STATESBORO, Ga. – Starting off the afternoon's festivities with the program's longest contest since February of 2020, the Presbyterian College softball team was unable to grab a W in two tries on Saturday, falling to Purdue Fort Wayne (3-2) in 10 innings before a 7-2 result against the hosting Georgia Southern Eagles.

After splitting a doubleheader at Queens just three days back, the Blue Hose saw a near-victory misfire versus the Mastodons before a four-run 3^rd period in Game 2 from GSU allowed the home side to improve to 9-3 on the young season.

Presbyterian will rise up bright and early tomorrow for the same two-game layout, battling IPFW again at 9:00 AM with the Georgia Southern rematch immediately following.

 
NOTABLES
 
- Promoted to the club's lead-off hitter in the second round of Saturday's DH, catcher Maddi Wood connected on three hits in eight sequences altogether. The first of those swings soared over the wall for her second home run in the past week, coming in the top of the 7^th against the Mastodons.

- Infielder Kaitlyn Tucker (slotted right behind Wood in the order during Game 2) joined the Clinton native's stat line with a trio of hits, adding an RBI-double and a couple of walks to her individual box. She now lacks just four walks to become PC's all-time leader in that category.

- First baseman Jillian Hewes landed her first multi-hit effort of her senior stint during the setback against the Eagles, pinging consecutive singles as part of seven connections for her squad in the nightcap.

- Jenna Greene notched yet another complete game in the 10-inning tension with Purdue Fort Wayne, the 58^th time in her exemplary career where she was never pulled. The fifth-year captain stuck out nine batters on her way to 160 total pitches.

 
GAME ONE – PURDUE FORT WAYNE (3-9) def. PRESBYTERIAN (5-7), 3-2 – 10 INNINGS
 
- The last time that Presby endured an outing that lasted longer than nine frames was in head coach David Williams' second season at the helm, an eventual 12-inning triumph over Butler four years ago in Florida where Greene (then a freshman) never left the circle on her way to a career-high 18 K's.

- History nearly repeated itself on Saturday, although the Mastodons were able to take their lone lead of the contest in walk-off fashion via an RBI-single.

- Each time that it seemed that the Blue Hose may have delivered the dagger, IPFW kept answering. After six straight scoreless stanzas, Wood's aforementioned homer led to a game-tying run in the bottom of the 7^th that extended the game past its usual limit.

- Junior Kendall Owens brought Kelby Goodrum home with a ground ball in the 9^th, only for Purdue Fort Wayne to again punch back by launching a sacrifice fly in the bottom of that same period.

 
GAME TWO – GEORGIA SOUTHERN (9-3) def. PRESBYTERIAN (5-8), 7-2
 
- Contrary to the first meeting of the day, most of the offense between PC and the Eagles occurred near the opening, as GSU were the first ones to strike behind a pair of scores early.

- Tucker's RBI chopper – assisted by an infield error – provided the window for Hewes and Gracyn Hyatt to reach home plate, tying the matter up at two runs apiece in the top of the 2^nd.

- However, the rest of the affair was controlled mostly by Georgia Southern, responsible for a game-ending 5-0 flurry that put Presby away.

- Kasey Wolfe, Peyton Duncan, and Riley Pennington shared time at the pitcher's spot for Williams' group, while GSU's Alana Barnard and Morgan Kendrick were credited with the victory and save respectively.

 
UP NEXT
 
- As mentioned above, the Blue Hose will rest quickly before returning to the field when the sun comes back up. They'll search for vengeance against both opponents on Sunday, before ending the month of February in a Wednesday one-off versus Wofford on the 28^th.