May 20, 2011

GULF SHORES, Ala. – (Box Score) The host team Mobile (Ala.) Lady Rams (35-18) rallied past Azusa Pacific (Calif.) (33-22) 5-4 on the second day of pool play action at the 2011 NAIA Softball National Championship Friday.

Mobile overcame eight runners left on base and two errors with a two-run seventh inning.

A Mayles Rodriguez double and Holli McLeod single placed runners at the corners to begin the seventh inning, and freshman second baseman Jessica Rogers ripped a RBI-single to left to tie the game at 4-4. Three batters later, with two outs and runners on the corner, Jessica Swanson smoked a walk-off RBI-single to left-center for the victory.

Kamaron Strickland (15-10) went the distance for the victory, allowing three earned runs on six hits and striking out one. Mariah Worley (12-7) took the loss after giving up two earned runs on four hits in two innings of relief work.

Rodriguez finished 2-for-3 for Mobile, McLeod went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Swanson added a pair of hits as both teams evened their pool play record at 1-1.

Olivia Wilcox finished 2-for-4 at the dish with two RBIs for the Cougars who took a 3-0 lead in the first inning as eight hitters came to the plate. Wilcox produced a two-run double in the inning, but a 4-3 double play with the bases juiced ended the frame and prevented more scoring.

Strickland limited Azusa Pacific to three hits and one unearned run over the final six innings of work in the circle. A double and two-out error in the sixth gave the Cougars two runners on and a chance to add an insurance run, but Strickland induced a pop out to the infield to set the stage for the seventh inning.

Mobile will battle St. Thomas (Fla.) Saturday at 9 a.m.CDT, while Azusa Pacific will face Oklahoma City at 2 p.m. Tomorrow is the final day of pool-play action.

For the complete schedule, click here.