May 25, 2010

DECATUR, Ala. - William Carey (Miss.) (44-13) defeated Bethel (48-8) 8-6 in eight innings in the opening round of double-elimination play at the 2010 NAIA Softball National Championship Monday at Wilson Morgan Softball Complex. The Lady Crusaders will move on to take on Oklahoma City, while the Pilots fall to the losers bracket and will face defending national champion California Baptist. Both games will begin Tuesday at 12 p.m.

Kelsey Jo Smith (8-3) took the win for William Carey from the circle, throwing six innings and allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits. She only issued one walk and fanned one batter. Smith entered in relief of starter Alyssa Boutwell. Boutwell threw two innings, giving up four earned runs on six hits with two strikeouts.

Rachel Zirille took the loss for Bethel, allowing five runs, three of them earned, on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts in five innings of work. Zirille entered in relief of starter Katie Boocher who went 2 1/3, allowing three earned runs on four hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Kelli Zache entered in relief of Zirille and threw two-thirds of an inning, but gave up one hit that scored the winning runs for the Lady Crusaders.

Both teams went run-for-run until the bottom of the seventh inning when the Pilots got the needed run in a last effort to tie the game at 6-6. Holly Weaver laid down a base-hit bunt and advanced to second on a throwing error by Smith. Kaitlyn Dubois sent Weaver to third on a groundout. With one down, Katie Boocher doubled deep to right field, scoring Weaver and Boocher advanced to third on the throw. A foul-ball fly out and ground out would end the inning, but not before Bethel stayed in the game with the tying run.

William Carey responded in the top of the eighth to re-take the lead. Shana Gunter grounded out to lead off the inning. Missy Paulina stayed patient at the plate and reached first on a walk. Katie McCrary entered to pinch run for Paulina, and the go-ahead runner advanced to second on a sharp single down the left-field line from Larke Nightengale. Pinch hitting for Smith, Nikki Sanders doubled to deep left-center to score McCrary and Nightengale and give the Lady Crusaders a two-run lead. William Carey left two stranded to end the inning, but not before the damage was done.

The Pilots' Missy Cripe reached in the bottom half of the inning after being hit by a pitch, but third was as far as she would go. Tara Blair hit a grounder to second and was easily put out at first to end the game, as the Lady Crusaders held on for the win.