Sunday, March 11, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Travis Jarome, Sports Information Director

NORTH GEORGIA SPLITS FINAL TWO GAMES OF TOURNAMENT
Brittany Cobb drills two more homeruns, gives her six for the weekend

BRADENTON, Fla. – North Georgia College & State University used four homeruns to power their way to a 12-4 victory over Ohio Valley University in their first game Sunday morning in the Fun In The Sun Tournament.

The Saints struck first in the bottom-half of the first inning following a lead-off double by freshman second baseman Laura Voyles.  After two consecutive outs, junior outfielder Brittany Cobb continued her hot-hitting this weekend.  The junior connected on an 0-1 pitch, sending the pitch over the rightfield wall for her fourth homerun of the tournament, and her fourth career homerun, giving the Saints a 2-0 lead.

North Georgia kept the bats going in the second inning when sophomore first baseman Page Raynor hit an 0-1 pitch off the leftfield wall for a leadoff double, She advanced to third when sophomore third baseman Meigan Grimm hit a 1-0 pitch up the middle for a single, then stole second to put runners at second and third with nobody out. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch to add to the increasing lead at 3-0. Senior catcher Brooke Kesler got into the act, lining a single to left to drive in Grimm for a 4-0 lead with just one out in the bottom of the second inning. Voyles struck again, lining a double off the shortstop’s glove to move Kesler to third with one out in the inning. Unfortunately, the Saints couldn’t push a run across but still led 4-0 after two innings.

The Saints squashed an Ohio Valley chance in the top of the third inning when the Scots had runners at first and third with no one out.  Nicole Adkison (3-1) enduced a ground ball to catch the runner at third, then induced a pop-up to shortstop Leslie Smith for the second out, before recording the final out via the strikeout.

The Saints struck again in Cobb was intentionally walked to lead off the bottom of the third inning.  She promptly stole second and was bunted to third by junior outfielder Candace Shubert.  Raynor then connected for her second homerun of the tournament, sending the two-strike pitch over the rightfield wall for a 6-0 lead.

Ohio Valley struck in the top of the fourth following a lead-off single and a throwing error.  The Scots were able to push across four runs.  However, Raynor made a fantastic play on defense turning the double play as she fielded the ground ball to tag the runner out at first and threw across the diamond to pick the runner at third.

The Saints got back on the board in the bottom of the fourth thanks to a Jessica Skeels triple to left centerfield.  The hit drove in Kesler and Whitney Propes for an 8-4 lead.  Following a walk to Cobb, she stole second, forcing a bad throw to advance to third, and allow Skeels to score.  Cobb was driven in on sacrifice fly to right by Candace Shubert for a 10-4 lead.

In the sixth inning, Cobb blasted another homerun this weekend – a solo shot to right to give the Saints an 11-4 lead. The next batter, Shubert, ended the game with a solo homerun to center.

Andrea Moss earned her first save of the season in relief of Adkison.

West Liberty 7, North Georgia 3

North Georgia dropped their final game The Fun In The Sun Collegiate Softball Tournament to West Liberty State University.

The Hilltoppers scored first in the top half of the first inning when Cindy Carmichael led the inning with a base hit off of starting pitcher Trisha Snider.  She advanced to third on a single by Rachael Mason and a throwing error from the Saints outfield.  Carmichael scored on an infield single by Vannessa Esenberg for a 1-0 lead.

North Georgia struck back when Skeels drew a walk and scored on Cobb’s sixth homerun of the weekend – a two-run homerun to right centerfield for a 2-1 lead.

The Hilltoppers threatened again in the top of the third, loading the bases with just one out.  However, Snider was able to work out of the jam with a ground ball to third and pop-up on the infield to retire the side without any damage.

The Saints were able to load the bases in the bottom of the fourth inning and freshman catcher Natasha Willemse delivered.  The freshman grounded out to the pitcher, but was able to drive home a run for a 3-1 lead after four innings of play.

Donna Barclay answered for West Liberty, driving a 1-1 pitch over the centerfield wall to cut the lead to 3-2. The bats kept rolling for West Liberty in the top of the fifth as Tabitha Gretchen hit a two-run homerun to give the Hilltoppers a 4-3 lead in the top of the fifth inning.

Mason finished off the scoring for West Liberty with a three-run homerun in the top of the sixth inning.

North Georgia threatened in the seventh, but were unable to get a run across. The Saints loaded the bases with one out, bringing the tying run to the plate twice during the inning.

Snider (1-2) suffered the loss for the Saints.

North Georgia (16-7) returns to action on Tuesday afternoon in Fort Lauderdale against Nova Southeastern.

-NGCSU-

Related Item: Box Score (vs. Ohio Valley)
Related Item: Box Score (vs. West Liberty State)

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