WOODSTOCK, Ga. -- The Georgia State softball team split a pair of games on day two of the Phyliss Rafter Memorial in Woodstock, Ga. The Panthers defeated Mississippi State, 8-5, before falling in eight innings to Purdue, 5-4.
GSU finishes the tournament on Sunday with a single game against Ball State at 1 p.m.
GAME ONE - Georgia State 8, Mississippi State 5
Paige Nowacki's two-run single in the top of the seventh proved to be the game winner as the Georgia State softball team (6-8) earned an 8-5 victory over SEC-foe Mississippi State (6-7) in game one of day two of the Phyliss Rafter Memorial in Woodstock, Ga.
With the game tied at 5-5 in the top of the seventh, a lead off walk by Whitney Phillips followed by a double down the left field line by Lauren Jones, placing runners at second and third with Nowacki stepping to the plate. The McDonough, Ga., native belted a single down the left field line, scoring both runners to give GSU the 7-5 lead. After advancing to second on the throw home, Nowacki made it to third on a wild pitch. Tiffany Bess' groundout scored Nowacki to make the score 8-5 going into the bottom of the seventh.
The win was the first for interim head coach Roger Kincaid and snapped a four-game losing streak for the Panthers. Relief pitcher McCall Langford (1-3) picked up the win, hurling 1.1 innings of shutout ball.
GSU was paced by Nowacki with two RBI and Jones and Mason, who each had two hits and a RBI. Phillips scored three runs.
The Panthers got on the board early with a single run in the first. After Phillips was hit by a pitch and stole second, Nowacki walked to put runners at first and second. Audrey Mason came to the plate next and smacked a double to left center, scoring Phillips.
GSU picked up three runs in the second, all with two outs. Emily Whitaker began the inning with a walk and stolen base. Jessica Clifton singled down the left field line, advancing to second on the throw home as Whitaker scored. After Phillips hit an infield single, Jones slapped a sharp liner through the right side that scored Clifton. A wild pitch allowed Phillips to slide home safely for the final run of the inning, giving GSU a 4-2 lead.
The Bulldogs got on the board in the first with a two-run homer by Courtney Nesbitt that soared well over the 205-foot left field fence. They picked up a single run in the third when Chelsea Raines doubled to center field.
The fifth inning proved to be a tough one for the Panthers. With two outs, third baseman Chelsea Sparks dropped a pop up that kept the inning alive. Kaili Smith hit a two-run homer that gave the Bulldogs the 5-4 lead. Two walks chased starter Kaitlyn Medlam from the game. Reliever Erin Collins walked a batter to load the bases before Chrissie Rovtar flied out to right field to end the inning.
GSU answered in the top of the sixth. Pinch hitter Brenna Morrissey led off the inning with a double down the left field line. A pair of sacrifices by Maddy Stanton and Whitaker scored Morrissey to tie the ballgame at five.
GAME TWO - Purdue 5, Georgia State 4 (8)
Purdue scored three runs in the top half of the eighth inning to edge GSU, 5-4. The Panthers scored two runs in the bottom half of the eighth and had the tying run at third and the winning run at first when a caught stealing and subsequent strikeout ended the contest.
Purdue scored its first run of the eighth on a throwing error by pitcher Erin Collins that advanced the international tiebreaker runner at second all the way home. A double scored the next run and a single off reliever Langford gave the Boilermakers the 5-2 lead.
In GSU's half of the eighth, a single by Jones placed runners at second and third. A sac fly by Nowacki scored Phillips from third, and Mason's single gave GSU runners at first and second. An error allowed Jones to score and Mason to advance to third base with only one out. However, Bess, who reached first on the error, was put out on a run down, and then pinch hitter Brenna Morrissey struck out to end the GSU scoring threat.
Collins (1-1) suffered the loss, giving up four hits and two earned runs. Leading the way for GSU at the plate was Jones, who went 3-for-3 with a homer, two RBI and two runs scored.
Purdue blistered the Panther pitchers for 13 hits.
The Boilermakers got on the board first as Powder Springs, Ga., native Kim McMillan bashed a two-run homer in the top of the second.
The Panthers answered in the bottom of the fourth as Jones took the first pitch she saw and clubbed it over the center field wall to tie the score at two. Clifton opened the inning with a standup double that nailed the centerfield wall to give Jones a base runner to drive in.
GSU failed to capitalize on a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of fifth inning. With two outs, Phillips singled and Jones walked to load the bases. However, Nowacki popped up to the first baseman in foul territory to end the inning.
