CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Coastal Georgia softball team won their opening round matchup of the Sun Conference Tournament, winning 8-4 over Florida Memorial.

After scoring 12 runs on over 15 hits two hours previous to defeat Keiser, the Lions (27-22) went right to work against the Mariners (36-10) in game three of the afternoon. 

An error, a walk, and a single loaded the bases in the first inning with one out, and a sac fly by Gongora scored the game's first run. Rori Rhodes got a one out single in the bottom half of the first, but could not come across to score and the Lions took their 1-0 lead into the second inning. 

A two out single is all the Lions got off of starter Bryce Peacock in the second, and in the bottom half, the Mariners tied the game right back up. Rily Andrews and Mackenzie Southerland went back-to-back with singles to lead off the inning, and Julianna Batts followed by reaching on an error, scoring Andrews. With second and third and just one out, the Mariners failed to add on, and the score was tied 1-1 going to the third. 

In the top of the third, the Lions looked to pull away and put the number one seeded Mariners into the losers bracket on the first day. Two hit by pitches that sandwiched a single loaded the bases with nobody out. Another RBI single from Gongora gave the Lions the lead and Enrique immediately followed with a single of her own to give FMU a 3-1 lead. Elizabeth McGovern was called on to pitch, and got three straight outs to strand the bases loaded and kept the deficit manageable for the Mariners. In the bottom half, the Mariners got two runners on via Lions errors, but could not score and the game progressed to the fourth with a 3-1 lead for the Lions. 

McGovern shut down the Lions in the top of the fourth and turned it over to her offense to take over the game. Southerland singled and was out on a fielder's choice from Batts. McGovern moved her to second on a sac bunt, and the inning seemed lost for the Mariners. Mackenzie Kagee got things started with an RBI single, scoring Batts, Thinger drew a walk, and Rhodes followed with a triple into right center scoring both Kagee and Thinger. Peacock followed her with a double into left center, scoring Rhodes, making the game 5-3. Rylee Mills walked to put runners on first and second, and Andrews launched a one hopper double off the wall, scoring both Peacock and Mills, making the score 7-3 going to the fifth inning. 

McGovern went right back out in the fifth and shut down the Lions once again, and the Mariners added an extra insurance run in the bottom half. Batts singled to begin the inning, moved to second on another sac bunt from McGovern, and moved to third on a single from Kagee. Thinger put the ball in play and the Mariners benefitted once again scoring Batts, making the score 8-3 going to the sixth inning. 

Florida Memorial got a run in the sixth inning on a single from Justice, and the Mariners were held scoreless in the sixth, and the score was 8-4 going into the seventh. 

In the seventh, McGovern completed another inning of relief by sitting down the Lions in order to secure the 8-4 victory.

Rhodes, Andrews, Southerland, and Kagee all finished with two hits a piece, and the Mariners finished with 10 hits as a team. Both Andrews and Rhodes finished with two RBI's a piece as well. 

After Peacock went just two innings, McGovern went five innings allowing just one hit, one run, two walks, and struck out a pair. 

The Mariners will now take on the winner of St. Thomas and Southeastern tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. with a spot in the finals on the line.