May 24, 2010

DECATUR, Ala. - Belhaven (Miss.) needed just five innings to dismantle Dickinson State (N.D.) 10-0 to advance into the double-elimination bracket of the 2010 NAIA Softball National Championship Monday at Wilson Morgan Softball Complex. Belhaven will take on the winner of Pool C at 9 p.m. CDT.

Belhaven used the run rule to go undefeated in pool play and improve to 53-8 on the season. Sarah Burns (29-4) earned the win for the Blazers, going four innings in the circle and allowing just two hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Rebecca Rousseau threw one inning of relief and gave up just one hit with one walk and one strikeout.

Sara Jane Webster (20-7) took the loss for the Blue Hawks, spending all five innings on the mound and giving up seven runs, five of them earned, on nine hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Taysia Kaufman and Webster switched defensive positions in the fourth and Kaufman faced three batters, allowing three earned runs on three hits. Webster returned to pitch the remainder of the game.

Dickinson State's fourth trip to the national championship ends with a 1-2 record in pool play and 34-13 for the year.

Belhaven got its bats going in the top of the third with a lead-off double from Katie Sanders, who was replaced on the basepads by Kayla Maldonado. Lizzy Hess reached on a walk and Britney Webb loaded the bases with a base-hit bunt. The Blazers got their first run on a throwing error from Dickinson State first baseman Kelly Jahn as Jessica Eggold reached first base and Maldonado scored. Christina Jaques followed with a single to score Hess and Webb and advance Eggold to second, giving Belhaven a three-run lead. Eggold and Jaques moved up 60 feet on a wild pitch by Webster, and both advanced again as Eggold scored on a sac fly by Tiffany Ansley. A single by Rian O'Bannon brought home Jaques and Belhaven held a 5-0 lead going into the bottom of the third.

Three outs later, Belhaven's offense was at it again. Sanders singled to right-center field and advanced to second on a hit from Hess. Webb doubled to score Sanders and move Hess up to third. Eggold sent a pitch up the middle to score both runners and then came home on a two-run shot over the center-field fence from Jaques to take the 10-0 lead.

In the first game of the day, Columbia (Mo.) defeated Northwood (Texas) 2-1 in 10 innings. Valerie Teter took the win for the Cougars, throwing a complete game, giving up one unearned run on four hits with just three walks and fanned 18 batters. Taylor Jones took the loss for the Knights, going 9 1/3 and giving up two earned runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

Offensively for Columbia, Teter went 2-for-4 with one run scored and Tori Gehlert added two RBIs on a 2-for-4 effort. Leigh Anne Rainey had the lone run batted in for Northwood on a 1-for-5 effort to score Elba Lebron, who went 1-for-4 on the day.

This was the Cougars' 15th appearance at the national championship, as they finished pool play at 2-1 and 38-18 on the season. The Knights finished at 0-3 in the pool and 33-24 overall with the loss in their second trip to the national championship.