Georgia Southern and Samford both swept its opponents Saturday in the GSU Softball Invitational at Eagle Field, setting up a championship showdown today. Georgia Southern (3-4) shut out Charleston Southern (2-6) 3-0 and 1-0, and Samford (6-2) took two from Bethune-Cookman (3-4), 5-1 and 3-0.
CSU and BCC will square off in the consolation game today morning at 10:30 a.m. and Samford and GSU will battle for the championship at 1 p.m.
Georgia Southern 3, Charleston Southern 0
Junior Melissa Laliberte tossed a two-hit shutout and struck out 13 to lead GSU to a 3-0 win over Charleston Southern to start the day’s festivities.
The game remained scoreless until the fifth when the Eagles broke out for three runs behind a two-run homer from freshman Sam Russo. Senior Maria Laurato led off with a single and Russo followed with a shot off the left-field foul pole for her first career roundtripper.
Later in the inning, freshman Lindsey Hopkins singled up the middle to bring home freshman Elizabeth Branan.
Laliberte (1-1) faced just two batters over the minimum and allowed hits in the sixth and seventh innings. Her 13 strikeouts is one less than her career high of 14 set last season against CSU at Eagle Field.
Amanda Noble (0-4) gave up five hits and struck out two for the Buccaneers.
Georgia Southern 1, Charleston Southern 0
Maria Laurato’s walk-off RBI double down the left field line in the bottom of the seventh broke a scoreless tie to give Georgia Southern a
1-0 victory.
Starting pitchers Jillian LaFrance of CSU and senior Logan Free matched zeros on the scoreboard for the first six and a half innings. LaFrance did not allow her first hit until the sixth.
Only once before the sixth did a team have a player in scoring position.
CSU put runners on first and second with two outs in the first but Free struck out Jenn Brooks to end the threat.
In GSU’s final at bat, senior Heather Smith led off and reached on an error. Freshman Jenny Side sacrificed pinch runner Elizabeth Branan to second,
and Laurato followed with a double that hit the chalk and went into the corner to score Branan.
LaFrance (1-2) was the hard-luck loser, allowing just two hits and no earned runs. She struck out three and walked one. Free (2-1) fanned 13 and gave up five hits and three walks.
CSU and BCC will square off in the consolation game today morning at 10:30 a.m. and Samford and GSU will battle for the championship at 1 p.m.
Georgia Southern 3, Charleston Southern 0
Junior Melissa Laliberte tossed a two-hit shutout and struck out 13 to lead GSU to a 3-0 win over Charleston Southern to start the day’s festivities.
The game remained scoreless until the fifth when the Eagles broke out for three runs behind a two-run homer from freshman Sam Russo. Senior Maria Laurato led off with a single and Russo followed with a shot off the left-field foul pole for her first career roundtripper.
Later in the inning, freshman Lindsey Hopkins singled up the middle to bring home freshman Elizabeth Branan.
Laliberte (1-1) faced just two batters over the minimum and allowed hits in the sixth and seventh innings. Her 13 strikeouts is one less than her career high of 14 set last season against CSU at Eagle Field.
Amanda Noble (0-4) gave up five hits and struck out two for the Buccaneers.
Georgia Southern 1, Charleston Southern 0
Maria Laurato’s walk-off RBI double down the left field line in the bottom of the seventh broke a scoreless tie to give Georgia Southern a
1-0 victory.
Starting pitchers Jillian LaFrance of CSU and senior Logan Free matched zeros on the scoreboard for the first six and a half innings. LaFrance did not allow her first hit until the sixth.
Only once before the sixth did a team have a player in scoring position.
CSU put runners on first and second with two outs in the first but Free struck out Jenn Brooks to end the threat.
In GSU’s final at bat, senior Heather Smith led off and reached on an error. Freshman Jenny Side sacrificed pinch runner Elizabeth Branan to second,
and Laurato followed with a double that hit the chalk and went into the corner to score Branan.
LaFrance (1-2) was the hard-luck loser, allowing just two hits and no earned runs. She struck out three and walked one. Free (2-1) fanned 13 and gave up five hits and three walks.
