May 22, 2006

DECATUR, Ala. -  At the 2006 NAIA Softball National Championship at Wilson Morgan Park in Decatur, Alabama, it was the University of Mobile (Ala.) (47-2) moving past defending champion Simon Fraser University (B.C.) (31-5) 7-0 in the first action of bracket play on day three of the tournament. 

Mobile posted an early run against the defending champion Simon Fraser to take an early lead in the first game of bracket play when right fielder Evelynne Pare scored on a wild pitch by Melissa Oddie.  Pare led off the game with a single and was moved to third base after a sacrifice and a ground out. 

Simon Fraser threatened to post runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning on a combination of  bunts for base hits by Christine Barr and Meaghan Cumpstone but strikeouts by Carolyn Bell and Heather Reiss failed to score the base runners.

In the top of the fourth inning of play, the Rams of Mobile added an additional run to their 1-0 lead but the top of the seventh inning was when they put the game away.  Leading off the four-run inning, Mayret Perez hit a double to deep left center to score Pare and Maribel Riera for the first two runs of the inning.  Catcher Kristen Hayes singled through the gap between first and second base to score Corey Race who had previously reached on a double and scored pinch runner Taylor Phillips. 

The Rams were led by Perez and Jessica McIntyre who were each 2-for-4 on the day.  Perez along with teammate Hayes added two RBI each in the contest.  Linden Jones improves her record to 29-1 on the season.

Melissa Oddie suffered the loss for the Clan of Simon Fraser and dropped her record to 15-4 on the season.  Right fielder Melanie Matthews went 3-for-4 on the day.

Mobile advances in the winner's bracket to face California Baptist (54-5) at 2:00 p.m. today while Simon Fraser moves into the loser's bracket to play Oklahoma City (53-6) at 2:00 p.m. today also.