Softball Southern Conference

Furman Claims SoCon Softball Title With 3-2 Extra-Inning Win Over Georgia Southern

Furman Captures SoCon Tournament Title with 3-2 Extra-Inning Victory

 

SLIDESHOW

 

GREENSBORO, N.C. ? Extra-inning heroics by tournament most outstanding player, Amber Kiser, helped No. 7 Furman capture the 2007 Southern Conference Softball Tournament Championship as it defeated No. 4 Georgia Southern, 3-2 in nine innings, Saturday at the UNCG Softball Stadium.

 

The Paladins (21-34-1), who made a ?Cinderella’ run from the No. 7 seed will represent the SoCon in the NCAA Championship. The Eagles’ season ends at 29-32.

 

The SoCon tournament championship is the second for Furman, which won the inaugural tournament in 1994 after defeating Georgia Southern, 7-0. The team title is the first under fourth-year head coach Dana Jenkins. The Paladins got revenge after falling to the Eagles last season in the championship game.

 

The extra-inning game marked just the second time in Southern Conference Softball Tournament History that the championship game went more than seven innings. The only other extra-inning game came in 1996 when Chattanooga defeated Georgia Southern, 4-2 in 11 innings.

 

Kiser finished the game 2-for-5 with an RBI and run scored. Abby Robertson and Megan Jaudon added the other two RBI for the Paladins. Maria Laurato had the lone RBI for the Eagles as she finished 2-for-4 from the plate.

 

In her first appearance in the circle this tournament, Lana Mackey picked up the win after giving up two runs on five hits and struck out seven in nine innings. She moved to 9-13 on the season. Logan Free took the loss for GSU after giving up one run on one hit in just 0.2 innings of relief. Melissa Laliberte started the game and gave up two runs and struck out eight in eight innings.

 

Both teams went scoreless in the opening inning. Robyne Siliga walked to start the top half of the second inning for GSU. Katie Smith put down the first hit of the game with a single to right field to advance Siliga to second base with one out. The next two batters went down in order as the Furman headed to the plate in the second with the game scoreless.

 

Siliga opened the top of the fourth inning with a single up the middle. The next batter, Samantha Russo, singled to right center to advance the pinch runner, Thweatt to third. After Mackey’s third strikeout of the game, Thweatt scored on an error by the Furman catcher on a failed pickoff attempt. Mackey got the next two batters out in order, but not before GSU took a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth.

 

Furman took advantage of a single by Robertson and a GSU throwing error to put runners on the corners with no outs in the bottom of the fourth. Robertson scored on a sacrifice fly by Jaudon to tie the game at one with one out and a runner on first. A passed ball advanced the runners to second and third.  Laliberte struck out the final two batters to end the inning and strand runners on second and third. The two teams entered the fifth inning knotted at one.

 

Neither team put runs on the board in the sixth inning as they headed to the seventh still tied at one run apiece.

 

Katie Smith walked to start the seventh for the Eagles. A grounder to the pitcher resulted in an out at second and put Heather Smith on first. The Paladins just missed a double play with Elizabeth Branan at the plate as she reached first with two out. Lindsey Hopkins ended the inning on a ground-out to the catcher on a bunt attempt. The Paladins headed to the plate with an opportunity to win the game and the tournament in the bottom of the seventh.

 

Laliberte struck out the leadoff batter in the bottom of the seventh. Mackey doubled through the left side of the field to put a runner in scoring position with one out for the Paladins. Laliberte got Danielle Franklin swinging, and the next batter flew out to leave the runner stranded as the game went into extra innings with the score tied at one. 

 

In the top of the eighth, Laurato broke the 1-1 tie with her third homer of the season, a solo shot to left center field, giving GSU a 2-1 advantage with no outs in the top of the eighth inning. Mackey got out of the inning with just one run given up as Furman headed to the plate with its last chance to tie or win the game.

 

Laliberte struck out Blake Murray to give the Paladins one out in the bottom of the eighth. Kiser used her speed to run out a triple to right field and a sacrifice fly by Robertson tied the game at two with two outs in the inning. Blankenship grounded out to end the inning as the teams entered the ninth tied at two.

 

After an hour and 28 minute rain delay, the teams continued the game in the top of the night. Mackey showed no rust in the circle, striking out Katie Smith to start the ninth inning. The next batter, Michelle Beasley grounded out. Mackey recorded her seventh strikeout of the game, getting Branan out swinging as the Paladins went into their half of the ninth.

 

The Eagles brought in Free to replace Laliberte in the circle in the ninth. With one out, Free walked Franklin to bring up Lynn Parmer. Free struck out Parmer for two outs with Murray at bat. Free walked Murray in five pitches, bringing the hero of the eighth inning, Kiser, up. With a full count, Kiser blooped a single down the left field line to win the SoCon Tournament Championship for her Paladins.

 

2007 Southern Conference All-Tournament Team

Brythe Blankenship, Furman

Stephanie Cushing, Furman

Amber Kiser, Furman

Blake Murray, Furman

Maria Laurato, Georgia Southern

Samantha Russo, Georgia Southern

Jenny Side, Georgia Southern

Robyne Siliga, Georgia Southern

Vanessa Oakes, UNC Greensboro

Mendy McKenzie, Western Carolina

 

Most Outstanding Player: Amber Kiser, Furman

 

 

 

 

Home Runs Lead Georgia Southern Past Furman, 4-1

 

GREENSBORO, N.C. ? Georgia Southern used a home run-powered offense as it defeated Furman, 4-1, to force a second championship game, Saturday at the Southern Conference Softball Championships at the UNCG Softball Stadium.

 

The No. 7 Paladins (20-34-1) and No. 4 Eagles (29-31) will face off at 4 p.m. on Saturday, with the winner being crowned the SoCon Softball Tournament Champions. The situation is similar to last season’s in which Furman and GSU met in the championship game with the Eagles coming from the elimination bracket to win two-straight games for the tournament title.

 

Jenny Side tied for second in the GSU single-season record books with her ninth home run of the season. Samantha Russo also had a two-run blast, her third homerun of the season. A.J. Street picked up the win after giving up one run on three hits in 4.1 innings of play to improve to 7-5. Logan Free picked up the save for the Eagles.

 

 

 

Eagles Advance to Championship Game with 3-2 Victory Over Catamounts

 

SLIDESHOW

 

GREENSBORO, N.C. ? Georgia Southern used seventh-inning heroics for the second-straight day as it defeated Western Carolina, 3-2, Saturday to advance to the championship game at the Southern Conference Softball Championships at the UNCG Softball Stadium.

 

No. 4 GSU (28-31) will face No. 7 Furman in the championship game later Saturday afternoon. The championship game is the sixth for the Eagles, while the appearance is the eighth for Furman. The match up is a rematch of last season’s championship, as Georgia Southern prevailed with 3-2 and 4-0 victories from the elimination bracket. The No. 5 Catamounts’ season ends at 28-34.

 

The Eagles used a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh to cap a two-run half of the inning for a 3-2, come-from-behind victory.

 

Designated player, Samantha Russo had two of the Eagles’ RBI, including the game-winning RBI as she went 2-for-4 from the plate. Heather Smith added two hits, two runs scored and an RBI. Lauren Ross and Heather Pritchard had the two RBI for Western Carolina. Ross went 3-for-4 from the plate with a run scored.

 

A.J. Street pitched 4.2 innings of relief for the win for GSU. Street gave up one run on four hits to improve to 6-5. Logan Free started the game for the Eagles as she gave up one run on six hits and struck out three in 2.1 innings. Mendy McKenzie gave up three runs on 10 hits while striking out three in 6.2 innings for the loss for the Catamounts.

 

McKenzie singled to open the game for the Catamounts. The next batter hit into a fielder’s choice as McKenzie was called out at second, putting Nikki Bost on first with one out. Beatty hammered out the team’s second single of the game, advancing Bost to second. Savannah Filley walked to load the bases with one out in the top of the first. Free struck out her first batter of the game to give the Catamounts two outs with the bases loaded, brining Ross to the plate. Ross singled up the middle to advance the runners and score Bost from third to give WCU an early 1-0 lead. Free struck out the final batter of the inning as GSU escaped the top of the inning down 1-0.

 

The Eagles couldn’t answer in the bottom of the first as they went down in order. The Catamounts threatened once again in the top of the second inning, but Free struck out the final batter of the inning to keep the score at 1-0 in favor of WCU heading into the bottom of the second.

 

Georgia Southern delivered its first hit in the bottom of the second, but couldn’t take advantage of a runner on third as it didn’t put a run on the board in the inning. Moving into the third WCU led 1-0.

 

The Catamounts loaded the bases once again in the top of the third inning with one out, bringing Heather Pritchard to the plate. Street replaced Free in the circle for GSU to face Pritchard. Street got the batter to ground back to the pitcher and recorded the out at home to save a run from scoring and put two outs on the board. Beth Hauser entered the game to pinch hit, but grounded out to end the inning as WCU maintained its 1-0 lead after three and a half innings.

 

In the bottom of the third, Elizabeth Branan blooped a single behind the shortstop with one out and advanced to second on a passed ball, putting her in scoring position. The next two batters went down in order as GSU stranded a batter heading into the fourth inning down 4-0.

 

After holding the Catamounts in the top of the fourth, Jenny Side blasted a doubled off the wall in straight-away center field with one on the bags to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. After a popup by Robyne Siliga, Russo doubled to right center to bring the runner home from third and tie the game at one apiece with one out in the fourth. McKenzie walked Katie Smith to load the bases, bringing Michelle Beasley to the plate. McKenzie struck out the next to batters to pitch out of a jam as the two teams entered the fifth inning tied at five.

 

With two outs and a runner on in the top of the fifth for WCU, Pritchard doubled to right field down the foul line to score Ross. Pritchard was tagged out heading home on the play for the third out, but not before the Catamounts took a 2-1 lead.

 

Neither team added a run in either of its next two at bats, as Georgia Southern got its final chance to win or tie in the bottom of the seventh trailing 2-1. Hopkins singled to start the inning and advanced to second on an error, putting her in scoring position with no outs. After a pop out for the first out of the inning, Heather Smith singled to center field to score Hopkins from second to tie the game at two. McKenzie recorded her third strikeout of the game, getting Side looking for two outs in the inning. After McKenzie intentionally walked Siliga, Russo singled to left field to score Smith from second as the Eagles continued their late-inning heroics with a 3-2 victory.