another on a wild pitch to go up 4-1.
The Eagles added a run in the sixth when Hopkins singled and scored on a Georgia State error. The Panthers threatened to add to the lead in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases with the first three batters, but Georgia Southern got out of the inning without any damage.
Elizabeth Branan (Alpharetta, Ga.) led the Eagles offensively, going 2-for-3 in the game. Laurato went 1-for-3 with one RBI. Hopkins added another hit and scored both runs for the Eagles.
Mary Kathryn Branan went 2-for-3 to lead Georgia State.
Madi Gore (4-1) struck out eight Eagle batters and walked none to get the win for the Panthers. Melissa Laliberte (Cogburn, Ontario, Canada) (1-3) struck out eight and walked four in the loss.
Game Two: Georgia State 5, Georgia Southern 4
The Eagles jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning of game two on an RBI single by Robyne Siliga (Oceanside, Calif.) that plated Nina Iduate (Norcross, Ga.).
A wild pitch scored Katie Smith (Goose Creek, S.C.) in the second to make the score 2-0 in favor of the Eagles.
Georgia State scored a run in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by Mary Kathryn Branan that plated Nikki Bradford.
Siliga added to the Georgia Southern lead with a lead-off homerun in the top of the fourth inning to make it 3-1.
The Panthers answered with a run of their own on another RBI single by Branan in the bottom of the fourth.
With the bases loaded in the top of the fifth, Siliga was hit by a pitch and the Eagles went up 4-2.
Georgia State tied the game in the bottom of the sixth on two-run single by Lily Skelton. Branan singled through the left side in the bottom of the seventh to give the Panthers a 5-4 victory.
Chelsea Morgan (1-2) got the win for the Panthers and Logan Free (Sandpoint, Idaho) (2-2) took the loss for the Eagles.
UNCG Splits Doubleheader with Campbell
BUIES CREEK, NC ? Amber Harrell pitched her second complete game of the season to give UNC Greensboro a 11-4 win in game two of a doubleheader with Campbell at the Eakes Athletics Complex Tuesday afternoon. The Camels took an 11-1 win in game one for the split.
Harrell, who posted her second collegiate victory, allowed four runs on 10 hits in 7.0 innings of work. She walked four and had nine strikeouts.
Campbell (6-3-1) got on the board early in the second game. Campbell’s lead-off hitter Jessica Huffman had a leadoff single and then stole second before coming home on a UNCG passed ball for the first run of the game. UNCG (5-6) responded with three runs in the second inning.
The Spartans were able to get runners on base with when Camel pitcher Laura Caviness walked third baseman Kara Clouser and shortstop Kaitlin Merkt hit a single. Designated player Adriane Audley sent both runners around the bases when she hit her first triple of the season. Right fielder Heather Branche doubled through center field to bring Audley home and give UNCG the 3-1 advantage early.
The teams went scoreless for the next inning but UNCG added another run in the fourth when Audley doubled and came home on a Campbell passed ball. The Spartans put the game out of reach in the sixth inning when they scored four runs. Branche hit a bases loaded triple and then rounded the basses herself with when freshman Brittany Ausley hit a RBI single.
Campbell tacked on three runs in the bottom of the seventh to make the final score 11-4. Campbell pitcher Laura Caviness took the loss after allowing three runs on four hits in 1.1 inning of work. It was Caviness’s first loss of the season.
In game one Campbell took the early 1-0 lead with a leadoff double from Huffman. The Camels put another runner on base when Hannah Angel walled Courtney Quinn. Huffman came home on a sacrifice bunt by Amanda Littlejohn.
The Camels added three runs in the third inning sparked by back-to-back doubles from Huffman and Quinn, giving Campbell a 4-0 advantage. The Spartans were able to get one run on the board in the top of the fourth when Ausley had a leadoff single and then stole second base. Kelly Weaver walked Lyndsay Mouse and Whitney Sirois drove Ausley home with a single to right field.
UNCG wouldn’t get any closer as Campbell scored six runs in the fifth inning en route to an 11-1 victory. Hannah Angel took the loss after allowing four earned runs on six hits in 2.2 innings of play.
The Spartans are next in action Friday when they head to Charlotte for the Green and White Tournament Feb. 23-25. UNCG will face host Charlotte in their first game. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 pm.