GCSU Wins Softball Tournament Title 4-3 in Extra Innings

FLORENCE, S.C. – A thrilling PBC tournament came to an end late Sunday night as Georgia College & State University’s Tonya Medders sent a line drive into right field in the bottom of the ninth inning to score the winning run and give the Lady Bobcats the tournament title 4-3 over North Georgia. GCSU picks up their first PBC Tournament championship and the PBC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament while North Georgia possibly played themselves into an NCAA at-large berth.

The game was the third of the day as North Georgia beat GCSU 7-3 to force a winner-take-all second championship. NGCSU began the day with a 5-4 win in nine innings over host Francis Marion.

In the final game, things looked good for the Lady Saints (35-13) early with two runs in the third. Laura Voyles and Kasey Knight began the inning with back-to-back singles. Tiffany Blackburn then followed with a seeing-eye single to load the bases with nobody out. Courtney McGuire then walked on four straight pitches to score the first run and that was enough to chase Tonya Medders, who started on the rubber for GCSU. Mandy Chandler took over and faced Leslee Smith who popped a shot straight up in the air. Ironically, it was Medders, just installed at third, who dropped the infield fly allowing Knight to score. Smith was out on the infield fly rule and Chandler got a strikeout and pop out to end the inning down 2-0.

That score held until the fourth as NGCSU starter Ashley Phillips held GCSU to four hits through the first three innings. But in the fourth Shelbie Lindsey led off with a single and moved to second with one out as Haley Holloway walked. That brought up PBC Player of the Year Sherquita Bostick who looked at strike one and then sent the second pitch over the center field fence for a three-run home run.

That score held until the seventh as Chandler limited the Saints to just one hit in the fifth and sixth innings. In the seventh, Blackburn drew a one-out walk followed by a single from McGuire. Smith then drew a walk, loading the bases with one out. After a foul out by Stephanie Farmakis, the game came down to pinch-hitter Kim Stearcay who quickly found herself down 0-2 to Chandler. But Stearcay took two balls, fouled the next pitch off, then took two more balls to draw the bases-loaded walk and tie the game, sending it to extras.

The score remained the same through the eighth, when the game was postponed due to an injury. Laura Voyles was on first and was moving to second on a ground out from Knight. As Voyles slid into second, GCSU shortstop Kayla Smith came across the bag for the force out and her knee inadvertently connected with Voyles head. The game was halted for 31 minutes while paramedics were called (editor’s note: Voyles was released from the hospital later Sunday night with a mild concussion and has returned to Dahlonega).

As the game crossed the three-hour mark, North Georgia opened the top of the ninth with a double from McGuire, but was put out at third on a great fielding play from GCSU third baseman Kori Pickowitz who made a diving stab at a ball hit by Smith. Smith ended up at second on the throw with one out. Chandler ended the threat by getting Farmakis and Natasha Willemse to pop and ground out, respectively.

The GCSU ninth began with a one-out single from Kati Pickowitz. Bostick then popped it up for the second out. Lindsey Swanson kept the inning alive with a single, moving Pickowitz to second, she later moved to third on a wild pitch, that brought Medders to the plate who ended the game five pitches later.

Chandler (24-7) got the win with seven innings of relief, allowing five hits and one run while striking out seven. Sarah Phillips (17-7) got the loss after going all 8 2/3 and allowing four runs on 11 hits while striking out nine.

Bostick finished 2-for-3 with the three-run home run while Swanson collected three hits and Kori Pickowitz two for GCSU.

Voyles, Knight and McGuire all had two hits for NGCSU, McGuire added an RBI as she went 2-for-4.

Bostick was named the tournament Most Valuable Player for her efforts and was joined by Chandler, Medders and Holloway on the All-Tournament team.

The NCAA tournament begins on May 8.

Boxscore

2008 Peach Belt Conference
Softball All-Tournament Team

Brittany Leverett, Columbus State
Jessica Birchmeier, Francis Marion
Michaela Wolf, Francis Marion
Leslee Smith, North Georgia
Sarah Phillips, North Georgia
Tiffany Blackburn, North Georgia
Mandy Chandler, GCSU
Tonya Medders, GCSU
Haley Holloway, GCSU
Tournament MVP
Sherquita Bostick, GCSU