California Baptist Defeats St. Gregory's 5-4 in Winner's Bracket Final
May 19, 2009
DECATUR, Ala. – The winner’s bracket final in the 29th Annual NAIA Softball National Championships featured two teams playing in this game for the first time in their school’s history. No. 1 ranked California Baptist University rallied from a 4-0 deficit to defeat No. 7 St. Gregory’s (Okla.) University 5-4.
St. Gregory’s opened the game with three runs in the top half of the first inning. Wendy Acosta drove in the first run with an RBI single, while Mel Dwight drove in two runs later in the inning with her two-out single. The Cavaliers added a fourth run with a tally in the second inning on a Jessica Reed RBI single.
California Baptist quickly responded with three runs of their on in the bottom half of the second inning. The Lancers scored their first run when Nina Cabrales was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring Nicole Shoemaker who was also hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Briana Corral and Nikki Lowe added RBI singles to drive in runs two and three for the Lancers.
The score remained 4-3 in favor of St. Gregory’s until the bottom of the fourth inning. Sarah Hurlbut doubled with one out. Shoemaker was walked, bringing up Megan Silva who promptly laced a two-RBI double to give California Baptist the 5-4 lead.
That would be enough as Tory Ferreira (24-0) kept St. Gregory’s off the board for the final five innings of play, keeping her record perfect on the season. Sarah Bradley took the loss in relief for starter Sharon Bell.
Lowe led California Baptist with three hits, while Silvia led with two RBI.
California Baptist moves straight into the national title game at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20, having not lost a game to this point in bracket play. St. Gregory’s will face Dickinson State (N.D.) on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in an elimination game. The winner must defeat California Baptist twice on Wednesday to earn the title.
-NAIA-
