TENNESSEE 2, GEORGIA 0
Tennessee 000 200 0 — 2 6 0
Georgia 000 000 0 — 0 5 1
WP: Jennifer Long. LP: Maddie Monroe. 2B: Kristin Whitmire, Megan Givens, Whitney Long (Tennessee). Highlights: Long 2-3 (Tennessee)
TENNESSEE 12, GEORGIA
Georgia 401 021 2 — 10 11 0
Tennessee 217 110 x — 12 13 2
WP: Alesha Buckner. LP: Jessica Penney. HR: Charlie Wooden (Tennessee). 3B: Nina Davenport, Bri Shoemake 2, Megan Givens (Tennessee). 2B: Whitmire, Long (Tennessee); Mollie Rodgers, Kayla Elswick, Dee Elswick. Highlights: Emily Ledbetter, Lindsay Lowe (Georgia) 3 RBIs each; Davenport, Brittany Cooley (Tennessee) 3 RBIs each.
For former Chattanooga Christian softball player Jennifer Long, playing in the Tennessee-Georgia All Star Softball game was about opportunity — an opportunity to play with some of the area's best players.
“It's good to play with really competitive girls on the same team,” said Long, whose Tennessee team swept both games of the doubleheader Wednesday night at Frost Stadium.
Long, who said she first started playing softball at age four, has spent nearly the last ten years capitalizing on all other softball related opportunities as well. Her stellar high school career and her career as a player for the Georgia Heat summer team afforded her the chance to continue playing at Carson Newman College next year.
After holding the Georgia team to just three hits through six innings in the first game, Long and the Tennessee team found itself in some trouble in the seventh.
Following the strikeout of Georgia's Jordan Bohannon to start the seventh, Long loaded the bases by giving up two singles and a walk.
Her Tennessee team bent but didn't break and Long worked out of the jam, securing a 2-0 win courtesy of a fielder's choice and a great defensive play from first basemen Sammantha Mills.
“I knew I had to finish strong,” Long said. “The top of the order was coming up and I just had to keep the ball low.”
Offensively for the Tennessee all-stars, Whitney Long, a Tennessee Wesleyan signee, finished 2-for-3 with a double and a stolen base. Jensen Hackett, a Kennesaw State signee was 2-for-4 for the Georgia team.
Hoping the avoid a series sweep, the Georgia all stars jumped out to a four run lead in the first inning of game two but the Tennessee all stars used a seven-run third inning regain the lead, and the Georgia team never rebounded, losing 12-10.
The Tennessee player of the series was Megan Givens, a University of Tennessee signee. Givens finished the two-game series with three hits, two runs scored and two RBI’s. Lindsay Lowe, a Berry College signee was named player of the series for the Georgia team after finishing with two hits, a double and three RBI's.
Baylor School graduate Nina Davenport was named the event’s most valuable player. Davenport, who has signed to play with Middle Tennessee State University, finished with three hits, a triple, three RBI’s, two runs scored and two stolen bases.