Wednesday, March 14, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Travis Jarome, Sports Information Director

SAINTS FALL TO 21st-RANKED FLORIDA GULF COAST
Eagles hit two late-inning homeruns to sweep North Georgia

FORT MYERS, Fla. – North Georgia College & State University was swept by Florida Gulf Coast in a non-conference softball doubleheader, courtesy of two late-inning homeruns by the Eagles at the FGCU Softball Complex here Wednesday evening.

Florida Gulf Coast (36-3) used a grand slam off the bat of Jessica Rouse to score four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull away from North Georgia for a 7-3 victory in the nightcap. After the bases were loaded, Rouse hit the ball out to left off of reliever Nicole Adkison (4-2) for the lead.

North Georgia used the speed of Whitney Propes to jumpstart the fourth inning, after being no-hit through the first three games. She bunted the ball back to the Eagles' pitcher Dana Frantz who couldn't get the throw to first in time for the out. The next batter, freshman Jessica Skeels then belted a double to rightfield to score Propes all the way from the first for a 1-0 North Georgia lead. The next batter, junior outfielder Brittany Cobb then attempted to sacrifice Skeels over to third, but she reached base on a throwing error that allowed Skeels to score and pushed Cobb to second base with no outs. After a Candace Shubert bunt base hit moved Cobb to third, freshman shortstop Leslee Smith delivered another run with a single to left for a 3-0 North Georgia lead.

Florida Gulf Coast's Natasha Gary used her speed in the bottom half of the inning to cut into the lead. She reached first on a walk from Propes, then stole second and took third on a fielding error by the Saints. She scored on a Natasha Johnson single down the leftfield line, trimming the lead to 3-1. Following a pair of hits with one out, Hillary Johnson lined a double to right to score both runs and tie to the game at 3-3.

In the day’s first game, Florida Gulf Coast used a two-run walk-off homerun by Cheyenne Jenks in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat the upset-minded Saints 2-1. 

North Georgia used a solo homerun by Laura Voyles in the top of the third inning to take a 1-0 lead, and then relied on the arm of starter Andrea Moss (9-3) for 6 2/3 innings.  Moss, the hard-luck loser, gave up just two runs on six hits for the game, walking one and striking out four.

Page Raynor led the Saints at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two doubles.

Carmen Paez led Florida Gulf Coast (36-3), going 2-for-3.  Rachel Edinger (17-0) picked up the win despite trailing for the entire contest. The win in the opener was the 16th straight for the Eagles.

North Georgia (17-10) returns to action on March 20 on the road against West Georgia. The Saints will not return home until March 27 against Augusta State University.

-NGCSU-

Related Item: Box Score (Game One)
Related Item: Box Score (Game Two)

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