Tuesday, May 25
Decatur, AL
12:30 p.m.
California Baptist University
3
vs
2
Shorter University (Ga.)
PRESSURE PACKED
5/25/2010 10:00:00 PM | Softball
DECATUR, Ala. --- Top-ranked California Baptist University decided to take the hard road on its quest to defend its 2009 National Championship falling into the loser's bracket Monday night.
That road turned out to be anything but a walk in the park as the Lancers staved off elimination twice Tuesday, defeating Bethel College 3-1 and Shorter College 3-2 in a couple of nail-biters.
Losing a 2-0 ballgame to Oklahoma City the night before, the Lancers are now forced to win six straight games in two days if they hope to repeat as champs. The two wins early Tuesday get CBU one third of the way there. The Lancers will now have to face William Carey in the nightcap to stay alive in the NAIA National Tournament.
The opening game against Bethel saw each team throw their aces as Emma Holden took the circle for the Lancers and Kelli Zache for the Pilots. Both pitchers went the distance, but Zache allowed two runs too many and took the loss, giving up eight hits and three earned runs to drop her record to 22-5. Holden gave up six hits and just one earned run to keep her record perfect at 21-0. She struck out six batters and walked none in the game.
Briana Corral got the scoring started for the Lancers with a first inning solo home run, her fourth of the tournament which ties an NAIA Tournament record. Caty Reeves then drove in a run with a single in the second and the Lancers held a 2-0 lead.
The Pilots would answer quickly getting one run in the third, but could not score the rest of the way. Kendall Gorham added some insurance in the top of the seventh with a solo home run to left, making the final 3-1.
The second game of the day only got tighter as the Lancers faced off against the Shorter Hawks.
This time each team used two pitchers to work the seven innings, but the run output did not change much as the Lancers won it 3-2.
Libby Munson got the start for the Hawks and pitched two innings before being replaced by Elisabeth Barber for the final five innings of work. The Lancers scored two off of Munson and one more off Barber. The two Hawk pitchers allowed a combined nine hits as the Lancers were not lacking scoring opportunities.
The Lancers threatened in the fifth when Nicole Shoemaker hit a double to deep left-center with Reeves on ahead of her. Reeves was held at third and the throw was cut off and relayed to second catching Shoemaker rounding the bag and ending the inning. Sarah Hurlbut was then thrown out at third by Tiffany Adams, the Hawk center-fielder, when she tried to tag-up on a sixth inning fly ball.
Still, the Lancers carried a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh and Tory Ferreira finished off the game by working a 1-2-3 inning. Melanie Ahumada got the start for the Lancers lasting three innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits. Ferreira took over and pitched four innings, giving up no runs on one hit.
First inning RBI by Reeves and Hurlbut gave the Lancers a quick two-run lead. The Hawks then knocked in runs of their own in the first and third to tie the ballgame up. Sarah Strong broke the tie with a two-out RBI single in the fourth inning, driving in what would end up being the game-winning run.
CBU runs its record to 63-3 while the season ends for Shorter as they finish up 51-16. The Lancers play next at 5:30 (PST) against the William Carey Lady Crusaders in another elimination game.
That road turned out to be anything but a walk in the park as the Lancers staved off elimination twice Tuesday, defeating Bethel College 3-1 and Shorter College 3-2 in a couple of nail-biters.
Losing a 2-0 ballgame to Oklahoma City the night before, the Lancers are now forced to win six straight games in two days if they hope to repeat as champs. The two wins early Tuesday get CBU one third of the way there. The Lancers will now have to face William Carey in the nightcap to stay alive in the NAIA National Tournament.
The opening game against Bethel saw each team throw their aces as Emma Holden took the circle for the Lancers and Kelli Zache for the Pilots. Both pitchers went the distance, but Zache allowed two runs too many and took the loss, giving up eight hits and three earned runs to drop her record to 22-5. Holden gave up six hits and just one earned run to keep her record perfect at 21-0. She struck out six batters and walked none in the game.
Briana Corral got the scoring started for the Lancers with a first inning solo home run, her fourth of the tournament which ties an NAIA Tournament record. Caty Reeves then drove in a run with a single in the second and the Lancers held a 2-0 lead.
The Pilots would answer quickly getting one run in the third, but could not score the rest of the way. Kendall Gorham added some insurance in the top of the seventh with a solo home run to left, making the final 3-1.
The second game of the day only got tighter as the Lancers faced off against the Shorter Hawks.
This time each team used two pitchers to work the seven innings, but the run output did not change much as the Lancers won it 3-2.
Libby Munson got the start for the Hawks and pitched two innings before being replaced by Elisabeth Barber for the final five innings of work. The Lancers scored two off of Munson and one more off Barber. The two Hawk pitchers allowed a combined nine hits as the Lancers were not lacking scoring opportunities.
The Lancers threatened in the fifth when Nicole Shoemaker hit a double to deep left-center with Reeves on ahead of her. Reeves was held at third and the throw was cut off and relayed to second catching Shoemaker rounding the bag and ending the inning. Sarah Hurlbut was then thrown out at third by Tiffany Adams, the Hawk center-fielder, when she tried to tag-up on a sixth inning fly ball.
Still, the Lancers carried a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh and Tory Ferreira finished off the game by working a 1-2-3 inning. Melanie Ahumada got the start for the Lancers lasting three innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits. Ferreira took over and pitched four innings, giving up no runs on one hit.
First inning RBI by Reeves and Hurlbut gave the Lancers a quick two-run lead. The Hawks then knocked in runs of their own in the first and third to tie the ballgame up. Sarah Strong broke the tie with a two-out RBI single in the fourth inning, driving in what would end up being the game-winning run.
CBU runs its record to 63-3 while the season ends for Shorter as they finish up 51-16. The Lancers play next at 5:30 (PST) against the William Carey Lady Crusaders in another elimination game.
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