May 23, 2011

GULF SHORES, Ala. – (Box Score) Lily LaVelle led the way at the plate and in the circle for the Oklahoma City Stars (48-13) in double-elimination bracket play Monday as they eliminated Shorter (Ga.) with a 4-2 victory at the NAIA Softball National Championship.

Oklahoma City stays alive to face Belhaven (Miss.) later today at 5:30 p.m. CDT in an elimination game. The contest will be video-streamed live at www.WatchNAIA.com. Shorter ends the season with a 46-15 record.

LaVelle improved to 31-9 in the circle for Oklahoma City and struck out six batters while limiting the Lady Hawks to two runs on seven hits. Libby Munson (27-7) took the loss for Shorter after giving up four runs on nine hits in seven innings of work.

At the plate, LaVelle helped her own cause by finishing 2-for-3 with four RBIs and a home run. Leadoff hitter Tori Joyner finished 3-for-3 and Chelsey Eddy went 2-for-3 with one run scored.

Amanda Albertson led Shorter at the dish with a 2-for-3, one-RBI effort, while Jessica Womble finished 2-for-4.

After tossing a scoreless first inning, Lavelle came up to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the second and singled home a pair to start the scoring. She then cruised through the next four innings before delivering a two-run shot to left for a 4-0 lead.

Shorter put up a fight in the seventh. A single, hit-batsman and walk loaded the bags with two outs, and Bre Johnson and Albertson followed with RBI-singles to cut the deficit to 4-2. That’s when LaVelle settled down and got a strikeout and fly out to leave the bases loaded to end the game.

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