May 21, 2011

GULF SHORES, Ala. – (Box Score) Friends (Kan.) (35-14) rolled past SUNY Canton (N.Y.) (18-16) by an 11-4 score Saturday in pool play action at the 2011 NAIA Softball National Championship.

Kelsey Porter (15-3) won the game for Friends by limiting SUNY Canton to three earned runs on seven hits in seven innings of work, while Tina DeLuca (14-12) took the loss after giving up nine earned on 16 hits in the complete-game effort.

Kristina Manser led the Falcons with a 4-for-4 performance at the plate and added a solo home run, while Cheyenne Stewart went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and a homer. Jessica Johnson went 2-for-3 and Daneille Dorish finished 1-for-3 with three RBIs.

Vickie Lynch went 3-for-4 for SUNY Canton and DeLuca finished 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs.

An error and RBI-groundout from Dorish gave Friends a 2-0 lead in the first inning, and Dorish’s two-run single highlighted a three-run third inning that put the Falcons up 5-0.

SUNY Canton scored four in the bottom of the sixth on three hits and an error, as Carolina Olivares stole home and DeLuca doubled home a pair to make it 7-4. But, Friends kept hitting and tacked on four more runs in the seventh on the strength of five hits.

Friends moves to 2-1 in pool play, while SUNY Canton falls to 0-3. The top team from each pool will advance to the eight-team double-elimination bracket beginning May 21 at 10 a.m. CDT

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