Georgia Southern 9, Jacksonville 5

Georgia Southern 5, Jacksonville 3

STATESBORO, GA. – Georgia Southern Softball took two games from Jacksonville on Wednesday night in the first midweek series of the 2013 season. GSU got close to the first cycle in program history with two runs at the elusive feat in game one. The Eagles open SoCon play this weekend at Elon.

-GAME ONE-

Georgia Southern got a pair of cycle bids in game one from Alexa Lewis and Shelby Morrill. Lewis came a triple shy of the cycle while Morrill was a home run shy of becoming in the first batter in program history to hit for the cycle. Behind those two stellar performances, Georgia Southern took the 9-5 win.

The Dolphins struck first in the top of the first with a pair of runs off two hits, but Georgia Southern answered back in the bottom of the first with three runs of their own. Lewis scored easily after Lexi Allen’s stolen base resulted in an error by the JU shortstop as the ball dribbled into centerfield. Allen crossed later in the frame on a triple by Morrill. Another error by the Jacksonville shortstop with two outs allowed Morrill to score and give the Eagles a 3-2 lead.

Lewis came in to score again in the second inning when she lofted a ball into the jet stream for her first home run of the season to the gap in left. GSU added another run in the third when back-to-back doubles allowed Morrill to score off a slap from Tabby Doublerley.

The Eagles tacked a single run in the fourth when Morrill plated Lewis with a single. Three more runs came in during the fifth inning including two off the bat of Allen. Jacksonville scored one run in the fourth and two in the fifth inning to cut the Georgia Southern advantage to 9-5.

Brooke Red went the first four innings and earned her third win of the season while Allie Miles worked the final three innings to pick up her first save of the season.

-GAME TWO-

Georgia Southern took the sweep with a 5-3 win in game two. The Dolphins scored two in the seventh and had the tying run in scoring position with one out in the seventh, but the Eagles worked out of the jam to cement the victory.

The Eagles’ hot hitting from game one continued into game two as the Eagles scored two runs off a single by Doublerley and added a third on a double by Andrea Tarashuk, giving GSU a 3-0 advantage.

Doublerley crossed with two outs in the third inning thanks to a fielding error by the JU shortstop to extend the advantage to 4-0. An inning later, Thomas bolstered the Georgia Southern advantage with a towering home run to centerfield, her fifth long-ball of the season.

Jacksonville swam back against the tide in the seventh inning, hitting a two-run home run to cut the lead to 5-3. Allie Miles came on in relief to pick up her second save of the day, nailing down the victory in relief of Sarah Purvis. Purvis fanned 10 batters in the game for her sixth win of the season.

Georgia Southern opens SoCon play this weekend with a trip to face Elon in North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad. The series will be the first league set at Elon’s new softball stadium which is located on the north end of campus.

Elon 5, Charlotte 2

Charlotte 8, Elon 0

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Elon softball team split in its doubleheader against Charlotte on Wednesday, March 6. The Phoenix (9-6) won the first game, 5-2, while falling in the second matchup, 8-0, to the 49ers (9-6) at the D.L. Phillips Complex.

Game One

Kayla Caruso pitched her fifth consecutive complete game to help the Phoenix win game one versus the 49ers. Caruso (4-3) allowed no earned runs and scattered six hits over her 7.0 innings of work on the afternoon.

Elon plated four runs in the top of the third inning to give itself an early 4-0 advantage. Lauren Oldham led off with a single and then advanced to second on a wild pitch to move into scoring position. Camille Hill was hit by a pitch to give the Phoenix two on with reigning Southern Conference Player of the Month, Tomeka Watson, coming up to bat. Watson followed with a one out double to center field to score Oldham and advance Hill to third.

After Johanna Spencer earned a free pass to load the bases, Grace Eng reached on an error by the pitcher, scoring Hill. Emily Cameron’s two out two run single into center brought home Watson and Spencer. Amanda Allen drew another HBP to load the bases for Elon, but the 49ers were able to escape the inning down four.

Charlotte nearly got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third. Jessica Plemmons hit a two out double into right center with Alex Rodgers trying to score from second. Cameron was able to relay a throw from Amanda Allen to throw out Rodgers at home to end the inning.

The Phoenix nearly added to its score in the top of the fourth, placing its first two batters into scoring position. Sarah Little singled into left field to lead off the top half of the inning and advanced on a Hill bunt to second. The 49ers misplayed the ball as Hill and Little moved to second and third, respectively, with no outs. The next three Phoenix batters went down in order however to strand the pair.

Elon tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh to move ahead 5-0. Allen had a two out single to drive in Aly Quintana, who reached earlier on a single to left field. Allen would get called out to end the inning at the next at bat on a Oldham fielder’s choice.

Charlotte finally got on the board in the bottom of the seventh as the 49ers attempted to rally to get back into the game. Samantha Slade hit a one out double into center field to get the 49ers into scoring position. She would score after Lindsey Holloman reached on an error by Elon to cut Charlotte’s deficit to 5-1. Holloman would eventually cross home plate on a Rogers two out single to center field to trim Elon’s lead to three, 5-2, but Caruso would force Natalie Capone to line out to end the game and earn her fourth victory of the season.

Charlotte starter Katie Watkins (5-6) also went the distance in the loss, allowing four earned runs on 10 hits.

Cameron and Hill led Elon with two hits. Watson also picked up a hit to extend her hitting streak to 11 games.

Game Two

Charlotte quickly got on board on a Briana Gwaltney single into center field to lead 1-0 in the bottom of first inning. Two more runs were scored in the bottom of the second for the 49ers on a Chelsea Stamey double to right center to drive in Kalie Lang. Capone added a single to score Rodgers to push the lead to 3-0.

The 49ers plated two more runs in the bottom of the third to move ahead 5-0. Both teams would go scoreless in the fourth inning as the Phoenix went down in order. Karen Berna relieved starter Eve Clausen and was able to get out of a tight jam with the bases loaded and one out to move into the top of the fifth.

Cameron doubled to lead off the fifth and advanced to third after Allen grounded out to the shortstop. The Phoenix could not advance her as the next two at bats also grounded out to end Elon’s scoring opportunity.

Charlotte added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the 49ers an 8-0 final score.

Clausen (1-1) pitched 3.0 innings with a strikeout and took the loss. Berna pitched 2.1 in relief and fanned two batters. Chelsea Lisikatos (3-0) earned the win for the 49ers with a 6.0 inning shutout performance.

Furman 4, Kennesaw State 3

Furman 1, Kennesaw State 0

Greenville, S.C. – Kennesaw State's Bianca Durant lined a two-out, solo home run over the left-center field wall in the top of the seventh to give the Owls a 1-0 victory over Furman in game two and a doubleheader sweep of the Paladins in non-conference softball action on Wednesday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium. 

GAME 1

Sharon Swanson belted a two-run homer to right-center in the top of the fifth and Amanda Henderson fanned seven Paladins in a complete-game effort as Kennesaw State topped Furman, 4-3, in game one.

The Owls (16-3) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third as Missy Perkowski and Swanson reached on one-out singles and scored on Alexis Collis' two-out double into the gap.

In the bottom of the fourth, Hannah Pace started a two-out rally with a single to right field before Ambree Muller beat out a grounder to first base.  Taylor Jenkins followed with a line drive off of the first baseman's glove that scored pinch runner Alexis Galinski from second base and Muller scored when Caitlin Fowler's throw to third sailed down the right field line.

Kennesaw State wasted little time regaining the lead as Perkowski led off the fifth with a single ahead of Swanson's two-run blast, her fourth of the season.

In the seventh inning, Jenkins trimmed the deficit to a run with a towering solo homer to left-center field, but Henderson set down the next three Paladins in order to end the threat.

Henderson allowed just two earned runs on five hits while fanning seven batters to improve to 9-0 in the circle.  Perkowski and Swanson each went 3-for-4 at the plat while Swanson and Collis each drove in a pair of runs for the Owls.

Meaghan Houston (3-4) suffered the loss for Furman allowing four runs on seven hits in four innings or work.  She walked two batters and recorded three strikeouts.  Reliever Shelby Parker scattered three hits and fanned two in three shutout innings of work.  The Cherokee, N.C., native has not surrendered an earned run in her last 10 1/3 innings in the circle.

Jenkins went 2-for-3 with two RBI to pace the Paladin offense.

GAME 2

In the night cap, Durant spoiled a scoreless pitcher's duel with her solo homer in the top of the seventh to give Kennesaw State the 1-0 victory.

Furman's Lauren Collier got a leadoff single to start the bottom of the seventh and moved over to third on back-to-back groundouts, but KSU hurler Abbey Mixon got Nikki Legg looking at strike three to end the game.

Collier, who slipped to 4-3, allowed just a run on three hits in seven innings while registering four strikeouts and only two walks.  The Maineville, Ohio, native has now allowed just one run on five hits in her last 16 innings in the circle.

Muller went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Paladins and freshman Sieara Bishop notched a double.

Mixon (6-2) scattered five hits and struck out four batters to score the complete-game shutout despite the Owls having just three hits.

The Paladins (8-8) begin Southern Conference play by hosting College of Charleston on Saturday and Sunday in a three-game series.  First pitch both days is set for 1 p.m.