CLERMONT, Fla. – After a big win over third-seeded RV Warner, the Thomas University softball team could not replicate its hitting success against second-seeded RV Coastal Georgia, falling 8-2 to the Mariners Thursday night at PFX Athletics Legends Way Ballpark.
 
The Lady Night Hawks (22-18) were stumped all contest by The Sun Conference's hottest team, only recording five hits.  Starting pitcher Junior Shaela Brown (6-5) allowed five runs in four hits in one and two-third innings pitched.
 
Thomas started the contest off in full force, as Freshman Makana Pember set the tone with a base hit before stealing second.  After a grounder allowed Pember to advance to third, the Millbrae, Calif. native was brought home by a RBI double from Sophomore Addyson Mauldin to give the Lady Night Hawks a 1-0 lead.
 
The Hunter Green & White's early momentum carried into the inning's bottom half, as TU limited the Mariners to three batters, highlighted by a strikeout and a throw-out to second on the same play.
 
The Mariners turned the tides (no pun intended) in the bottom of the second, loading the bases in the first three at-bats.  Thomas responded with a strikeout from Brown and a pop-up putout by Sophomore Alexus Johnson, but the CCGA tide turned into a tsunami when Breanna Wells slammed a 3RBI double to center field to give the Mariners its first lead of the game 3-2.  TSC First-Teamer Sarah Thinger followed the big hit with another deep hit.  Junior Larran Carter took over for Brown at the circle, but CCGA's hitting remained the same, adding a 2RBI triple by TSC Freshman of the Year Bryce Peacock to extend the lead to three runs (5-2).
 
After going three-and-out in Innings 3 and 4, TU got runners on base in the fifth via walks, but the team's efforts fell short as two runners were left on base. 
 
Thomas attempted to close the three-run gap the sixth with base hits from Mauldin and Senior Holly Campbell.  After Junior Taylee Bragger entered to pinch run for Mauldin, a ground out allowed the runners to advance to second and third.  Unfortunately for TU, that was as far as they could go, as a strikeout on the next at-bat ended the team's efforts.
 
The Mariners solidified its win with three more runs in the bottom of the sixth to take an 8-2 win.
 
As Coastal Georgia moves on to the Winners' Bracket final, Thomas must now win three straight games on Friday to make it to Saturday's Championship.  The Lady Night Hawks will begin their day with fifth-seeded Keiser, with the first pitch scheduled for 11:30 a.m.  The winner between Keiser and Thomas moves to play the Warner-USCB winner at 4:30 p.m., with the winner of that contest immediately facing the loser of the Webber International-Coastal Georgia game at 7 p.m.
 
For up-to-date information on these games and other TU Athletics, visit www.TUNightHawks.com.  Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, and feature stories of your TU softball team by following them via Twitter at @NightHawksSoftb.