The fourth-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State University softball squad won twice on Sunday to advance out of the NCAA Southeast Regional #1, downing No. 16 Columbus State by identical 6-2, 6-2 scores to move to the Super Regional.
The Pirates advanced to the round of 16 for the fourth time in school history. In 2000, 2003 and 2007 when eight teams played at one region site, the Pirates advanced to the region final. This is the Pirates’ first appearance in a Super Regional, adopted by NCAA Division II in 2009.
AASU (40-8-1) won three straight elimination games to advance. The Pirates will now take on Anderson (SC) — winners of the NCAA Southeast Regional #2 — on Friday and Saturday in a best-of-three format. Game times will be announced today.
Each team scored a run in the second inning of the first game as Brittany Carr’s solo home run put the Cougars up briefly, 1-0, but Haley Ellis’ RBI single tied things up. CSU went back ahead in the top of the fifth on an RBI single by Casey Googe, but left fielder Andrea Dalton threw out Kori Waugh trying to score on the hit, ending the inning and keeping it a one-run game.
The Pirates then exploded for five runs in the bottom of the fifth, all with two outs. Rachel Reynolds’ RBI single scored Hannah Reppert, then Haley Ellis cleared the bases with a three-run double. An error pushed across the fifth run of the inning.
Shelby Duff (9-3) hurled 2 1/3 innings of one-hit shutout ball, walking two while striking out two to pick up the win in relief in the opener.
In the second game, the Pirates broke open a 1-1 game with three runs in the fourth and two in the sixth. An RBI single by Alexis Mercer got the Pirates on the board in the third inning, but CSU tied things up in the top of the fourth on an RBI fielder’s choice off the bat of Morgan Knight.
The Pirates took advantage of a couple of errors by the Cougars to push three runs across in the bottom of the fourth, then extended the lead to 6-1 on a two-run home run by Celia Blome.
Dalton and Kacie Patterson each had three hits in the doubleheader to lead the Pirates offensively, while Haley Ellis went 2 for 2 with four RBIs in the Game 1 6-2 victory.
BASEBALL
CLEMSON 11, GSU 6
CLEMSON, S.C. — The Clemson Tigers scored for seven runs over the first three innings and defeated Georgia Southern to complete a three-game sweep of the Eagles at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
Zach Erwin allowed three runs over five innings to help Clemson (37-15) to its seventh-straight victory. Erwin (5-0) picked up the win in his third start this season and worked around six hits and three walks.
Georgia Southern (25-26) took its first lead in the series with a run in the top of the second inning before Josh Stevenson allowed five runs in the bottom half of the frame. Stevenson (1-4) took the loss after surrendering seven runs over 2 1/3 innings.
Clemson tallied five hits in that second inning and jumped out to a four-run lead after the five-run inning. The first two batters reached with hits before a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Krieger moved the runners into scoring position. Thomas Brittle drove in the first run with a single to left field before Maleeke Gibson provided a two-run double.