CLEARWATER, Fla. — Callie Alford recorded seven RBI and Taylor Anderson collected four hits as Georgia State opened the USF Under Armour Invitational with a pair of wins over Central Connecticut and Western Michigan on Friday.
With hits in both games, Anderson extends her hitting streak to 15 games, tied for the second longest in school history.
Game 1: GSU 3, Central Connecticut 1
Alford's three-run home run in the top of the fifth inning was all the offense the Panthers would need to defeat Central Connecticut 3-1. Alford is now second on the team with four long balls on the season.
The Blue Devils (0-1) struck first with an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth inning. Georgia State threatened to score earlier with seven base runners in the first three innings, but all seven were left on base. Both sides had five hits, while Central Connecticut also committed two errors.
Anderson led the game off with a double to extend her hitting streak to 14 games. Ashley Christy also stole her team-leading eighth base of the season.
Katie Worley (4-4) pitched her fourth career complete game to earn the win. The freshman scattered five hits over 7.0 innings, struck out four batters and did not allow a walk.
Game 2: GSU 11, Western Michigan 2
Anderson had three hits and came just a home run shy of hitting for the cycle as the Panthers downed Western Michigan 11-2. Alford had four more RBI in the game and Anderson had three.
GSU scored five runs in both the first and seventh innings and one more in the fourth. The Panthers benefited from 12 walks, including three for Lauren Coleman, who leads the team with 17 free passes.
In the first inning, Alford hit a three-run double after the bases were loaded on three straight walks. Western Michigan's starting pitcher allowed four runs and was run from the game before an out was recorded.
After allowing a leadoff single, starter Kaitlyn Medlam (5-3) settled in to retired the next eight batters consecutively. Medlam pitched five innings and allowed two runs on only three hits. Eron Milton and Emily Clay both pitched an inning of scoreless relief.
The Broncos (3-9) got a two-run triple in the bottom of the third inning to score their only runs of the contest. Western Michigan threatened again with the bases loaded in the fifth inning, but Medlam got a strikeout to strand all three runners.
Saturday Schedule
Georgia State (10-7) continues play in the USF Under Armour Invite Saturday against Kent State (3-7) at 10:00 am and Stephen F. Austin (5-10) at 12:15 pm.
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