DRAKE, LITUMBE HOMER IN LOSS TO OWLS
What you need to know:
* Georgia State lost to Kennesaw State 5-3 Wednesday in the semifinals of the NISC Region 5 bracket.
* Megan Litumbe and Ivie Drake each homered in the loss.
* The Panthers will face either Western Kentucky or Alabama State at 10 a.m. Thursday in an elimination game.
ATLANTA - Ivie Drake and Megan Litumbe hit back-to-back home runs Wednesday, but the Panthers fell to Kennesaw State 5-3 in the NISC Region 5 semifinals. GSU will play either WKU or Alabama State Thursday at 10 a.m.
As the designated visitors, the Panthers got off to a great start as Ivie Drake clobbered a two-run homer in the top of the first, her ninth of the season. Already with two home runs in the tournament, Megan Litumbe followed Drake with a solo shot, her 21st of the year and 52nd of her career. GSU's single-season record for home runs is 22.
Mandy Chance was dominant through the first three innings, allowing just one hit. The Owls' bats began to heat up with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Down 3-2 in the sixth, KSU added a solo home run to tie the game and then brought two more runs home on some timely hitting.
With a runner on and two outs in the seventh, Litumbe lifted a fly ball to the warning track in left-center, but it would stay in the park and the Owls would hold on.
Reagan Morgan went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate.
KSU advances to the championship game while the Panthers fall to the elimination bracket. GSU will face either WKU or Alabama State Thursday at 10 a.m.
Follow along with Georgia State on Twitter (@GSU_Softball) for the latest news.
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Warhawks Shutout ACU; Advance to NISC Regional Final
BEAUMONT, Texas - The ULM softball team knocked Abilene Christian out of the NISC with a 7-0 shutout victory on Wednesday night as the Warhawks advanced to Thursday's regional final against host Lamar. The Warhawks need to win twice on Thursday to win the regional, as Lamar is unbeaten so far this week.
TURNING POINT
-The Warhawks' big six-run second inning, highlighted by a two-run single by Jayden Mount, gave the team just the advantage that they needed to take the win over Abilene Christian. ULM later added a run in the sixth inning when Sydney McKay stole home for the final fun.
NOTABLES
-McKay paced the Warhawks with three hits while picking up an RBI in the win. Melanie Coyne and Samantha Agamaite added two hits apiece with Mount, Brie Wrobel and Megan Shaw adding one hit each.
-Paige Murray picked up her third complete game with the shutout win, her seventh victory of the season. Murray scattered four Abilene Christian hits in the game.
-In the three games thus far in the tournament, Agamaite leads the Warhawks with six hits in 10 at-bats and knocking in three runs, while McKay is 6-for-12 at the plate heading into Thursday's action.
UP NEXT
-The Warhawks will take on regional host Lamar on Thursday at noon. ULM will have to win twice on Thursday to win the regional, as Lamar will enter the day unbeaten - including taking a 7-5 victory over ULM to open the regional on Tuesday night.
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Lyon Records 300th Victory as ULM Advances in NISC
BEAUMONT, Texas - The ULM softball team knocked UTA out of the NISC with a 5-0 shutout victory on Wednesday afternoon as coach Corey Lyon recorded his 300th career win as a head coach.
-ULM now turns around and takes on the loser of the Lamar-Abilene Chrisitan game at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday night.
TURNING POINT
-After a scoreless opening three innings, the Warhawks offense got to work with a three-run fourth inning behind an RBI single by Melanie Coyne and a two-run double from Samantha Agamaite. The Warhawks added one more run apiece in the fifth and sixth innings.
NOTABLES
-Sydney McKay, Coyne and Agamaite led the team with two hits apiece. Hunter Hogan, Sami Billeaudeau, Brie Wrobel, Megan Shaw and Ana Hogan each added on hit apiece. Agamaite led the way with two RBI while McKay, Coyne and Ana Hogan added an RBI each.
-Melanie Coyne came on in relief for the final 3 2/3 innings, giving up just one hit and picking up her 18th win on the season. Paige Murray got the start for the Warhawks, tossing 3 1/3 innings while scattering five hits and striking out one batter.
-ULM took the lead in the top of the fourth on Coyne's RBI single to take a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning Agamaite added her two-run double to give the Warhawks a 3-0 lead.
-The Warhawks continued the offensive push in the fifth and sixth innings, with McKay picking up the RBI single in the fifth before Ana Hogan added an RBI single of her own in the sixth to give the Warhawks the final five-run advantage.
-Lyon earned his 300th career win today with the Warhawks' 31st victory of the season. This is Lyon's ninth year as a head coach and at three different institutions.
UP NEXT
-The Warhawks will take on the loser of Lamar-Abilene Chrisitan matchup at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday night.
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Memorable Season Ends In NISC Vs. ULM
The Mavericks Ended Their 32-Win Season, Most Since 2011, With The First Postseason Appearance Since 2003.
BEAUMONT, Texas - In an all-Sun Belt matchup in the National Invitational Softball Championship, it was ULM who topped UTA 5-0 to eliminate the Mavericks from the competition on Wednesday in the Beaumont Regional.
The Mavs saw the end of a campaign that featured a 32-28 record, the best win total since the 2011 season and first postseason appearance since 2003. ULM advances into a second elimination game at 7 p.m. this evening against the loser of Lamar and Abilene Christian. The matchup marked the 101st meeting between the two teams, the Mavs lead 51-50.
Freshman Mariah Denson, making just her fifth start of the season, pitched a perfect opening three innings before luck would turn against her. A bloop-hit led to a double to start off the fourth and back-to-back hits opened scoring. ULM knocked a two-out double to the wall to push two more across in the frame, but the Mavs would get the third runner out on a relay from left that ended the threat at home.
Three consecutive singles once again in the fifth plated a run to make it a 4-0 game.
Despite being held off the board in the opening four innings, the Mavs had their opportunities and put runners on second in third in both the first and fourth. However, UTA would be unable to get any closer to get on the board.
Denson, knocked with the loss, went to 2-8 for the year. Denson was on the hook for four earned, seven hits and struck out two.
Senior Mallory Foster led the offsense with two hits in her final game as a Maverick. Junior Sandra Mendoza notched her 60th hit of the season, coming just one short of entering the top-10 of UTA's single-season records. UTA finished with six hits overall compared to ULM's 11, while each team left six on base.