May 17, 2008

Decatur, Ala. - In the first day of the 2008 NAIA Softball National Championships, the University of Mobile (Ala.) and Simon Fraser (B.C.) University finished unscathed in pool C.  The Rams and Clan went 2-0 on the day while Oklahoma City University finished 1-1.  Columbia (Mo.) College and Walsh (Ohio) University ended day one with 0-2 records.

The Rams from Mobile defeated Walsh 2-1 in nine innings and Columbia 4-2.  Right fielder Kelyn Mendoza led Mobile offensively, going four-for-seven on the day with a homerun and a double.   Nikki Madden and Ginger Reeser combined for the four-hit win against Walsh.  The pair added eight strikeouts and gave up just two walks with Reeser (19-2) collecting the win.  Reeser (20-2) returned to the mound against Columbia.  Reeser went the distance with four strikeouts and one walk. 

Simon Fraser took on Oklahoma City in the second game with the SFU Clan coming out on top 3-2.  The Stars notched nine hits in the game compared to Simon Fraser's five, but Oklahoma City struggled to string any hits together leaving a total of nine runners on base.  Jennifer Van Egdom (9-1) amassed the win on the mound for the Clan after replacing Haley Cicchetti in the fifth.  SFU took on Columbia in the final game of the day and defeated the Cougars 7-3 after a tie-breaking grand slam hit by Meaghan Cumpstone in the seventh inning.

Elizabeth Oberst (10-2) from Oklahoma City led the Stars to a 9-1 win over Walsh.  The southpaw threw a one-hit, ten strikeout game over the Cavaliers.

Pool play will resume on Saturday with game No. 23 between Mobile (Ala.) and Oklahoma City at 10 a.m. (CST).