CLEARWATER, Fla. – In the first day of the USF Under Amrour Invitational, the Georgia State softball team topped St. Bonaventure 8-1 and Central Connecticut State 4-2. Taylor Anderson finished the first day of the tournament with three hits, four RBI and two runs scored as the panthers improve to 9-5 overall.
Game 1
Georgia State topped St. Bonaventure 8-1 behind three RBI from Taylor Anderson and two RBI from Lauren Coleman. Six Panthers finished the game with two hits and the team stole four total bases.
In the top of the first inning, Georgia State grabbed a 1-0 lead on Lauren Coleman's RBI single. Ashley Christy started the rally with a one-out single up the middle. She stole second, advanced to third on an error by the St. Bonaventure shortstop and scored on Coleman's single. Callie Alford then singled and stole second before Megan Litumbe walked to load the bases. However, Bonnies starting Pitcher Alexi Sloat forced a ground-out and pop fly to escape the jam. St. Bonaventure went three up and three down in the bottom half of the inning.
After a scoreless second and third inning, the Panthers extended their lead to 4-0 with three runs in the top of the fourth. MeQuilla Franklin singled to right field to open the frame. She advanced to second on a passed ball and took third on Moran Brown's sacrifice bunt. Taylor Anderson then singled through the right side to score Franklin. Christy reached second on a bunt single and error by the Bonnies' second baseman. Coleman then drove in Anderson with a sacrifice bunt to first, and Alford capped the inning with a single to plate Christy.
St. Bonaventure left two runners on base in the bottom of the fourth and Mallory Koepke was stranded on third in the top of the fifth. The Bonnies got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 4-1 game. Kelli Rohan scored on Katie Sinclair's sacrifice fly to center, and neither team scored in the sixth inning.
In the top of the seventh, GSU's Koepke started a two-out rally when she reached on a St. Bonaventure error. Jessica Clifton also reached on an error and Franklin singled through the right side to score Koepke. Pinch-hitter Mandy Blackwell then reached on a passed ball after she struck out and Clifton scored. Brown subbed to run for Blackwell and stole second. Anderson then tripled to center to score Franklin and Brown and give the Panthers an 8-1 lead heading into the final half inning.
Georgia State starter Kaitlyn Medlam forced a pop-up and finished the game with two strike outs to secure the win. She pitched a complete seven innings, allowed only one run on eight hits and improves to 5-3 this season.
Game 2
Behind two hits by Callie Alford, Kensey Caldwell and Mallory Koepke, GSU defeated Central Connecticut State 4-2 in the Panthers' second game of the day on Friday, Feb. 28 in Clearwater, Fla.
Georgia State grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Taylor Anderson scored on an error by Blue Devils catcher Hannah Cooper. Anderson reached with a lead-off walk and advanced to third on two ground outs. In the bottom of the inning, CCSU loaded the bases but Panther starter Taylor Thorpe escaped the jam to protect the 1-0 lead.
After a scoreless second inning, GSU extended its lead to 2-0 in the top of the third. Alford started the rally with a two-out single. Then Megan Litumbe singled to score Alford. Central Connecticut State went three up and three down in the bottom and the third and neither team scored in the fourth or fifth inning.
In the top of the sixth, Caldwell singled after a ground out started the inning. Morgan Brown reached on an error by Blue Devils shortstop Eileen Purcell. Then, Caldwell scored and Brown advanced to third on Anderson's doubled. Ashley Christy then hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Brown and give GSU a 4-0 lead.
CCSU responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth. The rally started with a one-out single by Sarah Drazin and she would score on an error by Taylor Anderson. After a single and a pop-fly, Brittany Ernst singled to plate Purcell. Another single would but Blue Devils on the corners but Georgia State relief pitcher Kaitlyn Medlam escaped the inning with a strike out.
Koepke doubled in the top of the seventh but the Panthers could not add to their lead. In the bottom of the frame, Medlam retired the side three up and three down to secure the win.
Taylor Thorpe earned the win for GSU and improves to 3-2 this season. She pitched five scoreless innings, allowed one hit, struck out seven and walked five. Kaitlyn Medlam allowed two runs on four hits in two innings of relief.
The Panthers will return to the field Saturday, March 1 at 11:45 a.m. to face Quinnipiac. Then GSU will face No. 15 Stanford to wrap up the second day of the USF Under Armour Invitational.
