Saturday, February 14, 2015
Georgia State Softball: Ivie Drake Hits Walk-off, Comeback Cats Win Third Straight
What you need to know
* GSU scored six runs in the fifth thanks to three home runs in a row.
* Ivie Drake wrapped up an excellent weekend with a RBI walk-off single.
* Taylor Thorpe pitched 6.2 innings en route to her first victory of the season.
* Panthers’ next game is Wednesday, Feb. 18 at No. 17 Auburn.
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Auburn, Ala. – For the third time in two days, the Georgia State softball team overcame a deficit to pick up the Panthers’ third win in a row. GSU came from behind to top Eastern Illinois 7-6 on Saturday, Feb. 14 in Auburn, Ala.
“Once again we came from behind to get the win,” head coach Roger Kincaid said. “To overcome a six-run deficit is huge. It shows the heart that this team has and how they remain positive despite the circumstances. They continue to battle to get the job done.”
Ivie Drake completed the comeback with a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh to plate Morgan Brown for the winning run. However, GSU started slow by falling behind 1-0 in the first. After a scoreless second and third inning, Eastern Illinois extend its lead to 3-0 after four.
In the top of the fifth, EIU loaded the bases en route to plating three runs to double its lead. However, Georgia State responded with six runs of its own in the bottom of the frame to tie the game at six.
Kensey Caldwell singled to start the rally and then Taylor Bradley was hit by a pitch. A fielder’s choice pushed Caldwell to third and Taylor Anderson drew a walk to load the bases. Moran Brown then drove in Caldwell with a ground out.
Lauren Coleman then stepped to the plate with two runners on and two outs. The senior responded with a three-run home run, her first of the season, to cut the Eastern Illinois’ lead to 6-4. Callie Alford and Drake then hit back-to-back solo homers to tie the game after six complete.
After Eastern Illinois stranded a runner at third in the top of the seventh, Morgan Brown started the GSU half of the final frame with a double to left center. Coleman then moved Brown to third with a sacrifice bunt. After a ground out, Drake hit a walk-off single up the middle to plate Brown and secure the 7-6 victory.
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Butler’s Walk-Off Lifts Appalachian State Softball over PC, 3-2
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The third win of the season for Appalachian State University softball had a theatrical finish with Pepper Butler (Delray Beach, Fla./Boca Raton Community) driving in the game-winning run in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Mountaineers (3-4) were scoreless with the Presbyterian Blue Hose until the fifth inning. In the top half of the inning the Blue Hose would plate two runs off of a Shelby Petik two-run double to center field.
With one out in the bottom half, freshman Haley Stewart (Belmont, N.C./South Point) clubbed her second home run of the season on a 1-0 pitch. Stewart’s bomb to left field cut the Blue Hose’s lead in half at 2-1.
The next batter, freshman Amanda Salentine (Chanhassen, Minn./Chanhassen), pinch-hit and drew a walk which was followed by a Sarah Warnock (Jamestown, N.C./Southwest Guilford) smoked single to center field and Cynthia Gomez (Oxnard, Calif./Pacifica) reaching first base via a Presbyterian error.
With the bases loaded and one out, senior Dani Heichen (Pembroke Pines, Fla./Pembroke Pines Charter) drove in her first run of the season on a single to right field just over the first baseman’s head. The RBI single tied the game for the Mountaineers at 2-2.
After a scoreless sixth, the Apps came to bat in the seventh. With two outs, Gomez and Heichen both singled to put the Mountaineers in a position to win. Butler stepped up and on an 0-2 pitch, singled just over the third baseman and Gomez came around to score with the throw being off line and not close.
Vanessa Ciocatto (La Habra, Calif./La Habra/Delaware State) started the game and pitched extremely well with five strikeouts in four innings, allowing just four hits and two earned. Alissa Schoelkopf (Sewell, N.J./Washington Township/Monmouth) relieved Ciocatto and pitched the remaining three innings with two strikeouts and just one ht allowed.
The Mountaineers concluded the weekend with a 2-1 record, including a huge win over ACC foe North Carolina in yesterday’s tournament opener. Next weekend, App State will travel to Charleston, S.C. for the Cougar Classic hosted by College of Charleston.
On Friday, Feb. 20, the Mountaineers will open the tournament with a doubleheader against Pittsburgh at 11 a.m. followed by Bowling Green at 1 p.m.
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How Sweep It is; Warhawks Win Seventh Straight
MONROE, La. - Allowing only one run on the day, the Warhawks (8-1) swept day two of the Mardi Gras Classic and picked up their seventh-straight victory.
Warhawk pitching allowed a single run in the two outings, while the ULM batting staff clubbed 13 runs off 16 hits.
Game 1: vs. Alabama State (W, 3-1)
Behind a combined one-run game from seniors Haylie Wilson and Jessica Colliver, the Warhawks sailed to a 3-1 victory over Alabama State (3-6).
The two Warhawks pitchers spread out seven hits over the game and did not issue the Hornets a single free pass on the bags.
Senior Alexis Cacioppo went deep in the third inning, picking up her first homer of the season.
Sophomore Rochelle Roberts singled through the left side to start the first inning for ULM. After stealing second, Roberts advanced to third off a ground out from Sophomore Sidney Coy.
Roberts would scored on an Alabama State throwing error on senior’s Alexis Cacioppo’s single (1-0 ULM).
Junior Faith Bohack led off the second inning with a single to left field, and would swipe second. Bohack moved to third off freshman Cheyanne Lyon’s ground out.
Senior Mackenzie Miller drove Bohack home with the RBI single (2-0 ULM).
Cacioppo led off the third inning with a solo homer to deep left field to put the Warhawks up 3-0.
Alabama State answered in the fourth with their own solo home run off the bat of Alexis Johnson, but Colliver dealt three scoreless inning to close the game and secure the 3-1 victory.
Game 2 vs. Grambling State (W, 8-0)
ULM used a six-run first inning and a combined shutout pitching performance to top Grambling State (0-6) in a sixth inning battle.
Freshman Paige Porter got her fifth win on the year. Porter and sophomore Ashley Dumoulin combined for the five-hit shuout.
Dumoulin picked up three strikeouts on the night.
Coy and Miller both homered in the 10-hit ULM victory, with Coy and Lyon picking up two RBI each.
Redshirt senior Miuyki Navarrete got the first Warhawk on board with a hit by pitch in the first inning. Cacioppo singled to center field and picked up the RBI (1-0 ULM).
Bohack reached on a fielder’s choice, but an error on Grambling kept Cacioppo safe at second, and she advanced to third.
Lyon singled up the middle to pick up twp RBI and push the ULM lead to 3-0 in the first.
Sophomore Vanessa Garcia singled down the left field line to score Lyon (4-0 ULM). Coy went deep to end the scoring onslaught and give Warhawks a 6-0 lead.
Grambling State had an opportunity to push two across in the second, but two clutch plays at home plate crushed the scoring chances.
In the fourth, Miller knocked her first homer of the season with an inside-the-park number to centerfield (7-0 ULM).
Sophomore Melanie Coyne would get a pinch-hit single to start the sixth inning and advanced to second on a Grambling State error.
Junior Kaitlyn Dupuis had the deciding hit with a double to center to clinch ULM’s third run-rule game on the weekend.
The Warhawks close out the Mardi Gras Classic on Sunday, Feb. 15 facing Grambling State at 12:30 p.m.
For the latest on ULM softball, visit ULMWarhawks.com and follow the team on Twitter (@ULM_Softball) and Facebook (facebook.com/ULMSoftball).
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Cajuns Remain Undefeated With Mardi Gras Classic Shutouts
LAFAYETTE - The No. 7 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team posted a pair of shutouts on Saturday in wins over Mississippi Valley State and Idaho State at Lamson Park in the Mardi Gras Classic presented by Hilton Lafayette.
Aleah Craighton went 4-for-5 with five RBI to lead the charge in a 20-0 run-rule win over MVSU in five innings in the opener. Kylee Jo Trahan struck out a personal-best 10 and limited the Devilettes to four hits.
Lexie Elkins and Samantha Walsh had RBI singles to break a scoreless tie in the third inning against Idaho State. Alex Stewart stranded nine ISU baserunners over five innings, then Jordan Wallace struck out five of the six batters she faced in relief to secure the victory.
"That's how college softball is played," head coach Michael Lotief said referring to the Idaho State contest. "You get away from the run-rule games and other non-sense, and you start getting down to which team can execute in the critical situations.
"We need to do a better job with our base running, with our situational hitting and defensively we still need to clean things up a bit. If we're going to win games like that you have to feel adversity and start figuring out how to get it done."
Louisiana (8-0) wraps up play in the Mardi Gras Classic on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. against Idaho State (3-6). The contest will be aired live on television on MyKLAF-TV with Kevin Cantrelle and Gerald Broussard calling the action. Steve Peloquin has the call on Sports Radio ESPN 1420-AM.
Craighton's first of four hits in the MVSU contest was a two-run home run in the top of the first that pushed the Cajuns early lead to 4-0. The Devilettes (1-9) would register three hits in the bottom half of the inning, but Trahan struck out Tracey Williams to leave the bases loaded.
After a single run in the second, sacrifice flies by Haley Hayden and Shellie Landry increased the Cajuns lead to 7-0. Trahan retired MVSU in order in the second and third innings.
Louisiana sent 13 batters to the plate and pushed across nine runs in the fourth inning. In the frame, Craighton picked up her second extra base hit by doubling home a pair of runs to make it 16-0. An additional four runs crossed in the fifth inning as once more the Cajuns made it completely through lineup.
Trahan picked up her second victory and second shutout of her freshman campaign. Craighton extended her hitting streak to seven games and picked up her sixth multiple-hit game.
Stewart had to fend off Idaho State traffic in the nightcap before the offense provided her with the lead. The Bengals had runners on first and second in the first inning, then a leadoff double in the second gave them a runner in scoring position.
The Cajuns broke through on ISU starter Sophie Slagle in the third inning. Kelli Martinez reached base on interference by first baseman Maddy Hickman, Haley Hayden walked and both moved up a base on a Landry grounder. Back-to-back singles from Elkins and Walsh then gave Louisiana a 2-0 lead.
Stewart protected the lead despite more traffic by the Bengals the next two innings. She stranded two ISU runners in the third inning and three more in the fourth inning.
Landry led off the fifth inning with a solo home run off of Slagle to add an insurance run. The Bengals had runners on first and second base in the bottom half with one out before a double play was turned off of a ball that Martinez trapped against the wall in deep center field.
"That was the play of the game," Lotief stated. "It's not that she didn't finish the play, but just to get to that ball is what made the double play because the runners didn't know what to do. Most center fielders don't even get to the ball in that situation."
Wallace relieved Stewart in the sixth inning. She struck out the first two ISU hitters and wound up fanning five of the six faced over the final two innings to collect the save.
DIAMOND NOTES: Jordan Wallace has struck out 21 of the 28 batters she's faced in the Mardi Gras Classic...Aleah Craighton's home run vs. MVSU upped her season total to four, tying her with Haley Hayden for the team lead...Craighton had a seven-game hit streak snapped after finishing 0-for-3 against Idaho State...Lexie Elkins, Kelli Martinez and Samantha Walsh each carry a four-game hitting streak into Sunday's Mardi Gras Classic finale...The Cajuns 12 hits against Mississippi Valley marked the fifth straight game with double digit hits...Cajuns pitchers picked up 19 more strikeouts against juts two walks in 12 innings of work on Saturday...The pitching staff has posted 82 strikeouts with only nine walks in 48 innings this season...Aleah Craighton is the Cajuns leading hitter in the Mardi Gras Classic after two days, hitting 9-of-17 (.529) with two home runs and seven RBI...Louisiana is now 11-0 all-time vs. Mississippi Valley State...Saturday's contest with Idaho State was the second of the Mardi Gras Classic and in program history with the Bengals.
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Anderson Helps Power UTA Past Ohio State
ARLINGTON, Texas– UT Arlington powered its way to its sixth consecutive win after defeating Ohio State 8-5 at Allan Saxe Field on Saturday night in the Maverick Invitational.
The Mavericks (8-1), trailing by one run heading into the sixth, used a four-run sixth to overcome the Buckeyes' comeback attempt in the final game of the day. The rally started with one out in the inning as UTA loaded the bases and scored on three consecutive at-bats, including a two-run double from Mya Anderson.
"They never quit," UT Arlington coach Kristie Fox said. "They were down but were never out of it. I could tell by how they were acting in the dugout that they were going to battle back. Because they did that, the outcome turned out in our favor. It shows a lot about the character."
Anderson led the Mavs with four RBI on two hits, including her third homer of the tournament. Seven of UTA's starters had a hit in the contest and the Mavs had runs coming from eight different players.
"It was one through nine that helped in some way shape or form," Fox said. "It was about the whole lineup."
Sam Montes improved to 2-1 after pitching through six innings. The sophomore gave up our earned runs on six hits, but was able to pitch out of key situations to keep Ohio State off of the board. Kayla Donaldson earned her second save of the season by pitching around a walk in the seventh.
The Buckeyes opened scoring in the first by taking advantage of two UTA errors, but would strand two runners on, as the defense was able to prevent further damage.
The Mavericks had an opportunity to tie the game in the third as Sandra Mendoza opened the inning with a single through the left. However, the freshman would be stranded on third base as UTA would have back-to-back foul outs to end the threat.
UTA found its chance on the third when Shelbi Sikes was able to start the inning off with a single through the left side of the infield. Meagan Michele followed it up with a line-drive homer over the right-center field fence to give the Mavs a 2-1 lead after four innings.
Mya Anderson continued the barrage in the next inning with her sixth homer of the season on a two-run shot down the left-field line to increase the advantage to 4-1.
Ohio State rallied with four runs to take a brief lead in the sixth, its biggest pickup coming on a three-run homer to right field.
The Mavericks close out play in the Maverick Invitational on Sunday against Sam Houston State at 10 a.m.
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No. 24 Jaguar Softball Runs Win Streak to Five Games With Saturday Swee
MOBILE, Ala. – No. 24 University of South Alabama softball recorded wins over Lipscomb and Butler by scores of 4-1 and 9-4, respectively, to extend its current win streak to five games on Saturday at the 2015 Mardi Gras Invitational at Jaguar Field.
USA (6-2) will look to sweep the tournament for the third season in a row on Sunday when it faces Evansville at 12:15 p.m.
Links to live video and stats can be found by accessing the Jaguar softball schedule page. In-game Twitter updates are provided via the program's official handle @USAJagsSoftball.
Sophomore Chloe Rathburn led the Jaguars at the plate on Saturday, going 4-for-6 with a pair of runs and RBI. The Mission Viejo, Calif., native slugged 1.333 and held an on-base percentage of .714. She recorded her first homer of the season in USA's first contest versus Lipscomb, which put the Jaguars on the board, 2-0, in the first frame.
Senior left fielder Blair Johnson and junior third baseman Emily Messer each went 3-for-7 and combined for three RBI and two runs scored.
Freshman pitchers Devin Brown (3-1; 2.30 ERA) and Kalen McGill (2-0; 0.51 ERA) each recorded wins on Saturday, with the former striking out eight to five walks and allowing four runs (all earned) on three hits in four innings against Butler, and the latter striking out three to no walks and allowing only a single run (earned) on four hits in seven innings.
Brown now has 46 strikeouts in six appearances on the year, which places her ninth all-time in the category at USA. The Mobile, Ala., native has pitched 24 1/3 innings thus far this year.
The Jaguars outhit its Saturday opponents, 17-9, and outscored them, 13-5. USA batted .333 as a team with a .529 slugging percentage and .469 combined on-base percentage. The Jaguar pitching staff, which also included senior Kaleigh Floore, who threw three innings of shutout ball versus Lipscomb, held its opponents to a .191 average at the plate.
"Devin wasn't as sharp as she usually is [versus Butler], but she did enough to keep us in the game," said USA head coach Becky Clark. "Kalen came in and did a great job of closing the door. Our hitting was there today – we drove the ball. We've just got some things in terms of baserunning that we've got to clean up. We're looking to have that big inning sooner in the game. We're going to come out tomorrow and hope to clean up some things on the bases."
Game One – No. 24 South Alabama 4, Lipscomb 1
Rathburn delivered a two-out, two-run shot to left center that put USA up, 2-0, in the bottom of the first inning. Messer came around to score on the homer after leading off with a single through the right side.
Johnson's two-run triple to center field in the bottom of the third plated junior center fielder Stephanie Pilkington and Rathburn, who each drew two-out walks, to double USA's advantage to 4-0.
Lipscomb scratched a run across in the top of the sixth when Laura Dukes supplied a two-out RBI single up the middle that scored Gracey Aguirre, who reached by fielder's choice.
Johnson was 2-for-2 in the contest with a pair of RBI, while Rathburn was 1-for-2 with two RBI and two runs scored. Messer was 1-for-3 with a run. McGill picked up her second win of the season, striking out one to no walks and allowing only one run (earned) on three hits. Starter Floore went three frames, allowing no runs on three hits, while walking three.
Lipscomb's Kelly Young took the loss, falling to 2-2 on the year after giving up four runs (all earned) on as many hits, while striking out a pair to five walks.
Game Two – No. 24 South Alabama 9, Butler 4
South Alabama reeled off a six-run bottom-of-the-second to jump in front of the Bulldogs in game two. After starter Ambry Turpen issued walks to seniors Kaitlyn Griffith and Amanda Herron, Kacey Starwalt entered the circle for Butler and walked senior Alyssa Linn to load the bases.
After freshman second baseman Kaleigh Todd lined out, Messer drove in a pair on a double to center field to make it 2-0 USA. Sophomore Amanda Minahan followed with a two-run double of her own to extend South Alabama's lead to 4-0. Pilkington drew a walk and Rathburn singled off the pitcher to load the bags again, and Minahan put USA up, 5-0, when she slid home on a wild Starwalt pitch.
Batting for the second time in the same frame, Griffith delivered a single that plated Pilkington from third to put the Jaguars ahead, 6-0, after two complete.
Butler answered by scratching across a pair in the top of the third to cut into the lead, 6-2. Sarah Gronowski drew a leadoff walk, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball, easily rounding home on Alex Kotter's subsequent infield single. Alyssa Lach later lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to score Kotter.
USA added a run to its tally in the bottom of the fourth on Johnson's RBI double, which plated pinch-runner Gwen Jones, who entered the base paths in place of Rathburn, who led off USA's half with a double to left center.
Again, the Bulldogs answered by scoring a pair, this time in the top of the fifth after Brown walked the first two batters she faced in the inning. After McGill took her place in the circle, a Kotter single scored Katelyn Cahill to cut USA's lead to 7-3. Later in the frame, Lach laid down a sacrifice bunt that allowed Brandyce Sallee to score from third, making it 7-4.
The Jaguars extended their lead to 9-4 in the bottom of the sixth when freshman Haleigh Lowe, after producing an infield single in her first collegiate at bat, scored on classmate Kristian Foster's single. It was also Foster's first career plate appearance. Messer then grounded out to second, which allowed Linn, who singled through the right side, to round home.
Brown secured her third victory of the year with the win. Butler's Starwalt fell to 0-1 with the loss after giving up seven runs (all earned) on 12 hits, while striking out three to four walks. Starter Turpen gave up a pair of runs on one hit and walked four USA batters.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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Texas State Softball Splits, Rupp Pitches Two-Hit Shutout
SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State softball team earned a split Saturday afternoon in day two of the 2015 CenturyLink Classic. Freshman pitcher Randi Rupp pitched a two-hit, complete game shutout to lead the Bobcats past Texas Tech in game one by a score of 2-0 before the Bobcats ultimately fell to I-35 rival UTSA in the night cap by a score of 6-3.
In game one, Rupp struck out seven batters while not allowing any walks. Freshman centerfielder Braegan Hamilton led the Bobcats with a pair of hits as well as a key defensive play in the first inning. Junior second baseman Kelli Baker also added two hits for the Bobcats with one RBI.
The Bobcats got off to a solid start in game one as Ariel Ortiz got on base with a lead-off double. After being moved to third by Baker, Ortiz scored on a sacrifice fly by Courtney Harris.
One of Hamilton’s hits came in the top of the seventh inning as she hit a lead-off triple to put the Bobcats in a prime opportunity to score. Just two batters later, Hamilton scored the second run of the game for Texas State on a single by Baker to right field.
Texas State then retired the side in the bottom of the seventh to come away with the 2-0 victory.
The squads went through two scoreless innings before the visiting Roadrunners tacked on two runs to take an early lead over Texas State.
That lead then increased to four in the top of the fifth after a single and a triple to start off the inning.
The Bobcats closed the gap in the bottom half of the fifth as Danielle Warne crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Ortiz. Warne was pinch running for freshman Isabelle Barnes who led the inning off with a single up the middle.
Texas State continued to rally in the bottom of the sixth as Kendall Wiley launched her first home run of the season to left center field to make it a 4-3 UTSA ballgame. UTSA then retired the next three batters to halt the Bobcats chances of tying up the ball game.
With two more runs added in the top of the seventh by the Roadrunners, the Bobcats found themselves in a three-run hole. Hamilton once again came through for the Bobcats as she singled through the left side to lead-off the inning. Ortiz then continued the Bobcat rally with a single to right field to put runners on first and second for Baker.
In Baker’s at bat, she launched a ball over the right field foul pole that ultimately was called foul. She then continued to battle off several pitches before succumbing to a pop fly to left field for the first out of the inning.
The inning then ended on a double play after Courtney Harris smoked a line drive to the pitcher.
Hamilton, Ortiz, and Wiley finished the game with a pair of hits each. Hamilton ended the day with four hits for Texas State. Taylor Webb was credited with the loss against UTSA after putting in seven innings of work in the circle.
Texas State will conclude the 2015 CenturyLink Classic tomorrow afternoon against Texas Tech at 12 p.m. Live stats, live audio, and live video will be available at www.txstatebobcats.com. A live stream of the game will be broadcasted on 89.9 FM KTSW.
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Georgia Southern Softball Drops Two Against Boston College and Tennessee Tech
STATESBORO, GA. – Georgia Southern Softball suffered a pair of defeats on Saturday in the second day of the 2015 Eagle Classic. The Eagles fell 6-3 to the ACC’s Boston College, and dropped an eight inning, 4-2 decision to Tennessee Tech. The Eagles close the Eagle Classic on Sunday at 2 p.m. in a rematch against the Golden Eagles of Tennessee Tech.
“We have fought hard this entire tournament and played our best defensive game in the night cap,” said Head Coach Annie Smith. “The team responded, and is making important adjustments each game.”
GAME ONE – GS 3 – BOSTON COLLEGE 6
Georgia Southern opened Saturday with a 6-3 loss to Boston College, but it was the Eagles who got on the scoreboard first frame. A leadoff single from Taylor Rogers turned into a run with a sacrifice bunt, a walk, and two hit batsmen. The run gave the Eagles an early 1-0 lead which would hold through the first three innings.
Boston College scored a pair of runs off two hits and a fielding error from the Eagles in the fourth inning. The visitors tacked on four more off five hits and three errors in the fifth to stake claim to a 6-1 advantage with six outs remaining for Georgia Southern.
A solo home run for AJ Hamilton in the sixth, and a leadoff home run for Alesha Mann in the seventh made the final score 6-3 as Georgia Southern pounded out six hits, but committed five total errors. Mann’s home run was the first of her career, while Hamilton hit her second of the tournament following her grand slam on Friday night.
GAME TWO – GS 2 – TENNESSEE TECH 4 – 8 Innings
The Eagles earned their second extra innings contest of the Eagle Classic with a seventh-inning rally, but dropped the 4-2 decision thanks to two Golden Eagle runs in the eighth inning.
A first inning home run from Tennessee Tech gave the visitors on the scoreboard a 1-0 lead that held up through the first four innings.
Senior Lexi Allen worked a one-out walk in the fifth inning, and made her way around to score off an RBI double from Mann to level the game at 1-1 through five innings.
Tennessee Tech played small ball in the sixth to take another one-run lead, this time 2-1 over Georgia Southern.
With Georgia Southern down to its final three outs, Allen ripped a one-out triple and scored later in the inning with a two-out single by leadoff hitter Taylor Rogers.
A two-run home run by Tennessee Tech in the eighth inning gave the visitors the 4-2 advantage entering the final half inning of play. The Eagles got a one-out walk from freshman designated player Rowan McGuire, but could not get the ultimate hit to drive her in and cut into the TTU advantage.
The 2015 Eagle Classic concludes with three games on Sunday at Eagle Field. Georgia Southern will get a rematch against Tennessee Tech at 2 p.m. to close the weekend. Watch that contest live on GS All-Access at GSEagles.com.
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. For tickets to Georgia Southern athletics events, call 1-800-GSU-WINS or visit GSEagles.com.
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Trojans Drop Two at Bulldog Invitational, Sunday’s Game Cancelled
ATHENS, Georgia - The Troy softball team dropped two games in the Bulldog Invitational at Jack Turner Stadium on Saturday. The Trojans lost to SIU-Edwardsville, 5-2 in the first game of the day, before falling to No. 10/9 Georgia, 12-6, in the final game.
SIUE 5, Troy 2
Troy (3-5) gave up a two-run lead in the final innings as it fell to the Cougars, 5-2, on Saturday.
The Trojans got momentum flowing early with triple by Hannah Day in the first inning, followed by a sacrifice fly to left field by Amanda Winters for first run of the game.
The Trojans played small ball in the third allowing them to manufacture a run, which allowed them to take a 2-0 lead. Kate Benton led off the inning with a walk, then stole second and advanced to third on a ground out to shortstop. Winters earned another RBI as she got Benton home on a sacrifice fly to left field for the second run of the game.
The Cougars (6-2) cut the lead in half in the fourth inning on an RBI single and then earned four runs in the fifth inning on a two RBI single by Jordan LaFave. SIU-Edwardsville scored another on a sacrifice fly and a ground out to third base to put the game out of reach at 5-2.
Ashley Rainey (3-1) took the loss, her first of the season. Rainey pitched six innings, gave up five earned runs on eight hits.
Georgia 12, Troy 6
No. 10/9 Georgia (10-0) used the first two innings to jump out to an early 10-0 lead.
Troy (3-6) took advantage of a defensive breakdown by the Bulldogs that tallied six errors in the fourth inning, which cut the deficit to four runs at 10-6.
The Bulldogs added its two final runs in the sixth inning on a Savannah McHellon single to left field, making the score 12-6.
Sara Mock (0-4) took the loss for the Trojans, pitching two innings. Mock gave up 10 runs on eight hits.
Jaycee Affeldt made her fourth relief appearance this season and gave up two runs, one earned, on four hits in four innings of work.
The game against the Bulldogs and Trojans scheduled for Sunday has been cancelled due to inclement weather.
Troy will travel to Montgomery, Ala., Tuesday to face in-state rival Alabama State. Alabama State was a participant in the Troy Classic, but the two teams did not meet.
For more information on Troy softball visit TroyTrojans.com or follow us on Twitter at @TroyTrojansSB.