May 23, 2011

GULF SHORES, Ala. – (Box Score)Belhaven (Miss.) (49-11) lives to see another day after taking down Oklahoma City (48-14) 7-3 in bracket play at the 2011 NAIA Softball National Championship Monday.

After a rocky first, Sarah Burns (40-9) settled down to dominate the Stars, finishing with a complete-game effort that saw her allow three runs on five hits and strike out seven.

Lily LaVelle (31-10) took the loss after giving up four runs on five hits in 4.2 innings of relief work.

CeCee Austin finished 2-for-4 with four RBI for the Blazers, while Christina Jaques went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and Rian O’Bannon went 1-for-2 with one RBI. Lizzy Hess added a pair of hits for Belhaven.

Brittany Caruthers hit a three-run homer for Oklahoma City and Kylee Rounsaville added a pair of hits for the Stars. She hit her three-run blast in the first, but the Stars would get only three hits the rest of the way against Burns.

The Blazer bats had Burns’ back early, as they answered right away with three runs on two hits in the bottom half of the first. Jaques started the frame with a double and Austin singled home two in the inning.

Both offenses went stagnant over the next four innings until the Blazers put the game away with a four-run sixth. Katie Sanders drove in the first run of the inning with a RBI-infield single and Austin capped the inning with a two-out two-run single.

Belhaven will battle Cal State San Marcos Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. All the remaining games will be broadcast live at www.watchnaia.com.