2006 USA South Softball
Tournament
Thursday-Saturday, April 13th-15th
Burlington Springwood Park
Burlington, NC
Friday, April 14, 2006
Six-run
seventh sends Lady Monarchs to USA South softball championship
BURLINGTON, N.C.
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The top-seeded Lady Monarchs of Methodist College advanced to Saturday's
USA South softball championship game with a 7-1 win over No. 2
Greensboro College on Friday afternoon.
Greensboro will get a another chance to earn a spot in the title game when the Pride take on the winner of Ferrum/NC Wesleyan at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The championship game will begin at 1:00 p.m. followed by a second game at 3:00 p.m. if needed.
The Pride jumped out in front with a run in the first when USA South Player of the Year Jessica Clack (pictured) singled to left center and later scored on a Lauren Manning RBI-single up the middle.
Methodist tied the game in the top of the third. Rebekah Kelly singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a sac-bunt. Sara Poling then drilled an RBI-double to left center to knot the score at 1-1.
The game remained a pitcher's dual between MC's Lesley Hewitt and GC's Kristen Slade until the seventh inning when the Monarchs erupted for six runs with two outs.
The rally began when LaTiana Headen drew Methodist's second walk of the inning. With runners at first and second, Kayla Talbert ripped a two-run double that was followed by a Lisa Jackson homerun over the left field fence. Having chased Slade, the Monarchs were not done as they added two more insurance runs in the frame.
Conference Pitcher of the Year Jennifer Sorenson came on in the seventh and tossed a 1-2-3 inning to secure the 7-1 final. Hewitt moved to 10-1 in the circle with the win, tossing six innings and allowing just one run on five hits. Slade (9-4) took the loss after giving up all seven runs on nine hits while walking seven.
Offensively, Kelly and Jackson each had two hits for Methodist, while
Manning was 2-for-3 to pace the Pride.