May 20, 2011

GULF SHORES, Ala. – (Box Score) MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) (39-11) used two big offensive innings to take down SUNY Canton (N.Y.) (18-15) by a score of 8-0 in five innings Friday in pool play action at the 2011 NAIA Softball National Championship. The 31^st Annual event is taking place at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex.

The Pioneers plated three runs in the third and exploded for five more in the fifth. Two runs were scored on singles by Keeley Ray and Jen Costa before a RBI-double off the bat of Taylor Ryal in the third frame. In the fifth, the Pioneers batted around the line-up as they laced out four hits to score five runs.

In that frame, there were three singles and one double. Lynsey Keith nailed a double to right-center to score Alexis Folkerts. Those runs led to the 8-0 lead and SUNY Canton was held scoreless in the bottom of the inning for the run-ruled loss.

The combination of pitchers Kayla Harris and Gale Christner held the Kangaroos to no runs and five hits. Harris earned her 13^th win of the season. She allowed five hits and struck out one batter in four innings of work.

Ray led the 10-hit parade for MidAmerica Nazarene with a 3-for-3 effort. She scored twice and drove in one run. Three other Pioneers finished with a pair of hits. Tina DeLuca and Emiley Walters, the eighth and ninth SUNY Canton batters in the line-up, each went 2-for-2.

DeLuca was hit with the loss in the circle as she allowed eight runs, but only two earned, on 10 hits. She walked one batter to fall to 13-12 on the year.

MidAmerica Nazarene wraps up Pool A action with a contest Saturday against top-ranked California Baptist at 6 p.m. CDT. SUNY Canton will face Friends (Kan.) at 1 p.m.

For the complete schedule, click here.