ATLANTA -- The Georgia State softball team defeated Belmont, 8-2, and lost to Bowling Green, 9-3, on day two of the Springhill Suites Buckhead Classic hosted at Georgia Tech's Mewborn Field.
GSU (10-13), who are 1-2 so far this weekend, will conclude the tournament tomorrow with a single game against the host Yellow Jackets at 3 p.m.
Game Two - Georgia State 8, Belmont 2
Freshman pitcher Kaitlyn Medlam (4-1) went the distance and the GSU bats finally came alive as the Panthers defeated Belmont, 8-2, in game two.
Medlam, who earned her first win since Feb. 20 against Appalachian State, allowed two runs, one earned, and eight hits, while striking out three batters to earn the win.
The real story for GSU in the game was the emergence of the bats after only scoring three runs in the first two games of the tournament. The Panthers, who had only scored five runs or more in five games this season entering the game, erupted for eight runs including three in the first inning and four in the fourth.
GSU is now 7-0 when leading after the first inning. In contrast, they are 3-13 when they are tied or trailing after the first.
The team got off to a hot start in the first as Jessica Clifton got on board on an error by the shortstop. On the day the Bruins had five errors. Whitney Phillips singled and stole second. The catcher had a throwing error on the toss, allowing Clifton to score from third. Lauren Jones stepped up and doubled to right center, scoring Phillips. Paige Nowacki also doubled to right center, scoring Jones.
The Panthers picked up a single run in the third on Nowacki's second double of the game that scored Jones.
In the fourth Clifton walked and Brenna Morrissey singled to put runners on first and second for Phillips, who reached on an error by the second baseman. The error allowed Clifton to come around from second to score. Jones singled, scoring Morrissey, and Nowacki reached first on an error to bring up Bess with the bases loaded. The Watkinsville, Ga., native singled down the left field line to drive in Phillips. After a pitching change, Chelsea Sparks walked with the bases loaded, scoring Jones.
Pacing the Panthers was Jones, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored. Nowacki had two doubles and two RBI. Morrissey had a pair of hits and a run scored, while Phillips had a hit, RBI and two runs scored.
The Bruins scored their runs on a solo homer in the first by Becca Gift and a fielder's choice by Ashley Byers that scored Cassie Bollin after catcher Emily Althafer threw the ball past the outreached glove of first baseman Lauren Jones.
Game One - Bowling Green 9, Georgia State 3
Bowling Green used a six-run fifth inning to power past Georgia State, 9-3, in game one.
Up 2-1 entering the fifth inning, the Falcon bats exploded for six runs. After an error by shortstop Morrissey allowed the leadoff runner to get on, Bowling Green produced seven hits in eight at-bats, including six straight, to push the score to 8-1.
After allowing another run on three singles in the seventh, GSU attemped a longshot rally. A single by Emily Whitaker and a walk by Phillips put runners on first and second with no outs. After a groundout by Cassie Boese advanced the runners to second and third, freshman Clifton ripped a two-RBI single to right field to cut the lead to 9-3. The Panthers tallied a single by Morrissey and a walk by Nowacki before a pair of outs ended the game with the bases loaded.
Suffering the loss for GSU was Alana Thomas (2-5). She went three innings, allowing two runs on five hits. Neither reliever faired any better for the Panthers. Erin Collins came in next and allowed three runs on three hits. She was relieved by McCall Langford who gave up three more runs on seven hits.
Melissa Bott (1-4) picked up the win for the Falcons allowing three runs on seven hits and walking four.
Bowling Green had two players with three hits and two with two hits. Three players totaled two RBI each. GSU was paced by Clifton's two RBI. Whitaker had a hit, two walks and a run scored.
GSU got on the board early on a fielder's choice by catcher Maddy Stanton that scored Bess. The Falcons responded in the third with a solo shot by Paige Berger. They added a run in the fourth on a groundout that scored one run.
