STATESBORO, GA.-Powered by four round-trippers on the day, Campbell
softball picked up two wins, topping Jacksonville State, 7-3, and
Georgia Southern, 4-1, in day one action at the Georgia Southern
Invitational in Statesboro, Ga.
The wins push Campbell to 3-1 on the year, while JSU and GSU fall
to 3-3 and 3-5, respectively.
In
their tournament opener against Jacksonville State, the Camels
jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first, as
sophomore catcher Amanda Littlejohn belted her second homerun in
three games, driving in freshman shortstop Katie Hinton, followed
by junior first baseman Karlie Love's solo homer to center
field.
The Gamecocks didn't go quietly in the first, however, with junior
catcher Allie Barker knocking in JSU's first run of the game.
Jacksonville State added two more runs in the bottom of the second,
as sophomore first baseman Nikki Prier put a two out single into
right field, scoring freshman Kylie Jo Chandler and sophomore Mary
Beth Ledbetter to knot the score at three.
In
the top of the third, Love picked up another RBI, plating Hinton.
Littlejohn, reaching on a walk, also scored in the inning, reaching
home as freshman Amanda Cline was caught stealing, giving the
Camels a 5-3 advantage after two and a half.
In
the sixth, the CU offense tallied two more for freshman hurler
Lauren Stephen, when leftfielder Courtney Quinn, the Camels' lone
senior, knocked her second homerun of the season, scoring junior
Hilary Wheatley.
Stephan grabbed the win, evening her record at 1-1 on the season,
striking out five Gamecocks and allowing three earned runs while
pitching seven innings. Junior Kayla Collins took the loss for JSU,
going five innings while giving up five runs and striking out
eight.
In
game two, the Camels found themselves at an early disadvantage,
with the Eagles taking a 1-0 lead in the second. Despite sophomore
pitcher Brittany Stanley earning three of her four strikeouts in
the first two innings, GSU manufactured a two out run by way of a
Michelle Beasley single.
The lead would stand until the top of the fifth, when Littlejohn
collected another RBI, scoring Quinn, who reached on a double,
tying the game at one-all. In the top of the sixth, the Camels
struck again, as Stanley led the inning off with a solo homer to
left, her first hit of the season.
CU
continued its late-game rally in the seventh, loading the bases for
freshman third baseman Amanda Miller. The Dunn, N.C. native drove
in a pair with a double to right-center, giving the Camels a 4-1
cushion going into the final half inning.
With the win, Stanley pushes her record to 2-0 on the year, going
the distance with four strikeouts and only one earned run, while
sophomore Kristan Glover took the loss for the Eagles, going five
innings, giving up two runs, striking out two Camels and walking
four.
Highlighting the Campbell offense was Littlejohn, who combined to
go 3-for-7 at the dish with three RBI and a homer, scoring three
times after driving in six runs in the first game of the season
against the College of Charleston.
Campbell returns to action tomorrow at 10:30 a.m., taking on Drexel
before playing its final game of the tournament at 3:30 p.m.
against Radford.