A long and eventful day in Clearwater came to a close Friday evening as Coastal Georgia dropped a hard-fought 4-2 decision to Southeastern, bringing the Mariners' Sun Conference Tournament run to an end. Despite a valiant effort from a team that had already played twice earlier in the day, Coastal Georgia finishes the tournament at 37-12 with its head held high after an outstanding season.
Southeastern struck first in the bottom of the first, with Hailey Bradley and Nicole Wasserstrom each delivering RBI hits to stake the Fire to a 2-0 lead. The Mariners answered in the second with their best inning of the evening. Mackenzie Southerland led off with a double and scored on an RBI single by Brooke Perdue, and Avery Callaway followed with an RBI single of her own to knot the game at two and send a jolt of energy through the Coastal Georgia dugout.
Southeastern reclaimed the lead in the third, however, taking advantage of a stolen base and an error to push two runs across on a pair of sacrifice flies and rebuild a 4-2 advantage. From that point forward both pitching staffs locked in, with neither team able to add to the scoreboard through the final four innings.
Emilia Clemons was outstanding in relief, entering in the fourth inning and shutting Southeastern down completely over three scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and striking out one. She gave the Mariners every opportunity to mount a comeback, but Southeastern closer Edan Playa was equally sharp, retiring the Coastal Georgia lineup in order over the final 2.2 innings to preserve the victory.
Southerland was one of the brightest offensive spots on the evening, going 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Callaway delivered a key RBI hit, Perdue added a run-scoring single, and Maddy Lee and Emma Jones each contributed hits to keep the Mariner offense moving throughout a tough evening against one of the nation's best programs.
While the tournament result is disappointing, Coastal Georgia can reflect on a truly impressive season. The Mariners won three games in tournament play on Friday alone and showed the kind of toughness and depth that has defined this team all year. The focus now turns to the NAIA National Tournament, where the Mariners will have the opportunity to continue their season on the biggest stage.
