The Presbyterian College softball team used stellar pitching in game one and timely hitting in the game two as the Blue Hose took the doubleheader over Georgia State, 6-0 and 4-3, in action this afternoon at the PC Softball Complex in Clinton, S.C.
PC improves to 8-8 overall, while the Panthers drop to 11-8. The Blue Hose stay home for their next game as they host North Carolina Central Tuesday, Mar. 11 at 2 p.m.
Game One: PC 6, GSU 0
Sydney Seigler threw her best game of the year in the game one win, recording a two-hit shutout. Throwing a career-high nine strikeouts, she was perfect for five innings, giving up her first hit in the sixth off a single by MeQuilla Franklin. Megan Litumbe provided the only other hit for GSU, hers coming in the seventh.
PC spotted two in the third off a RBI double by Jill McLean and a solo home run by Erin Taylor, her second of the year. Taylor would end up with a team-leading two hits. A RBI base hit by Jordan Ashley gave PC a 3-0 lead after four innings.
The Blue Hose collected three hits in the fifth after a base hit by Shelby Petik brought in Erin Ruff, who had led off the inning with a double. Kersten Legacki provided her team-leading second hit of the day the next at-bat with her first home run of the year, this one a two-run shot over the right field wall to give PC the 6-9 lead.
Seigler retired six of the next eight batters to help the Blue Hose, who recorded eight hits in the game, preserve the six-run shut-out win.
Game Two: PC 4, GSU 3
Despite being out-hit 10-7, the Blue Hose got hits when they needed, rallying from a 3-1 deficit to take the 4-3 win.
Erin Ruff helped PC draw first blood with a walk to lead off the game. Hope Rogers, who led the team with three hits, brought her home with a RBI base hit up the middle as the Blue Hose took the early 1-0 lead.
Several quiet innings ensued with no runs being scored by either team in the second and third. That would change in the top of the fourth with Panther Lauren Coleman, who finished with two hits, recording a double. She advanced to third off a base hit by Litumbe and scored when Callie Alford laced her first of two hits in the game to right field to drive in Coleman.
Mallory Koepke recorded Georgia State's fourth hit in a row and two runners were on base for the Panthers. Kensey Caldwell popped a fly ball to centerfield but the PC outfielder dropped the ball, allowing two runs to score, giving GSU the 3-1 lead after four.
PC responded in the bottom of the fifth with three runs, the first coming off a solo home run by Taylor, her second of the day and third of the year. Courtney Lawton, who had a base hit earlier in the game, drew a walk two batters later. She would reach third off two wild pitches and put her in position to score. She scored off a McLean triple to right field. McLean scored herself off a wild pitch to give PC the 4-3 lead.
The Panthers collected three hits the final two innings and had runners on first and third in the seventh but a strikeout by Kensley Loudermelk, who earned her first save of the save of the year after going 1.1 innings, ended the game with PC up 4-3.
Natasha Sherrod, who came in relief and gave up three hits in 2.0 innings, recorded her first win of the season (1-0) for the Blue Hose, while Katie Worley took the loss for the Panthers (0-1) after giving up two runs in .2 innings.
Presbyterian College 6, Georgia State 0 (Mar 09, 2014 at Clinton, S.C.) (Game 1)
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Georgia State....... 000 000 0 - 0 2 0 (11-7)
Presbyterian College 002 130 X - 6 8 0 (7-8)
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Pitchers: Georgia State - Kaitlyn Medlam; Taylor Thorpe(5); Katie Worley(6) and Callie Alford.
Presbyterian College - Seigler, Sydney and Ashley, Jordan.
Win-Seigler, Sydney(5-4) Loss-Kaitlyn Medlam(7-4) T-1:41 A-157
HR PC - Legacki, Kersten (1); Taylor, Erin (2).
Weather: sunny, high 60s
Medlam, K. faced 1 batter in the 5th.
Presbyterian College 4, Georgia State 3 (Mar 09, 2014 at Clinton, S.C.) (Game 2)
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Georgia State....... 000 300 0 - 3 10 0 (11-8)
Presbyterian College 100 030 X - 4 7 1 (8-8)
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Pitchers: Georgia State - Eron Milton; Katie Worley(5); Taylor Thorpe(5) and Mandy Blackwell;
Callie Alford. Presbyterian College - Brown, Katie; Sherrod, Natasha(4); Loudermelk, Kensley(6)
and Ashley, Jordan.
Win-Sherrod, Natasha(1-0) Save-Loudermelk, Kensley(1) Loss-Katie Worley(0-1) T-2:02 A-157
HR PC - Taylor, Erin (3).
Weather: Sunny, 60s
Milton, E. faced 1 batter in the 5th.
