CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (Georgia Southern) – The Eagles scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning, but the comeback effort fell short as Georgia Southern fell 3-2 to Elon in the first round of the Southern Conference Tournament Thursday morning. Junior Megen Smith (Springfield, Ga.) led off the seventh with her 17th home run of the season, sending the pitch out to leftfield to cut the Elon lead to 3-1. Senior Sam Russo (Snellville, Ga.) singled with one out, and pinch-runner Alexa Lewis (Lawrenceville, Ga.) scored on senior Kelly Burnett’s (Boynton Beach, Fla.) two-out RBI-single. Junior pitcher and two-time Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year Brianna Streetmon (Winder, Ga.) kept the Eagles in the game, pitching out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Phoenix started the inning with two singles and an error in leftfield by Burnett to load the bases. Hannah Shelton hit an RBI-single to left for Elon’s third run of the game, but Streetmon got the next three hitters in order to end the threat. Elon scored its first two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning when Ashlee Crewe sent a 1-2 offering over the leftfield fence, scoring Erin O’Shea, who singled with one out. Emerald Graham tried to score on O’Shea’s single, but Burnett threw her out at the plate from leftfield. Streetmon (19-11) took the loss, allowing three runs on six hits with three strikeouts and a walk. O’Shea (17-8) earned the win for Elon, holding the Eagles to two runs on four hits with two strikeouts.
The Eagles will face the loser between Chattanooga and UNC Greensboro Thursday night at 5 p.m. in the loser’s bracket of the double-elimination tournament. Fans can follow live stats at www.georgiasoutherneagles.com or scores at www.twitter.com/gsuscores.