HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- The Georgia Southwestern State University softball team picked up an 11-5 win against Tuskegee before falling 8-3 to Alabama-Huntsville and 9-6 to McKendree University Friday at the Charger Chillout.
The Lady Canes fall to 1-6 overall with the win and two losses in Huntsville.
Game 1: Georgia Southwestern 11, Tuskegee 5
Senior Mikela Barlow went 3-for-4 at the plate with three runs scored and three RBIs to lead the Lady Canes while Cassidy Burton, Hayley Tierce and Lauren Kuerzi picked up two hits a piece.
Tuskegee led 4-1 before Burton cut into it in the fourth with a single up the middle that brought home Barlow and Payton Singletary to make it a one-run game. After a Singletary RBI groundout tied the game in the fifth, Kuerzi gave GSW the lead for good, doubling down the left field line scoring Tierce and Barlow to make it 6-4.
The Lady Canes tacked on more in the seventh when a Barlow double cleared the bases, scoring Chloe Zoeller, Graysen Sanders and Singletary to make the score 10-4. Tierce brought home Barlow with a sac fly for the final run of the game.
KayLynn Church got the win for Georgia Southwestern after throwing four innings and giving up just one unearned run on three hits while striking out three.
Game 2: Alabama-Huntsville 8, Georgia Southwestern 3
UAH used a big second inning and tacked on three runs late to put the game away after the Lady Canes had cut the Charger lead to two after the fifth.
Trailing 5-0 heading into the bottom half of the fifth the GSW bats warmed up. Payton Singletary led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a sac bunt by Ansley Dean. Singletary scored the first run when Cassidy Burton doubled to left, also bringing home Mikela Barlow who drew a walk. Hayley Tierce then followed with a single to right that drove in Burton, scoring the Lady Canes final run.
Ansley Dean took the loss for GSW, throwing five innings and giving up five earned runs on just two hits while issuing seven walks.
Game 3: McKendree 9, Georgia Southwestern 6
The big inning hurt the Lady Canes again against the Bearcats before making a late run to get back into it. McKendree put up five in the third after two scoreless innings to take command and make GSW work from behind.
Trailing 6-0 in the fourth, Shannon Gibson doubled to right bringing in Hayley Tierce who had walked and moved to second when Payton Singletary drew a walk of her own.
The big inning for Georgia Southwestern came in the fifth. Three straight walks were followed by a wild pitch that scored Mikela Barlow and moved the runners to scoring position. Lauren Kuerzi grounded out to score Cassidy Burton and Hayley Tierce came home on another wild pitch to cut the lead to four runs.
After Singletary walked and Gibson singled, Elizabeth Wills drove in Singletary with a single up the middle, making the score 7-5 in favor of the Bearcats. The Lady Canes were able to make it a one-run game in the sixth before McKendree tacked on two insurance runs in the seventh to put the game away.
Up Next: The Lady Canes return to Americus for the home opening doubleheader on February 14 against Fort Valley State. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.