Thrilling Endings And Upsets Mark Day One Of SBC Softball Tournament
The first day of the Sun Belt Conference Softball Championship was full of excitement and upsets.
In game one, #6 seed UL-Monroe rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning from a 2-1 deficit. After loading the bases, a sacrifice fly tied the game at 2-2 then a wild pitch allowed the winning run to score as the Warhawks advanced by a score of 3-2.
In game two, #8 seed UT-Arlington earned its first SBC Softball Championship victory with an upset win over #5 seeded Texas State by a score of 5-1. Texas State scored first, but UT-Arlington reponded right away to tie the game. Then it was all Mavericks the rest of the way.
Game three pitted #6 UL-Monroe against #3 Georgia State with the Warhawks using their earlier game to help propel them to an upset of the Panthers in extra innings.
Just hours after their thrilling walkoff win over Troy, they took the Panthers into extra innings. In the top of the ninth inning the leadoff hitter was walked then a sacrifice bunt moved her to second base. Then freshman Hollie Letorneau hit a game-winning RBI single up the middle to score the winning run.
GSU left 12 runners on base in the game.
Game four had first round winner #8 seed UT-Arlington facing off against #4 seed Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers senior pitcher Emily Rousseau only allowed two hits as the ‘toppers knocked off the Mavericks 6-1 to advance to day two of the SBC Tournament.
Rousseau tossed all seven innings with only two hits in 28 batters faced. She only gave up one unearned run in the sixth inning after a single made it through the right side of the infield.
Day two of the tournament begins the double-elimination format. Game five will take place a 2:00pm with #2 seeded South Alabama facing the #6 seed UL-Monroe. The winner advances to take on the winner of game 6 that gets underway at 5:00pm between #1 seeded UL-Lafayette and #4 seed Western Kentucky.
The loser of games five and six will move to the losers bracket to face each other in an elimination game at 11am on Friday morning. The winners of game five and six will advance to face each other at 2:00pm on Friday in an ESPN3 televised game for the right to advance into the SBC Championship game.