ATLANTA, Ga. -- The Georgia State softball team split a pair of games on day two of the seventh annual Panther Invitational defeating East Tennessee State, 8-7, in nine innings, before falling to Eastern Illinois, 6-2.
In game one, the Panthers overcame a 5-0 deficit to win in extra innings, 8-7. Senior Rachel Cunningham drove in four runs including a clutch three-run homer to rally GSU. In game two, Eastern Illinois scored four runs in the fourth on the strength of a Hailee Hanna three-run homer to take a 4-1 lead. The Panthers added two insurance runs to take the contest, 6-2.
The Panthers now sit at 4-1 with a trip to Southern Conference-member Georgia Southern on Wednesday. Game one of the doubleheader begins at 2 p.m. in Statesboro. GSU's next home game will be on Thursday when the Panthers host Siena in a doubleheader that begins at 3 p.m.
Game 1 - GSU 8, ETSU 7
Georgia State rallied from an early 5-0 deficit before scoring the winning run on an error in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat East Tennessee State, 8-7, at the Panther Invitational at GSU's Bob Heck Field.
Cunningham homered and drove in four runs for the Panthers, who improved to 4-0 on the season. Georgia State will face Eastern Illinois later today in the championship game of the Panther Invitational.
After GSU starter Heather Lowry failed to record an out, Alana Thomas tossed nine innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits with five strikeouts.
ETSU jumped in front with a five-run first inning. The Panthers answered with Cunningham's three-run homer in the third to pull within 5-3, and then moved ahead with three more runs in the fourth. Danielle Roddy delivered an RBI-single, and then two more runs scored on walks as GSU took a 6-5 lead after four.
But the Buccaneers' tied the game at 6-all on a run-scoring by Marlina Delisa in the top of the sixth.
Moving to extra innings, each team scored a run in the eighth. Lucy Schneider's single scored Cheniece Cason in the top of the inning, but Roddy tied the game in the bottom of the inning with an RBI-single to plate Chelsea Sparks.
In the top of the ninth, with Trisha Massenzo at third base with one out, Chelsea Sparks made a diving catch in left center field and then threw out Massenzo, who left early from third attempting to score on a sacrifice fly.
Sparks then figured in the winning run in the bottom of the inning. With runners at first and third and two outs, Sparks hit a ground ball to the second baseman, who failed to field in cleanly, allowing Rebecca Roles to score the winning run.
Thomas improves to 1-0 on the season with the win, while Duncan (2-1) picked up the loss.
The Panthers were led by Cunnningham who went 2-for-2 with a home run, four RBI and three walks. Roddy, playing in only her second game of the season, got back on track with two hits and two RBI.
Game 2 - Eastern Illinois 6, Georgia State 2
Eastern Illinois scored four runs in the fourth inning to build a 4-1 lead and limited GSU's offense to only two runs as the Panthers defeated GSU, 6-2.
With the win, Eastern Illinois improves to 2-2, while the Panthers (4-1) suffered their first loss of the young season.
Leading the way for EIU was Holtz, who was 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. Catcher Hailee Hanna had a home run and three RBI. In a losing effort, freshman Paige Nowacki hit her first home run of her career, while Roddy was 1-for-1 with an RBI and a walk.
Eastern Illinois' Hailie Ray (1-0) picked up the win, while GSU's Elizabeth Thomas (0-1) suffered the loss.
After GSU scored a quick run in the first inning on a Roddy sacrifice fly scoring Sparks, Eastern Illinois answered back in the fourth with four runs. Kiley Holtz drove in Melinda Jackson before, Hanna pounded an Elizabeth Thomas pitch over the left centerfield fence to drive in three runs to push the lead to 4-1.
After Nowacki hit a solo homer to trim the lead to 4-2, EIU put the game away in the sixth with two runs. Holtz hit a solo homer to highlight the sixth for the Eastern Illinois.
