SoCon Softball Championship Page
Game 12: #1 Chattanooga 5, #3 College of Charleston 2
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MT. PLEASANT, S.C. ? No. 1 seed Chattanooga eliminated tournament host College of Charleston, 5-2, in game 12 of the 2008 Southern Conference Softball Championship at the Patriots Point Athletics Complex.
The Lady Mocs (38-20) continue to the loser’s bracket final for a rematch against UNC Greensboro Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m. with a berth in the championship game up for grabs. UNCG defeated Chattanooga, 3-1, on Thursday afternoon. Georgia Southern has already clinched a spot in the championship game.
UTC pitcher Brooke Loudermilk was victorious again, limiting Charleston to four hits while striking out eight and not allowing a walk. The sophomore improved to 3-0 in the tournament with only three earned runs allowed in 22.2 innings in the circle.
Chattanooga used the long ball on offense to take the advantage as Tiffany Baker sent a towering two-run homer over the fence in left field to stake UTC to a 2-0 advantage in the fourth inning.
Laci Upchurch provided the power in the sixth as her three-run shot sealed the second victory of the day for the Lady Mocs, who had topped Appalachian State in the day’s first game.
The third-seeded Cougars’ only runs also came via the home run when third baseman Kristie Shifflett lifted her sixth homer of the season, and second of the tournament, over the fence in right in the top of the seventh. Two batters later, Brittany Small sent a Loudermilk pitch beyond the fence in left to bring Charleston to within three at 5-2. But that was as close as they would get as Loudermilk fanned the final two batters to end the Charleston threat.
Shannon Howard gave up five runs on eight hits and was saddled with her 13th defeat of the season.
College of Charleston’s season ends with a 33-33 record.
Game 11: #2 Georgia Southern 4, #5 UNC Greensboro 2
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MT. PLEASANT, S.C. ? SoCon Player of the Year Robyne Siliga belted a three-run home run to center field to give second-seeded Georgia Southern a 4-2 victory over fifth-seeded UNC Greensboro in game 11 of the 2008 Southern Conference Softball Championship at the Patriots Point Athletics Complex.
Georgia Southern (37-28) advances to the championship round of the tournament with the first championship game to be played at 1:30 p.m. Saturday against either College of Charleston, Chattanooga or UNC Greensboro. UNCG (23-32) will face the winner of Friday’s College of Charleston/Chattanooga game Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m. with a berth in the championship game on the line.
With UNC Greensboro threatening in the top of the seventh inning with runners on first and second and one out, Mary Catherine Vercoe chopped a sharp ground ball to third where Siliga stepped on the bag and threw on to first for the game-ending double play.
The top of the Georgia Southern order provided problems for the Spartans all afternoon as the top three hitters went 5-for-8 with three runs scored and all four GSU RBI. In addition to Siliga’s three-run blast, Aubrey Thweatt was 2-for-3 while Nina Iduate collected one hit and one run batted in.
Melissa Laliberte (19-11) earned the victory for GSU. The first-team all-SoCon performer scattered seven hits in 5.2 innings, allowing two runs, both of which were earned.
Megen Smith came on in relief with two outs in the sixth and went the rest of the way in the circle, claiming her second save of the year.
UNCG’s Amber Harrell suffered the loss, dropping to 11-18.
Georgia Southern’s appearance in the championship game marks the third consecutive season that the Eagles have reached the final round of the SoCon Tournament.