This weekend, the softball team returned home to Eagle Field for the Eagle Classic, where they would go 4-1.

The tournament began Friday night for the Eagles in an awesome game against Eastern Kentucky. Both Dixie Raley for GS and Alex Sallberg for the Colonels were pitching lights out, and neither allowed a run in regulation. The top of the 8th held the first run of the game, as Eastern Kentucky scored with a close call at home plate.

The Eagles had the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning, but could only bring one run home. Though the Colonels scored two runs in the bottom of the 9th, Georgia Southern stayed resilient and scored three runs to take the extra inning win in dramatic fashion 4-3.

Saturday’s first game was against Marshall University, the best team the Eagles faced this weekend. The Thundering Herd scored two runs in the 3rd inning against pitcher Kierra Camp, who worked her way out of a bases loaded scenario. The 5th inning came quick, though Camp gave up a 3-run homerun making, the game 5-0 in favor of Marshall.

Georgia Southern then viciously clawed its way back into the game, scoring four runs in the 5th inning and two more in the bottom of the 6th to take a 6-5 lead with Mekhia Freeman’s homerun and Morgan Robinson’s RBI. The comeback ended there as Marshall quickly scored three runs in the seventh inning, and the Eagles couldn’t respond. Marshall took the 8-6 win.

The night cap for Saturday came against the South Carolina State Bulldogs. SC State hadn’t won a game coming into this one, and that wouldn’t change Saturday night, but the Bulldogs made it more interesting than most people thought.

The Eagles went up 8-0 early, but an eight run 5th inning by the Bulldogs gave them the lead. Any upset hopes would be put to rest as Georgia Southern scored 10 runs in the bottom of the 6th ending the game. Georgia Southern would win 18-10.

The final day of the Eagle Classic began with a scrappy game against Delaware State. The Eagles started things off in the 1st with Lydia Witkowski doubling and then reaching home on an error.

Delaware State provided the first lead change with a 2-run homerun in the top of the 4th. In the same inning with bases loaded, Mekhia Freeman hit a grand slam. The Eagles continued scoring and wouldn’t allow the Hornets to score again. The final score ended up 9-2.

Sunday night’s game against Presbyterian had three separate Georgia Southern homeruns as Abby Broome, Shelby Wilson and Emily Snider all hit it over the wall. The Blue Hose couldn’t get anything going as Dixie Raley pitched another spectacular shutout. Georgia Southern got another run and end the weekend winning 4-0.

The Eagles will travel to Savannah State Wednesday night, then open up conference play next weekend against Troy.