May 25, 2010

DECATUR, Ala. - California Baptist (63-3) defeated Shorter (Ga.) 3-2 in the losers bracket double-elimination play of the 2010 NAIA Softball National Championship Tuesday at Wilson Morgan Softball Complex. The defending National Champion Lancers will move on in the losers' bracket and will face William Carey Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. CDT, while the Hawks were eliminated from competition.

Shorter finished the season at 51-16 overall and 4-2 in championship play. This was the Hawks' third appearance at the national championship and they move to 8-9 all-time in event action.

Tory Ferreira took the win for California Baptist, throwing four innings and giving up no runs on just one hit with one walk. Ferreira entered in relief for Melanie Ahumada, who threw just three innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits with two walks and one strikeout. Elisabeth Barber took the loss for Shorter, tossing five frames and allowing one earned run on seven hits. She issued one walk with two fanned batters. Barber threw in relief of Libby Munson, who went just two innings on the mound. She gave up two runs, one of them earned, on two hits with one walk and one strikeout.

The Lancers jumped out early in the top of the first to get things going. With one down, Briana Corral reached first on an error by second baseman Emily Clements. Kendall Gorham reached on a walk and sent Corral to second. Amanda Collins entered to pinch run for Corral and Collins scored off a left-center single by Caty Reeves and Gorham moved to second. Nicole Shoemaker reached on a fielder's choice and Gorham was put out at third. Reeves moved to second and with two down, Sarah Hurlbut singled to left to score Reeves. A groundout would end the inning with two runners stranded, but not before California Baptist could take a 2-0 lead.

Shorter responded in the bottom half of the inning to cut the lead back to one. Charlsie Broome and Tiffany Adams both singled and advanced on a sac bunt by Munson. With runners on second and third, Barber reached on a fielder's choice to score Broome and send Adams to third. A strikeout and groundout would end the inning with the Lancers leading the Hawks 2-1.

Shorter got back on the board in the bottom of the third. Barber reached on a one-out walk and advanced to second on a sac bunt from Kara Pollock. With two outs, Clements singled to left-center to send Barber home and tie it up. A fly out would end the inning with things evened up at 2-2.

In the top of the fourth, Hurlbut stayed patient at the plate and took a lead-off walk for California Baptist. Cabrales laid down a sac bunt to send Hurlbut to second. Hurlbut advanced to third on a groundout from Sloan McHann. Sarah Strong drilled a two-out single to left to score Hurlbut and put the Lancers up 3-2 at the end of the inning.

The Hawks had scoring opportunities in the bottom halves of the fourth through seventh innings, but couldn't capitalize and left two runners on to fall to California Baptist 3-2.