NAIA Softball Weekly Report
Apr 25, 2012
By Jake Knabel, NAIA Communications & Sports Information Intern
Game of the Week
Martin Methodist (Tenn.) (36-16, 20-8 TranSouth) at No. 15 Union (Tenn.) (39-10, 25-5 TranSouth)
Saturday, Jackson, Tenn., 1 p.m. & 3 p.m. CDT, Fesmire Field
• The top-two teams in the TranSouth Athletic Conference meet on Saturday for a doubleheader in what will mark the regular-season and conference finales for both squads. First-place Union has already clinched the TranSouth regular-season title and currently sits three games in front of second-place Martin Methodist. The two teams split a twin-bill on April 10 in their first meeting this season. The RedHawks took game one, 10-6, prior to the Lady Bulldogs’ 6-2 victory in game two.
• Union won 11-straight games from March 7 – 17 and has won 28 of its last 34 games, with five of the six losses coming in conference play. Outside of TranSouth action, the Lady Bulldogs hold wins over then-No. 24 Saint Xavier (Ill.) (March 10) and then-No. 22 Mobile (Ala.) (March 16). In their most recent outing on April 23, they dominated Blue Mountain (Miss.) by scores of 15-6 and 9-1. Union is 19-3 at home this season.
• The Lady Bulldogs’ pitching staff rates as one of the most difficult in the nation to hit, ranking second nationally in strikeouts (387), 10th in opponent batting average (.194) and 30th in ERA (2.12). They also employ a solid offensive attack, ranking 22nd in hits (426) and 24th in runs (270).
• Sophomore leftfielder Shelby Lamb has starred as Union’s biggest standout in the batter’s box. She leads the Lady Bulldogs in batting average (.457), slugging percentage (.674), is tied for the team lead with four home runs and has yet to commit an error this season. Her batting average ranks 23rd in the NAIA. In the circle, Kelly Robey (16-4, 2.04 ERA) and Brooke Thomas (18-6, 2.09 ERA) have logged all but 30 of the team’s 314.2 innings pitched. Thomas is 13th nationally with 179 strikeouts in 157.2 innings of work.
• Martin Methodist, which sits just outside of the Top 25, rides an eight-game winning streak into play on Friday when it travels to Trevecca Nazarene for a TranSouth doubleheader. The RedHawks have feasted on the bottom three squads in the league standings during their current win streak, defeating Bethel (Tenn.) four times and Lyon (Ark.) and Mid-Continent (Ky.) twice each. Martin Methodist is 9-3 in true road contests this season.
• The RedHawks boast one of the TranSouth’s top offenses, ranking 28th in the NAIA in hits (407), 44th in runs (241) and 47th in doubles (67). As a pitching staff, the RedHawks have worked the sixth-most innings in the NAIA (350.1) due to a number of close games. Martin Methodist hurlers have posted a 2.48 ERA, the 46th best figure nationally.
• Junior catcher Veronika Fukunishi headlines the Martin Methodist offensive attack. Last week’s TranSouth Player of the Week leads the squad in batting average (.387), slugging percentage (.606), home runs (6), RBIs (44) and walks (24). Junior right-handed pitcher Chrissy Darnell sports a near-perfect 17-1 record to go with a 1.77 ERA in 142.2 innings of work. She ranks 19th in the NAIA in wins.
Around the Top 25
• The week of April 16 – 22 featured 11 games between Top 25 teams, beginning with an April 17 doubleheader that saw an NAIA record-breaking win streak finally come to an end. No. 1 Concordia (Calif.) extended its NAIA record win streak to 44 games with a 4-0 win over then-No. 8 Azusa Pacific (Calif.) in game one, tagging Cougar hurler Mariah Worley with her first loss of the season. Teammate Rita Kim, the NAIA Pitcher of the Week, snapped the Eagles’ streak in game two by firing a four-hit, seven-inning shutout as Azusa Pacific won game two, 2-0. The loss was the first for Concordia in Golden State Athletic Conference play and only its third overall. Concordia won the GSAC with a 15-1 league mark and now looks forward to hosting the California Pacific/Frontier/Golden State Unaffiliated Group Tournament May 3 – 5. Azusa Pacific’s mark stands at 38-8 overall and 12-4 in conference action.
• In the NAIA Game of the Week, then-No. 9 Shorter (Ga.) and then-No. 11 Lee (Tenn.) split a doubleheader on April 18. In a 6-4 victory in game one, Lee got a 3-for-3, three-run performance from center fielder Savanna Bell as Brittany Balough picked up the win in the circle after 6.2 innings pitched. Shorter came back with a 6-1 triumph in game two when it got two hits each from Charlsie Broom, Amanda Dailey and Bre Johnson. Maddie Bray went seven innings, allowing six hits and a walk to grab the win.
• The Lady Flames concluded their great week with four more wins, including a twin-bill sweep of then-No. 14 Brenau (Ga.) on April 20. Lee needed just two combined runs in the doubleheader, taking a pair of 1-0 pitchers’ duels. Balough limited Brenau to four hits in her game one shutout. Jessa Watts then gave up just three hits in the game two blanking. The Lady Flames then swept two from Truett-McConnell (Ga.) on April 21 to clinch the Southern States Athletic Conference East Division, edging out Shorter by a single game.
• The Sooner Athletic Conference is a three-horse race for league champion. Then-No. 19 Southern Nazarene (Okla.) put itself in contention by upsetting then third-ranked Oklahoma City, 4-3, on April 19. No. 5 Lubbock Christian (Texas) and Southern Nazarene are tied for first place. At 14-3 (.824) in SAC action, the Lady Chaparrals, who control their own destiny for the conference championship, hold a percentage lead over the 16-5 (.762) mark of the Crimson Storm. Oklahoma City is a game back at 13-4.
• The week of April 23 – 29 showcases at least five games between ranked teams, with the possibility of more as conference tournaments move on. The first of these matchups got underway Monday as then-No. 6 William Carey (Miss.) swept a doubleheader from then-No. 24 Mobile (Ala.), 8-0 and 5-4. In Thursday’s Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament first-round battle, now No. 12 Shorter takes on Mobile, which moved up to No. 23 in Tuesday’s poll release. Finally, fifth-ranked Lubbock Christian (Texas) hosts No. 13 St. Gregory’s (Okla.) on Saturday.
• Conference tournaments began Tuesday and will be completed on May 7. To track the scores from all league tournaments, click here.
National Statistical Notes
• Jamestown (N.D.) first baseman Kate Johnson set a new school record with 8 RBIs in the Jimmies’ 13-8 win over Great Falls (Mont.) on April 14. Johnson also hit a pair of home runs and went 4-for-5. The school-record performance came in the midst of a 22-game hit streak for the Victoria, B.C., Canada, native. During the streak, which lasted from March 28 – April 22, Johnson batted .551 (38-for-69) with nine doubles, eight home runs and 40 RBIs. She currently ranks 17th in the NAIA with 54 RBIs.
• No. 1 Concordia’s (Calif.) NAIA record-breaking streak of 44-consecutive wins came to an end on April 17 when the Eagles dropped the second game of a doubleheader with No. 8 Azusa Pacific (Calif.). Concordia’s streak topped the previous record of 41-straight wins by Shawnee State (Ohio) in 1996. Until Tuesday’s defeat, the Eagles had not lost since falling 2-1 to unranked Eastern Oregon on Feb. 11. Their overall record of 51-3 (.944) remains the best mark in the NAIA and gives them more wins this season than any softball program in the NAIA and NCAA, including all three divisions. Concordia will host the qualifying tournament for the California Pacific/Frontier/Golden State unaffiliated grouping May 3 – 5.
• Lubbock Christian’s (Texas) Kim Frazier moved to No. 1 in career home runs in NAIA softball history on March 3 when she connected for four home runs during a doubleheader sweep of Oklahoma Christian. That effort pushed her to 62 career home runs, giving her four more than the previous record held by Katie Boocher of Bethel (Ind.). Frazier has since hit 12 more home runs, putting her at 16 for the season and 74 for her career.
• Several Columbia (Mo.) school records were re-written on April 16 when the Cougars blew away Harris-Stowe State (Mo.) by scores of 15-3 and 27-0. In game two, Columbia set new school marks for hits in a game (28), RBIs in a game (25) and runs scored (27). Alex Ridenhour and Whitni Howell also tied the record for most hits in a game with five and Ridenhour broke the record for runs in a game with five. Jessica Hardy, who was named NAIA Player of the Week on Tuesday, broke the record for most home runs in a game with three and RBIs in a single game with nine.
• Junior right-hander Kelsey Robertson of Point Park (Pa.) delivered a seven-inning no-hitter in a 5-0 win over Walsh (Ohio) in the first game of an American Mideast Conference doubleheader on Monday. Robertson, who gave up four walks and a hit batter, dominated a Walsh squad that entered the game batting .349 on the season.
• South Carolina Beaufort hurlers Kristy Cook and Caroline Pastre each threw five-inning perfect games on the same day as the Sand Sharks rolled 19-0 and 34-0 over Fisher (Mass.) on Feb. 20. Cook struck out 12 in game one, while Pastre set down 13 on strikes in game two.
• Saint Xavier’s (Ill.) Amie Brown fired a five-inning perfect game in a 10-0 win over Trinity International (Ill.) on April 3 at the SXU Softball Field. Brown also tossed a seven-inning perfect game in a 2-0 victory over Adrian (Mich.) in Cleremont, Fla., back on Feb. 28.
• Then-No. 1 Lubbock Christian had its 54-game home winning streak snapped in the 10-9 loss to West Texas A&M in the second game of a doubleheader on March 27.
• Karlee Despres of Davenport (Mich.) recorded her fifth career no-hitter in a 1-0 win over Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) on March 17. Despres went seven innings and notched 12 strikeouts.
• Central Baptist (Ark.) teammates Christen Kirchner and Erica Gunter continue to battle for the NAIA batting average title. Gunter led the way a week ago, but Kirchner’s 6-for-8 doubleheader against Oklahoma Wesleyan on April 20 has vaulted her to the top with a .538 (71-for-132) mark. Gunter is second with a .525 (74-for-141) clip.
• Concordia’s (Calif.) Amanda Fama tops the leaderboard with 25 home runs. Corban’s (Ore.) Stephanie Nippert comes in next with 20 homers.
• Hannah Gardner of Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) has run away with the RBI lead. Her 73 RBIs are eight more than the total of Southern Nazarene’s (Okla.) Amy Madden.
• Shelby Anderson of Williams Baptist (Ark.) is the NAIA leader in ERA at 0.62. A total of six hurlers have an ERA of under 1.00.
• Indiana Wesleyan’s Abbie Forman is tops nationally with 31 wins. Oklahoma City’s Lilly LaVelle leads the nation with 334 strikeouts in 184.2 innings of work.
• To view all national leaders, click here.
Coaching Milestones
• Phil McSpadden of Oklahoma City leads all active coaches with a record of 1,299-324 (.800) in 25 years.
• Faulkner’s (Ala.) Hal Wynn, eighth on the active wins list, reached 600 career triumphs on April 3 after a 6-5 win over Belhaven (Miss.) in the first game of the doubleheader.
• Brandie Paul of Martin Methodist (Tenn.) recorded win No. 500 in her coaching career on April 12 as the RedHawks swept a doubleheader from Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.).
• Central Methodist (Mo.) head coach Pat Reardon eclipsed the 500-win mark on March 27 when his team swept a doubleheader from Culver-Stockton (Mo.). The pair of victories put Reardon at 501-433 in 19 seasons.
• Mike Hampton of Iowa Wesleyan picked up his 500th win on March 17 with a 4-1 decision over Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.).
• Vanguard’s (Calif.) Beth Renkoski notched her 500th career victory on March 24 with a 2-1 win over Ottawa (Kan.) in the second game of the twin bill.
• Lee (Tenn.) head coach Emily Russell claimed her 400th career victory on April 10 as her Lady Flames swept a doubleheader from Truett-McConnell (Ga.).
• Ronda Varnesdeel of Davenport (Mich.) passed the 300-win plateau on April 1 with two wins over Cumberland (Tenn.). Varnesdeel’s first 133 wins came at Aquinas (Mich.).
Game of the Week
Martin Methodist (Tenn.) (36-16, 20-8 TranSouth) at No. 15 Union (Tenn.) (39-10, 25-5 TranSouth)
Saturday, Jackson, Tenn., 1 p.m. & 3 p.m. CDT, Fesmire Field
• The top-two teams in the TranSouth Athletic Conference meet on Saturday for a doubleheader in what will mark the regular-season and conference finales for both squads. First-place Union has already clinched the TranSouth regular-season title and currently sits three games in front of second-place Martin Methodist. The two teams split a twin-bill on April 10 in their first meeting this season. The RedHawks took game one, 10-6, prior to the Lady Bulldogs’ 6-2 victory in game two.
• Union won 11-straight games from March 7 – 17 and has won 28 of its last 34 games, with five of the six losses coming in conference play. Outside of TranSouth action, the Lady Bulldogs hold wins over then-No. 24 Saint Xavier (Ill.) (March 10) and then-No. 22 Mobile (Ala.) (March 16). In their most recent outing on April 23, they dominated Blue Mountain (Miss.) by scores of 15-6 and 9-1. Union is 19-3 at home this season.
• The Lady Bulldogs’ pitching staff rates as one of the most difficult in the nation to hit, ranking second nationally in strikeouts (387), 10th in opponent batting average (.194) and 30th in ERA (2.12). They also employ a solid offensive attack, ranking 22nd in hits (426) and 24th in runs (270).
• Sophomore leftfielder Shelby Lamb has starred as Union’s biggest standout in the batter’s box. She leads the Lady Bulldogs in batting average (.457), slugging percentage (.674), is tied for the team lead with four home runs and has yet to commit an error this season. Her batting average ranks 23rd in the NAIA. In the circle, Kelly Robey (16-4, 2.04 ERA) and Brooke Thomas (18-6, 2.09 ERA) have logged all but 30 of the team’s 314.2 innings pitched. Thomas is 13th nationally with 179 strikeouts in 157.2 innings of work.
• Martin Methodist, which sits just outside of the Top 25, rides an eight-game winning streak into play on Friday when it travels to Trevecca Nazarene for a TranSouth doubleheader. The RedHawks have feasted on the bottom three squads in the league standings during their current win streak, defeating Bethel (Tenn.) four times and Lyon (Ark.) and Mid-Continent (Ky.) twice each. Martin Methodist is 9-3 in true road contests this season.
• The RedHawks boast one of the TranSouth’s top offenses, ranking 28th in the NAIA in hits (407), 44th in runs (241) and 47th in doubles (67). As a pitching staff, the RedHawks have worked the sixth-most innings in the NAIA (350.1) due to a number of close games. Martin Methodist hurlers have posted a 2.48 ERA, the 46th best figure nationally.
• Junior catcher Veronika Fukunishi headlines the Martin Methodist offensive attack. Last week’s TranSouth Player of the Week leads the squad in batting average (.387), slugging percentage (.606), home runs (6), RBIs (44) and walks (24). Junior right-handed pitcher Chrissy Darnell sports a near-perfect 17-1 record to go with a 1.77 ERA in 142.2 innings of work. She ranks 19th in the NAIA in wins.
Around the Top 25
• The week of April 16 – 22 featured 11 games between Top 25 teams, beginning with an April 17 doubleheader that saw an NAIA record-breaking win streak finally come to an end. No. 1 Concordia (Calif.) extended its NAIA record win streak to 44 games with a 4-0 win over then-No. 8 Azusa Pacific (Calif.) in game one, tagging Cougar hurler Mariah Worley with her first loss of the season. Teammate Rita Kim, the NAIA Pitcher of the Week, snapped the Eagles’ streak in game two by firing a four-hit, seven-inning shutout as Azusa Pacific won game two, 2-0. The loss was the first for Concordia in Golden State Athletic Conference play and only its third overall. Concordia won the GSAC with a 15-1 league mark and now looks forward to hosting the California Pacific/Frontier/Golden State Unaffiliated Group Tournament May 3 – 5. Azusa Pacific’s mark stands at 38-8 overall and 12-4 in conference action.
• In the NAIA Game of the Week, then-No. 9 Shorter (Ga.) and then-No. 11 Lee (Tenn.) split a doubleheader on April 18. In a 6-4 victory in game one, Lee got a 3-for-3, three-run performance from center fielder Savanna Bell as Brittany Balough picked up the win in the circle after 6.2 innings pitched. Shorter came back with a 6-1 triumph in game two when it got two hits each from Charlsie Broom, Amanda Dailey and Bre Johnson. Maddie Bray went seven innings, allowing six hits and a walk to grab the win.
• The Lady Flames concluded their great week with four more wins, including a twin-bill sweep of then-No. 14 Brenau (Ga.) on April 20. Lee needed just two combined runs in the doubleheader, taking a pair of 1-0 pitchers’ duels. Balough limited Brenau to four hits in her game one shutout. Jessa Watts then gave up just three hits in the game two blanking. The Lady Flames then swept two from Truett-McConnell (Ga.) on April 21 to clinch the Southern States Athletic Conference East Division, edging out Shorter by a single game.
• The Sooner Athletic Conference is a three-horse race for league champion. Then-No. 19 Southern Nazarene (Okla.) put itself in contention by upsetting then third-ranked Oklahoma City, 4-3, on April 19. No. 5 Lubbock Christian (Texas) and Southern Nazarene are tied for first place. At 14-3 (.824) in SAC action, the Lady Chaparrals, who control their own destiny for the conference championship, hold a percentage lead over the 16-5 (.762) mark of the Crimson Storm. Oklahoma City is a game back at 13-4.
• The week of April 23 – 29 showcases at least five games between ranked teams, with the possibility of more as conference tournaments move on. The first of these matchups got underway Monday as then-No. 6 William Carey (Miss.) swept a doubleheader from then-No. 24 Mobile (Ala.), 8-0 and 5-4. In Thursday’s Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament first-round battle, now No. 12 Shorter takes on Mobile, which moved up to No. 23 in Tuesday’s poll release. Finally, fifth-ranked Lubbock Christian (Texas) hosts No. 13 St. Gregory’s (Okla.) on Saturday.
• Conference tournaments began Tuesday and will be completed on May 7. To track the scores from all league tournaments, click here.
National Statistical Notes
• Jamestown (N.D.) first baseman Kate Johnson set a new school record with 8 RBIs in the Jimmies’ 13-8 win over Great Falls (Mont.) on April 14. Johnson also hit a pair of home runs and went 4-for-5. The school-record performance came in the midst of a 22-game hit streak for the Victoria, B.C., Canada, native. During the streak, which lasted from March 28 – April 22, Johnson batted .551 (38-for-69) with nine doubles, eight home runs and 40 RBIs. She currently ranks 17th in the NAIA with 54 RBIs.
• No. 1 Concordia’s (Calif.) NAIA record-breaking streak of 44-consecutive wins came to an end on April 17 when the Eagles dropped the second game of a doubleheader with No. 8 Azusa Pacific (Calif.). Concordia’s streak topped the previous record of 41-straight wins by Shawnee State (Ohio) in 1996. Until Tuesday’s defeat, the Eagles had not lost since falling 2-1 to unranked Eastern Oregon on Feb. 11. Their overall record of 51-3 (.944) remains the best mark in the NAIA and gives them more wins this season than any softball program in the NAIA and NCAA, including all three divisions. Concordia will host the qualifying tournament for the California Pacific/Frontier/Golden State unaffiliated grouping May 3 – 5.
• Lubbock Christian’s (Texas) Kim Frazier moved to No. 1 in career home runs in NAIA softball history on March 3 when she connected for four home runs during a doubleheader sweep of Oklahoma Christian. That effort pushed her to 62 career home runs, giving her four more than the previous record held by Katie Boocher of Bethel (Ind.). Frazier has since hit 12 more home runs, putting her at 16 for the season and 74 for her career.
• Several Columbia (Mo.) school records were re-written on April 16 when the Cougars blew away Harris-Stowe State (Mo.) by scores of 15-3 and 27-0. In game two, Columbia set new school marks for hits in a game (28), RBIs in a game (25) and runs scored (27). Alex Ridenhour and Whitni Howell also tied the record for most hits in a game with five and Ridenhour broke the record for runs in a game with five. Jessica Hardy, who was named NAIA Player of the Week on Tuesday, broke the record for most home runs in a game with three and RBIs in a single game with nine.
• Junior right-hander Kelsey Robertson of Point Park (Pa.) delivered a seven-inning no-hitter in a 5-0 win over Walsh (Ohio) in the first game of an American Mideast Conference doubleheader on Monday. Robertson, who gave up four walks and a hit batter, dominated a Walsh squad that entered the game batting .349 on the season.
• South Carolina Beaufort hurlers Kristy Cook and Caroline Pastre each threw five-inning perfect games on the same day as the Sand Sharks rolled 19-0 and 34-0 over Fisher (Mass.) on Feb. 20. Cook struck out 12 in game one, while Pastre set down 13 on strikes in game two.
• Saint Xavier’s (Ill.) Amie Brown fired a five-inning perfect game in a 10-0 win over Trinity International (Ill.) on April 3 at the SXU Softball Field. Brown also tossed a seven-inning perfect game in a 2-0 victory over Adrian (Mich.) in Cleremont, Fla., back on Feb. 28.
• Then-No. 1 Lubbock Christian had its 54-game home winning streak snapped in the 10-9 loss to West Texas A&M in the second game of a doubleheader on March 27.
• Karlee Despres of Davenport (Mich.) recorded her fifth career no-hitter in a 1-0 win over Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) on March 17. Despres went seven innings and notched 12 strikeouts.
• Central Baptist (Ark.) teammates Christen Kirchner and Erica Gunter continue to battle for the NAIA batting average title. Gunter led the way a week ago, but Kirchner’s 6-for-8 doubleheader against Oklahoma Wesleyan on April 20 has vaulted her to the top with a .538 (71-for-132) mark. Gunter is second with a .525 (74-for-141) clip.
• Concordia’s (Calif.) Amanda Fama tops the leaderboard with 25 home runs. Corban’s (Ore.) Stephanie Nippert comes in next with 20 homers.
• Hannah Gardner of Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) has run away with the RBI lead. Her 73 RBIs are eight more than the total of Southern Nazarene’s (Okla.) Amy Madden.
• Shelby Anderson of Williams Baptist (Ark.) is the NAIA leader in ERA at 0.62. A total of six hurlers have an ERA of under 1.00.
• Indiana Wesleyan’s Abbie Forman is tops nationally with 31 wins. Oklahoma City’s Lilly LaVelle leads the nation with 334 strikeouts in 184.2 innings of work.
• To view all national leaders, click here.
Coaching Milestones
• Phil McSpadden of Oklahoma City leads all active coaches with a record of 1,299-324 (.800) in 25 years.
• Faulkner’s (Ala.) Hal Wynn, eighth on the active wins list, reached 600 career triumphs on April 3 after a 6-5 win over Belhaven (Miss.) in the first game of the doubleheader.
• Brandie Paul of Martin Methodist (Tenn.) recorded win No. 500 in her coaching career on April 12 as the RedHawks swept a doubleheader from Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.).
• Central Methodist (Mo.) head coach Pat Reardon eclipsed the 500-win mark on March 27 when his team swept a doubleheader from Culver-Stockton (Mo.). The pair of victories put Reardon at 501-433 in 19 seasons.
• Mike Hampton of Iowa Wesleyan picked up his 500th win on March 17 with a 4-1 decision over Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.).
• Vanguard’s (Calif.) Beth Renkoski notched her 500th career victory on March 24 with a 2-1 win over Ottawa (Kan.) in the second game of the twin bill.
• Lee (Tenn.) head coach Emily Russell claimed her 400th career victory on April 10 as her Lady Flames swept a doubleheader from Truett-McConnell (Ga.).
• Ronda Varnesdeel of Davenport (Mich.) passed the 300-win plateau on April 1 with two wins over Cumberland (Tenn.). Varnesdeel’s first 133 wins came at Aquinas (Mich.).
