The Georgia Southern softball team hosted the Eagle Round Robin tournament this weekend and improved to 9-4 overall.

The tournament included teams from Morehead State University, Indiana University- Purdue University Indianapolis, Mount St.Mary’s, and University of Missouri-Kansas City. The team went 5-1 over the course of three days. UKMC handed GS the only loss of the weekend on Sunday.

In a sour way to start the weekend, GS lost both senior shortstop Macy Coleman in the first inning and junior outfielder Mekhia Freeman in the sixth inning to injury in the first match with IUPUI. Regardless, senior infielder Hannah Farrell scored the first run of the night and kept the momentum alive. Down by one, senior infielder Logan Harrell hit a home run and ignited a fire behind the bat. Her run was followed by GS taking the lead and eventually defeating IUPUI 8-3. All three freshman pitchers saw action this game, Jess Mazur for majority of the game, before she was substituted by Ashleigh Morton and Shelby Barfield for the last inning.

In Friday’s second game against Morehead State, GS scored a run early on but fell behind a 4-2 score. A hit by sophomore outfielder Ellington Day put the Eagles on top and junior infielder Alia Booth capped off the game with a run in the last inning. Sophomore Rylee Waldrep and senior Kaylee Ramos successfully pitched the whole game and led GS to win 6-4.

Saturday’s games proved to boost up some GS confidence. GS defeated Morehead State once again, 19-2 in just five innings. With home runs from a plethora of GS players including redshirt-senior outfielder Macy Weeks, freshman first baser Faith Shirley, junior infielder Layton Harrell, senior infielder Hannah Farrell, and senior catcher Logan Harrell, the Eagles found themselves really successful on bat.

After this entertaining win, GS went on to defeat Mount St.Mary’s in a close 3-2 match. GS led 2-1 for majority of the game, but the opponent came back at the top of the seventh inning. Shayla Smith scored as soon as she got to bat, taking the lead for GS. Waldrep pitched for five innings striking out seven, while Ramos pitched the remaining two.

GS closed out the tournament with two games on Sunday. UMKC handed GS the only loss of the weekend, 2-1. Logan Harrell hit the lone point in the third inning. Shelby Wilson attempted to tie the game in the seventh inning but was called out at the last base.

Bouncing back from this close loss, GS defeated Mount St.Mary’s 6-1 in the final game of the tournament. By the third inning, GS led 4-1. Smith and Shirley scored the final two runs of the night. Morton pitched for four innings, before turning it over to Barfield for the remaining innings.

With another successful weekend in the books, GS will travel to NC State next weekend to participate in the NC State Invitational.

Amanda Arnold, The George-Anne Sports Reporter, gasports@georgiasouthern.edu